Victoria Lee's tragic death at 18 sends shockwaves through MMA world
The 18-year-old fighter was a rising star in the ONE Championship, but hadn't fought since September 2021.
The MMA world is mourning the devastating death of 18-year-old fighter Victoria Lee. Her sister Angela announced on Sunday that the rising fighter with the ONE Championship died last month.
Victoria Lee was the sister of ONE welterweight champion Christian Lee and ONE atomweight champion Angela Lee. In a post on Instagram, Angela wrote that Victoria died on December 26.
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"Our family experienced something no family should ever have to go through. It is incredibly difficult to say this...Our Victoria passed away," Angela wrote.
"She has gone too soon and our family has been completely devastated since then. We miss her. More than anything in this world. Our family will never be the same. Life will never be the same.
"Victoria was the most beautiful soul who ever lived. She was the best little sister in the world. The best daughter, the best granddaughter and the best godma / aunty to Ava and Alia.
"We miss you so much sis. More than you could ever realise. We're all broken. Because a piece of you was in each of us and when you left, those pieces were ripped out of us. We will never be the same.
"Each and every little thing makes me think of you. From the sun rays, to the sunset. You taught us to see the beauty in the simple things. You were our bright light. Our sunshine. And that will never change. You were perfect in every way. The best person I knew. The most beautiful girl, inside and out.
"We love you Victoria. I love you Sprout. Until the end of time."
No cause of death has been revealed. However Angela's announcement included a plea for her followers to keep checking on their loved ones.
"Give them hugs and tell them how much they mean to you. You just never know," she wrote.
MMA world reacts to tragic death of Victoria Lee
Lee made her professional MMA debut in February 2021 when she was just 16. She appeared in her first fight at 'ONE: Fists of Fury', defeating Sunisa Srisan in the second round with a rear-naked choke.
She also beat Luping Wang and Victoria Souza that same year, but had not fought since 'ONE: Revolution' in September 2021. She was widely regarded as one of the biggest rising stars in the industry.
Lee had also dominated as an amateur, becoming a two-time Hawaiian pankration junior world champion. She was also a Hawaii state wrestling champion and an IMMAF junior world champion.
Lee's siblings are among ONE's biggest stars, with Christian (17-4) a two-time lightweight champion who took double-belt status with a welterweight win in November. Angela has held the atomweight title since 2016 and recently challenged for the strawweight title.
Condolences to the Lee family. This is such a tragic loss for the MMA community 🙏🏼
— Michael Sa₿at 🇺🇸 (@FreeMikeLive) January 8, 2023
This is so sad. She was such a talent and really was excited to grow as a fighter. My condolences to Angela and her family.
— Chris "ChanmanV" Chan (@ChanmanV) January 8, 2023
Very sad news for all the martial arts extended family
— Emerson Powell 🇦🇺 (@EmersonJack1) January 8, 2023
This one is tough . Her energy was felt whether you knew her or not . She was destined for greatness . I just pray she knew that before she left us . That she truly was a light 🙏🏾
— Gurdarshan “Saint Lion” Mangat (@saintlion) January 8, 2023
Readers seeking support and information can contact Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636 or Lifeline on 13 11 14.
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