Scorecards revealed: Who really won Xiong Jing Nan vs Angela Lee III?

Fans will be talking about the epic rivalry between Xiong Jing Nan and Angela Lee for years to come. After a close and controversial end to another five-round classic between the two, the highly anticipated trilogy showdown last week in Singapore left fans wanting more.

To be honest, most people would not mind seeing Xiong and Lee fight exclusively against each other for the remainder of their careers.

Whether you thought Angela Lee did enough to win, or you’re in the camp that Xiong Jing Nan equalized whatever she brought to the table with brute force and power, the result is clear.

Following five intense rounds, the Circleside judges awarded ‘The Panda’ with a unanimous decision victory, foiling Lee’s attempt at double-champ supremacy, and at the same time allowing the Chinese icon to retain her ONE women’s strawweight world title.

Naturally, Lee felt she had won the fight, making the assertion that she was the one coming forward on the attack, while Xiong Jing Nan was forced to lay back and counter. There’s certainly truth in that. But who really won this fight, based on ONE Championship’s scoring criteria?

Xiong Jing Nan hit Angela Lee where it mattered most

ONE Championship scores fights differently than other MMA organizations like the UFC. They don’t employ the 10-point-must system that is commonly seen in boxing. The 10-point must system is viewed by many as being susceptible to corruption and controversial decisions. Instead, ONE judges fights as a whole, as part of their Global Rule Set for MMA.

Points are awarded in critical scoring categories, in order of importance from most important to least important – Near KO/Submission, Damage, Striking, Ground, Takedowns, and Aggression.

ONE Championship recently shared the trio of judges’ scorecards for Xiong vs. Lee III, as well as other fights at ONE on Prime Video 2.

While this particular fight was definitely close, it’s hardly a robbery. An argument could be made for Angela Lee to win this fight, but it’s even more clear how Xiong Jing Nan simply took it by force.

Based on the official scorecards, Xiong was the better fighter in the top three categories. She had a plethora of near-finishes in the first round, knocking down Lee multiple times with her punches. She also did consistent damage to the head and body throughout the second and third rounds. Lee came alive in the fourth and fifth, but Xiong was right there in front of her to trade leather.

At that point, Lee was behind and had to play catch up. As a result, Xiong Jing Nan eked by with a unanimous decision that came down to the wire.

The official scorecards are below:

Jeremy Saunders' card. [Photo ONE Championship]

LaMont Nelson's card. Photo ONE Championship]

Ian Cartwright's card. [Photo ONE Championship]

How to erase all doubt

There’s only one way to really settle this, and that’s to have a fourth fight between these two superstars. When you have two fighters so evenly matched, you just keep letting them fight each other.

ONE Championship has an absolute goldmine of a rivalry with Xiong Jing Nan and Angela Lee both in their physical primes.

Unfortunately for Lee, she will need to let Xiong have another crack at her atomweight belt. It’s the right thing to do. Defend your crown at atomweight, then live to fight another day at strawweight.