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Teenage pro fighters are rare in MMA. Prizefighting has not always been synonymous with child athletes, at least not mainstream. Though this may be true, the concept is not entirely uncommon in the world of martial arts. Most martial artists start young to develop the mastery and technique required to perform at the highest level.
The Olympics have seen the greatest forms of martial arts done by athletes who are not allowed driver's licenses. We don't see many of them in professional sports, particularly in pro fighting. Unlike other sports like basketball or football, combat sports have dire physical repercussions that are almost guaranteed in every contest. The seriousness of the possible injuries is perhaps way too much for a minor to get into.
Except perhaps Muay Thai, especially in its origin country, Thailand. Thais regularly have pro fights between children as young as 10 years old. This part of their sport is primarily embedded in their culture and traditions as a people, being that Muay Thai is their national sport. It has drawn a lot of criticism and controversy, but we'll let you decide where you stand on that.
Today, we will talk about teenage athletes who have excelled in the more famous sport of MMA. This is quite a short list as the surging sport has not seen a lot of high-level fighters under the age of 20. Nonetheless, we found five that made headlines and are already making waves in MMA as we speak. Though most of these fighters are in their 20's now, they made a huge splash in the sport back when they were still teens. With that said, let's get on with the list.
#5. Dana White's MMA prospect Sage Northcutt
In 2014, 18-year-old martial arts prodigy 'Super' Sage Northcutt made his pro MMA debut by wheel-kicking Tim Lashley into orbit in the first round. After four more fights with a 100% finishing rate, he caught the eye of UFC president Dana White. The former karate world champion and undefeated kickboxer had the looks, skill and mass appeal to make it big in the sport.
Northcutt was discovered on White's YouTube show 'Looking For a Fight', where the larger-than-life CEO travels around the country looking for hot young prospects. Northcutt was fighting on Legacy FC, where he submitted Gage Duhon in the first round while White watched from the crowd. After one more win, the UFC officially signed the then-19-year-old Northcutt, making him one of the youngest signees in the company's history.
The martial arts prodigy used his elite karate skills and strong wrestling background to score back-to-back wins in the UFC upon his debut. He had an abrupt halt to his ascent via second-round losses to Bryan Barbarena and Mickey Gall. However, he bounced back with three straight dominant wins before leaving the UFC in 2018.
At the age of 23, Northcutt debuted in Asia's no.1 fight organization, ONE Championship, with a lot of hype surrounding him. He then lost via a devastating knockout to Cosmo Alexandre in the first round. The once-teenage MMA superstar will look to get back in the winning column in his next outing.
#4. Bellator MMA's Aaron Pico
Even before Aaron Pico was signed to become a pro, he was already being pegged as the next big thing in the sport. Some saw him as the "next Jon Jones," and looking at his high school credentials, it's easy to see why. If you go into a lab and create the perfect athlete out of the best martial arts for MMA, you get Aaron Pico.
Pico was an Olympic Freestyle Wrestling Team Trials silver medalist, two-time junior world championship medalist, and a multi-time national and international champion. When it comes to wrestling, Pico is at the top of the food chain. Not only that, but the teenage sensation was also a national Junior Golden Gloves champion boxer and a national and international Pankration champion. The kid was such a hot prospect that he made a multi-year deal with Nike even before signing his first pro MMA contract.
At 18, Pico signed an unprecedented long-term contract with Bellator and its parent company Viacom as a blue-chip prospect. Alas, the surging featherweight couldn't live up to his initial hype as he got dropped and choked out in his pro debut in 2017.
Not to be deterred, the American prodigy bounced back with four straight wins (all by knockouts). After back-to-back losses in 2019, the now-25-year old Pico is on a five-fight winning streak and could be next in line for the title.
By learning from his past mistakes and understanding the sport's nuances on a more holistic level, Pico could finally live up to the hype that may have put unnecessary pressure on him as a teen. With that said, 2022 might be the year of Aaron Pico.
#3. Asian MMA sensation Christian Lee
At 17, Christian 'The Warrior' Lee signed with Asian MMA giant ONE Championship and ran roughshod in its lightweight division. Yes, you read that right. Lee was barely an adult when he started fighting for one of the biggest MMA promotions in the world and compiled a 5-0 record in his first year.
He didn't start with the smaller, regional circuit. Lee went straight to the big leagues. After compiling a 9-1 record, the then-19-year-old Lee challenged Martin Nguyen for ONE's 155-pound strap but came up short via split decision.
Almost exactly a year after that loss, Lee went up a weight class and won the lightweight (170lbs) belt by knocking out MMA legend Shinya Aoki inside two rounds. At just 20 years old, Lee became the youngest male athlete to win a major MMA world title. His combination of frantic, fast-paced grappling, powerful straight punches and looping right hands has allowed him to finish 14 of his 15 wins either by KO or submission.
At the tender age of 23, Lee has achieved more than most fighters could ever dream of in their entire careers. Who knows what else this young world champion is capable of doing. Something tells us he will be drenched with more gold.
#2. Teenage MMA phenom Victoria Lee
The term 'prodigy' is not taken lightly, regardless of which field of expertise. There's a reason why only two fighters in mainstream MMA earned this monicker. First, it was MMA legend and the fastest man to get a Brazilian jiu-jitsu blackbelt (Brazilian or not), B.J. Penn. Then, more than ten years after Penn's domination of the sport, another 'Prodigy' emerged: Victoria Lee.
If you search the word in the dictionary, the word's meaning says: "a person, especially a young one, endowed with exceptional qualities or abilities". That's exactly how we'd describe the 17-year-old ONE Championship fighter.
Like her brother, the aforementioned Christian Lee, 'The Prodigy' debuted straight into the big leagues at a very young age. She debuted at just 16 years old and won three straight victories in her freshman year (all by finishes). The youngster is improving exponentially in every fight, and it's a frightening sight for all the women in her division.
As of this writing, Lee is just 17 years old and is riding huge momentum thanks to the guidance of her world champion siblings, Christian and Angela.
#1. ONE's dominant atomweight queen, Angela Lee
Rounding up the Lee siblings is Angela 'Unstoppable' Lee, arguably the most successful of the three. In 2016, at the age of 19, Lee made history by becoming the youngest MMA world champion ever, regardless of gender. She did so by outlasting and outfighting MMA pioneer Mei Yamaguchi in one of the greatest fights in ONE history.
Considered by many as the best female fighter outside the UFC, Lee's domination of ONE's 115-pound division couldn't be overstated. Her epic rivalry with strawweight Xiong Jing Nan was one of the best in ONE history. She started her career at the highest level and has soundly defeated everyone she's faced in her division. What made it all remarkable was that Lee made a splash in the sport even before turning 20.
Now 25 and the mother of a beautiful baby girl, Lee is on the verge of transcending the sport. Lee and her siblings are still improving. They are not even close to reaching their athletic primes. It's mind-blowing to think that with all their achievements in the cage already, we haven't even seen the best version of the Lees yet.
As she faces former ONE Muay Thai and kickboxing champion Stamp Fairtex in the biggest event in ONE history, ONE: X, Angela Lee might show us yet another level to her greatness.
