Leading up to her next title fight, ONE Women’s Atomweight Champion Angela Lee spent time reflecting on her MMA debut.
In May 2015, Lee made her MMA debut against Aya Saber at ONE Championship: Warrior’s Quest.
“I was just so nervous and so scared. You could see it all over my face, and it was just the weigh-ins,” Lee told ONE Championship.
“Matt Hume just looked at me, smiled, and said, ‘Relax, you are going to do well.’ I was like, ‘Ok’, but I was terrified.”
Lee also recalls getting important advice from her parents ahead of her first fight.
“My parents gave me long talks about how to deal with the match and being under pressure, and I feel I perform best under pressure. I have ever since I was a little kid,” Lee said.
“And I remember my dad saying, ‘You only get one chance to make a first impression.’ I was like, ‘Yeah, I have to do well.’”
Lee then talked about the actual fight itself.
“The moment I heard my entrance song play, I felt good. I just felt that this is where I belong, so I came out beaming with a big smile on my face, and I was so happy to be there,” Lee said.
“Honestly, one of the best things about martial arts and what I do is the walkouts.
“As soon as we touched gloves, I did not hesitate, and I did not have a second thought. I just went in there and did what I trained to do. That is why the fight went so well. I was just extremely focused and wanted to win so badly. I felt like this was the beginning of the journey.”
Lee went on to win the fight by submission in the first round. She submitted her opponent with an armbar.
Since her first fight, Lee has remained undefeated and became the inaugural ONE atomweight champion.
Lee will defend her title on May 26 against Istela Nunes at ONE Championship: Dynasty of Heroes.
