Watch: Xiong Jing Nan absolutely mauls BJJ legend Michelle Nicolini

Xiong Jing Nan is set to defend her ONE women’s strawweight world championship against reigning atomweight world champion Angela Lee in a long-awaited trilogy bout between the two queens of ONE Championship.

Since the last time Xiong and Lee met inside the Circle, ‘The Panda’ has earned three straight wins, including an impressive showing against Michelle Nicolini at ONE: Empower in September 2021. ONE Championship takes a look back at Xiong’s victory over the 13-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion at the promotion’s first all-female event.

Watch the fight below:

Going into the bout, Nicolini’s game plan was clear. Get Xiong Jing Nan to the ground by any means necessary. That proved much more difficult than anticipated for Nicolini, who was no match for ‘The Panda’ on the feet. Throughout the 25-minute duration, Xiong was able to overwhelm Nicolini with her superior striking.

As the fight progressed, Nicolini began shooting for takedowns with increasing desperation, each one lacking the proper setup and thus failing to get the champion to the canvas. That was in large part to Xiong’s brilliant footwork, speed, and her utilization of calf kicks to slow down Nicolini, making her second-guess each takedown attempt. In the end, ‘The Panda’ was able to secure a perfect victory over a world-class opponent via unanimous decision.

---

Xiong Jing Nan and Angela Lee settle the score at ONE on Prime Video 2

In the headlining bout at ONE on Prime Video 2, Xiong Jing Nan will once again put her strawweight title on the line against Angela Lee. With the series at 1-1, the two will settle the score in a bout nearly three years in the making.

Since their last meeting, Lee has been on the sidelines, giving birth to her daughter while Xiong has been active, winning her last three bouts in dominant fashion. As a result, ‘The Panda’ has significantly improved, specifically her ground game. It will most certainly come in handy against Lee, who defeated Xiong via submission in their last meeting.

If Xiong Jing Nan can successfully defend Lee’s takedown attempts in the same way she defended against Nicolini, ‘The Panda’ will have a significant advantage on the feet given her striking prowess and size advantage. While Lee looked impressive in her ONE X return against Stamp Fairtex, ‘Unstoppable’ has not quite lived up to her nickname in the strawweight division.

No matter who comes out on top, Xiong vs. Lee III is sure to entertain fans and deliver closure to this longstanding rivalry.