ONE Women’s Atomweight Champion Angela Lee recently gave five tips for new MMA fighters who are preparing for their first fight.
Lee made her debut in May 2015. In her debut, she submitted with an armbar in the first round.
“There were definitely butterflies,” Lee said. “They are there every single fight. They never go away. But there was not too much pressure actually. It was a completely new feeling, and I was just full of excitement. I was having a grand time.”
The first tip Lee has for new fighters is to visualize the fight.
“I think visualization is really important for every single fighter. Everyone should do it,” Lee said. “For me, I like to prepare myself for an upcoming fight just by thinking of the game plan. What I do is I outline all the possible ways I can finish the fight, and I envision pretty much any and every situation I could end up in, good or bad. So I do a lot of thinking.”
Lee’s second tip is that every fighter needs to know the rules of the organization they are fighting for.
“You have to look at the rules because each organization is different,” Lee said. “For ONE Championship, we have a different rule set and weigh-in rules, so that is something you should take into consideration.”
Lee also believes it’s important to keep the mental game tight.
“Coming in with the right mindset is so important, especially for your debut,” Lee said. “For me, I wanted to make a statement when I made my professional debut, and that is what I did. The most important factors are mental and emotional because the mind controls your body and how you feel will determine how well you perform in the fight.”
Lee also thinks it’s important for fighters to always maintain their concentration.
“In the locker room, usually there is a lot going on. There is the hustle and bustle of the fighters with all their coaches and trainers, and sometimes it gets crazy,” the champ admits. “What I like to do is put my headphones on, listen to some music, and zone out for a little bit to kind of detach yourself. Then I like to go back and reassess the situation. Like, ‘This is what is going on, you are here fighting, remember the game plan,’ and go over all of that in your head.”
Lee’s final piece of advice for fighters planning their MMA debut is to enjoy yourself and get the victory.
“As soon as you walk down the runway to the cage, honestly, the best thing you can do is just be in that moment and enjoy what you are doing,” Lee said. “It is a really cool experience. Not everyone gets to do what we do, so just have fun.”
Lee is undefeated with six wins. She won the inaugural ONE atomweight title in her last fight by winning a decision against Mei Yamaguchi. Lee won all her previous fights by submission.
Lee will defend her title against fellow undefeated atomweight Jenny Huang on March 11 at “ONE Championship: Warrior Kingdom.”
