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Angela Lee is set to make her ONE Championship comeback this March after taking leave to start a family. Many have questioned the reigning atomweight champion's conditioning since giving birth, but recent social media posts show her transforming back into a well-toned fighter.
The last time Lee fought in ONE Championship was way back before the pandemic started in October 2019. 'Unstoppable' was able to defend her belt in a rematch against Xiong Jing Nan with a rear-naked choke in the final seconds of round five.
Her return is set for March 26 at ONE Championship: X and she will battle the atomweight Grand Prix winner, Stamp Fairtex.
In her post on Facebook, Lee celebrated her ninth month since giving birth. Being a professional MMA fighter, she expressed her dedication to keeping herself in shape while also performing her motherly duties.
"I am definitely taking a lot better care of my body, nourishing it not just for me but also for Ava as I'm still breastfeeding and nursing her," said Lee in her social media post.
Angela Lee is married to fellow MMA fighter Bruno Pucci and announced her pregnancy in October 2020. Lee gave birth to a baby girl, Ava Marie, in April 2021.
Lee currently has a professional record of 10-2. Starting her MMA career in the Asian promotion back in May 2015, seven of her victories have come from submissions. She has also successfully defended the atomweight championship four times.
Meanwhile, her latest opponent, Stamp Fairtex, has only lost once in nine professional bouts. Her wins are almost evenly divided into three knockouts, three decisions and two submissions.
Looking forward to her upcoming clash with Stamp at ONE Championship: X, Lee has a prime chance to prove to her doubters that being a mom will not harm her commitment to mixed martial arts.
Chatri Sityodtong explains why Angela Lee retained her ONE Championship title after giving birth
When a champion fighter is unable to defend their belt at a given time, MMA organizations sometimes strip the title off the fighter. However, ONE Championship CEO Chatri Sityodtong said he felt it was not the right thing to do in Angela Lee's situation.
"We just thought about it and I just thought about it and the right thing to do is– this is her regular job, the woman gets pregnant and you are supposed to celebrate. Stripping is the wrong thing so we did an atomweight grand prix with eight of the best atomweight females from around the world," explained Sityodtong in an interview with Ariel Helwani in The MMA Hour.
