ONE’s own “Unstoppable” has composed a list of five tips for coming out on top in a fight’s first round. With a title defense on the horizon, Angela Lee is looking to put her strategy to the test.
ONE Inaugural Atomweight Champion Angela “Unstoppable” Lee is currently undefeated in her professional career, with a record of 6-0. The champion is the youngest title holder in MMA history, all at the age of 20. The CNN featured fighter is set to defend her belt against fellow undefeated warrior Jenny Huang this Saturday at ONE: Warrior Kingdom in Bangkok.
But before their big brawl in the main event, Lee has provided ONE with a few tips and tricks for surviving the first round.
In an interview with ONE, Lee’s first word of wisdom is visualization.
“I think visualization is really important for every single fighter. Everyone should do it. 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 said.
Secondly, Lee told ONE that understanding the rules is crucial to performance inside the cage.
“You have to look at the rules [of the organization you are competing in] because each organization is different. For ONE Championship, we have a different rule set and weigh-in rules, so that is something you should take into consideration.
“Do some research and find out about what those fighters have to go through. Of course you are going to be briefed during fight week, but it is good to get a little heads up and do any research you can.”
Thirdly, Lee suggests you stay headstrong.
“Coming in with the right mindset is so important, especially for your debut. 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.
“I can simplify it to this one phrase my dad told me. He said, ‘You only have one chance to make a first impression,’ and that really stuck with me. I was like, ‘He is really right. This is the first time people are going to see me. All these viewers are going to be watching me, so I have to give them my all.”
Fourthly, Lee is all about 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. What I like to do is put my headphones on, listen to some music, and zone out for 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.”
Lastly, Lee suggests to have fun.
“In the locker room, you go over all that stuff in your head and try to calm your nerves down, but 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. It is a really cool experience. Not everyone gets to do what we do, so just have fun.”
That being said, here’s a bonus piece of advice from the champ, “Have fun, but win!”
ONE: Warrior Kingdom goes down this Saturday inside the Bangkok Impact Arena, with “Unstoppable” facing off against undefeated Jenny Huang. It’s sure to be a fight you don’t want to miss.
