Cover Photographed by Michelle Mishina, March 2022, Tatler Singapore
Photographed by Michelle Mishina, March 2022, Tatler Singapore
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The reigning champion faced down hot favourite Stamp Fairtex in her first match since giving birth
It was a night Singapore will remember for a long time to come after Angela Lee dominated Thai challenger Stamp Fairtex in the main event of One X on Saturday night after a two-year absence and the birth of her first child.
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All eyes were glued to the One X headliners as they faced off at the Singapore Indoor Stadium where Lee, who started strong from the get go, received a crippling body shot from Fairtex.
It looked like it would be the end for Lee, but in an impressive display of strength, the champion powered through it to drag Fairtex to the mat where she threatened with submissions and ground and pound until the first round concluded.
“That body shot hurt,” Lee admitted in her post-fight interview. “But I can tell you that the contractions that I went through when I was in labour hurt more than that.”
Above Photo: One Championship
Photo: One Championship
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Lee and Fairtex took to the ring once again in round two where Lee initiated another tie-up early by flinging Stamp to the mat.
She quickly overwhelmed her opponent though with a series of arm triangles, arm bars and chokes.
At one point, looking to secure a victory, Lee even threatened a twister, one of the most difficult submissions in MMA.
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Above Photo: Facebook/Angela Lee
Photo: Facebook/Angela Lee
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While Fairtex held out and handled the transitions well, the One Women’s atomweight world champion eventually managed to flatten her and began to try for a rear-naked choke.
With just 10 nail-biting seconds on the clock, Lee slid her left arm under her foe’s neck to elicit the tap and took the World Championship gold.
“I just kept fighting until the very, very end. I knew I had it, I was close to finishing and I didn’t want to chance it. I squeezed it, I held it, and I was able to get the finish near the end of round two,” Lee said.
Above Photo: One Championship
Photo: One Championship
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“This moment right here is a dream come true for me,” she continued. “I wanted to be a world champion. I accomplished that in 2016. Today, I became the first-ever mum champ in One Championship.”
Dedicating her win to her daughter, Lee proudly balanced her baby, Ava Marie, on her hip as she conducted interviews and celebrated her big win post-fight.
“This little girl right here is the reason you guys saw the best performance from me. I trained harder than ever and pushed myself more than ever. Because of her and because of my amazing team—United MMA and United BJJ—I transformed into the World Champion you see today. So thank you, Ava Marie. Mama did it for you, baby girl,” she gushed.
While momentous on its own, Lee’s win was made even more spectacular because it is the first win she has had since she defended her title with a submission win over strawweight champion Xiong Jingnan in 2019.
For her win last night, Lee earned a US$50,000 performance bonus from One Championship Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong.
Fairtex on the other hand, who previously held One’s atomweight Muay Thai and kickboxing titles, is now in the loss column.
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Camillia Dass is the digital writer for Tatler Singapore.
