Angela Lee shares her view on Xiong Jing Nan’s recent performances 

‘Unstoppable’ Angela Lee knows how tough ‘The Panda’ Xiong Jing Nan can be inside the ONE Circle. However, the Atomweight queen thinks the Chinese Strawweight World Champion hasn’t been her usual self recently.

Following her successful world title defense against Ayaka Miura at ONE: Heavy Hitters on January 14, ONE Championship Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong was the first to comment on Xiong’s drop in form. The lifelong martial artist pointed out that he was disappointed by what he saw as a lack of killer instinct.

Angela Lee echoed similar sentiments in a recent interview with MMA Mania. The Atomweight World Champion, who will defend her title against Stamp Fairtex at ONE X on March 26, said:

“I have watched her past few fights. Honestly, I don't know. I mean, I think that she’s been fighting to not lose, and there’s a difference between fighting to not lose and fighting to win.”

Xiong’s win last month extended her winning streak to 3-0. Following an unsuccessful attempt to snatch Angela Lee’s title in 2019, the Evolve MMA star took home unanimous decision wins over Tiffany Teo, Michelle Nicolini, and most recently, Miura.

Although the Strawweight Champion walked away with the win on each occasion, her performances were subdued. Nevertheless, Lee knows things don’t always go as planned.

“I think she was playing it safe in her last fight, and, you know, sometimes that happens. It’s not going to win you fans; it’s not going to win you bonuses, but I don't know what to say about that,” she said.

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A closer look at the Angela Lee-Xiong Jing Nan rivalry

Both Nan and Lee are prime candidates to wear the crown of the greatest female athlete at the Singapore-based promotion. To ascertain who is the bigger star, though, the two had to face off.

Lee put in one of her strongest displays in the Circle when the pair met to contest ‘The Panda’s’ title in 2019. However, a resilient Xiong withstood everything the Atomweight star threw at her. She then dropped ‘Unstoppable’ to the canvas early in the fifth round to end the fight and successfully defend her strap.

In their second meeting a year later, it was Xiong’s opportunity to become a two-division world champion. However, Lee flipped the script in her favor, submitting the Strawweight star late in the fifth round to level their rivalry at one apiece.

Now, with the Singaporean-American returning to competitive action, a third fight between the two champions could be in the offing if the atomweight champion puts Stamp Fairtex away on March 26.