ONE on Prime Video 2: Xiong vs. Lee III will put the two dominant women champions against each other for the third time on Friday, September 30. In the first two meetings between Angela Lee and Xiong Jing Nan, the two battled to dramatic fifth-round conclusions. But Lee does not expect more of the same for the trilogy.
She does not expect a late night in part because it goes against her family’s philosophy on fighting. The philosophy of ending bouts early is not about collecting bonus checks, and it has been echoed by her siblings, Christian and Victoria. It is just about getting the quickest path to victory and taking it inside the ONE Championship Circle.
“I think it’s just the whole mindset. Growing up, being trained in martial arts for self-defense purposes first. We’re not point fighters. We go in there to get the job done. And I mean, yeah, I’ve had a couple of decision fights. I’ve gone the distance. I have gone to the deep waters. But of course, the goal is always to finish early, and we’re preparing if it does go the distance. But yeah, the game plan is definitely still the same as always, which is to finish the fight as soon as possible,” said Lee.
Since their last meeting, Lee has kept a close eye on the ONE Strawweight World Champion. In that time, Xiong has successfully defended her title three more times. However, each of those wins came by way of unanimous decision.
The results caught the attention of Lee, who claimed they were not exciting bouts. The United MMA star believes that Xiong has been complacent as the champion and is merely fighting not to lose instead of fighting to end the match and prove her dominance. A stark contrast to her family’s philosophy. But Lee expects an aggressive “Panda” on September 30 after hearing her sharp words about her performances.
“I think that she wants to make a statement in this fight. And she wants to prove to everyone that no, I’m still dangerous. I’m a killer. I’m a finisher. And so, you know, I’m not going to be overlooking her and saying that, using her previous fights as something to base my assumptions of her on, do you know what I mean? I got to expect that she’s going to bring her A-game because she wants to prove people wrong,” said the ONE Atomweight World Champion.
Going into the match, Lee believes her back is against the wall even after coming off an impressive victory over Stamp Fairtex at ONE X. Lee feels the pressure moving back to strawweight, where she has not registered a win since 2015. One more loss, especially for the title, and Lee has doubts she’ll get another crack at “champ-champ” status.
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That same pressure is why Lee expects to deliver another memorable performance for fans at ONE on Prime Video 2. With the lights shining down brightly in the main event on Prime Video, Lee knows that ONE has again chosen her to lead the charge for the promotion. And she is ready to claim another World Title in the process as she plans to deliver and claim a shiny new title.
“I love being the main event. Luckily, I’ve had the honor of doing so for many shows already. And, you know, that’s one thing that I love and respect about ONE Championship is that they do put so much faith in us as female athletes or just athletes in general, believing in our skills and techniques and knowing that we’re going to put on a hell of a show and close out the night,” said Lee.
“So yeah, I’ve always loved to rise to the occasion, and definitely, every main event that I’ve put on, I feel like it’s been a great event.”
ONE on Prime Video 2 airs live on Friday, September 30, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.
