The future of the Asian MMA scene just got brighter thanks to the Evolve Fight Team’s latest recruit, the young and very talented Singaporean-Korean 19-year old Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Brown Belt and Taekwondo Black Belt Angela Lee. Raised in a family of martial artists, there was no question that she would follow in her parents’ footsteps.
A Pankration World Champion and State Wrestling Champion, Angela is no stranger to the world of competitive martial arts. Having trained and competed since she was barely out of her toddler years, one can just imagine how much potential she has yet to unleash.
Curious to know more about the newest member of the Evolve Fight Team? Evolve Daily reveals 9 Things You Didn’t Know About ONE Superstar Angela Lee:
1) Her world revolves around martial arts.
“I grew up on the mats,” Angela reveals. “My parents are martial arts instructors so it was only natural that I would start training at a young age.” Apart from training, Angela also helps her parents by teaching classes herself.
She considers her family to be quite tightknit as they do practically everything together — train, work, have fun on the weekends. There’s never a moment without martial arts.
2) Her parents are highly decorated martial artists.
Angela’s father, Ken Lee, is a 6th degree Hapdosool (Combined Martial Arts) Master Black Belt. He is also a Pankration, Taekwondo and Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt.
Her mother, Jewelz Lee is a 5th degree TDS Black Belt Instructor, a 5th degree Hapdosool Master Black Belt, 2nd degree Taekwondo Black Belt instructor and a 2-time Canadian National Silver Medalist.
3) She’s got the mental game down pat.
Having competed since she was 6 years old has made a huge impact on Angela’s mental toughness. With her father as her main coach, she’s grown so used to being psyched up for competition that she claims her father “knows me better than I know myself.”
Before her first pro MMA fight at ONE: Warrior’s Quest, Angela quickly pushed the thought of fighting in front of thousands of screaming fans out of her mind. Like a true professional athlete, she told herself: “Don’t let it get to you, it’s just another match.”
4) Her toughest fight to date was her first amateur fight.
Although her first pro MMA fight was quite the experience for Angela, she feels that nothing could beat the nerves she felt before her first amateur MMA fight.
“I felt like I had a lot to prove,” Angela tells Evolve Daily, “There was a lot of pressure on me to do well so I just did the best I could.” In the end, Angela not only won the fight but also submitted her much larger opponent with an armbar.
5) She loves a good steak. And hawker food.
Because of her strict training and work schedule, Angela knows how important it is to eat well. She knows how a cheat meal could affect her performance in training and ultimately, her next fight. But that doesn’t stop her from indulging herself every once in awhile.
“My favorite cheat meal is steak. Medium rare.” Angela reveals, “And when I’m on vacation in Singapore, I want to eat just about anything in the hawker center!”
6) She has the most understanding friends.
With a crazy schedule like Angela’s, it seems like it would be difficult to make and keep friends. Luckily for Angela, her friends are more than understanding. “They know that training is my life,” says Angela, “They know how important fighting is to me, so they don’t ever complain.”
7) She loves her pitbull, Maximus.
Anyone who follows Angela on Instagram knows how much she absolutely adores her pitbull, Maximus. She’s taken him on countless picnics, trips to the beach, and devotes any free time she has outside of training to him. It’s easy to see why she loves him so much — he’s really cute!
8) She always looks for the finish.
Just like her favorite MMA fighter UFC Women’s Bantamweight World Champion Ronda Rousey, Angela always looks for the finish. “I look up to MMA fighters who are finishers, whether by knockout or submission,” Angela claims. “They’re so much more exciting to watch.”
9) When she isn’t training, she’s outdoors.
It’s only natural that Angela would want to spend her free time outdoors. From hiking to surfing, Angela likes to do it all!
Soon, Angela will put her martial arts talents to the test again as she faces Elena Pashnina at ONE: Dynasty of Champions in Shanghai. With the prestigious Evolve Fight Team in her corner, there’s no doubt that she will be even more unstoppable now. Let’s all show our support for Angela come September 1st!
