Some 2 1/2 months after a successful first title defence, Vancouver-born MMA fighter Angela Lee puts her One Championship atomweight crown on the line Friday in Singapore against Brazilian kickboxer Istela Nunes.
The clash between Lee (7-0-0) and Nunes (5-0-0) is the main event of "One: Dynasty of Heroes" at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
"I know she's coming into this fight confident and hungry to take my belt. But that's not going to happen," Lee said from Singapore. "I'm looking to put on a display of my skills."
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
Lee, 20, became the promotion's inaugural 105-pound champion with a unanimous five-round decision over Japanese veteran Mei Yamaguchi in Singapore in May 2016.
The 24-year-old Nunes, a two-time Muay Thai world champion, claimed a three-round split decision over Yamaguchi last August.
Last time out, Lee showed off her striking in a third-round stoppage of Taiwan's Jenny Huang on March 11 in Bangkok. The fight was stopped with Lee astride a face-down Huang, raining down blows.
Lee says she has plenty left in her arsenal.
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
"Definitely there's so much more to come," she said. "That's why I'm very excited because you guys haven't seen the best yet."
Lee lived in Vancouver and elsewhere in Canada until she was seven, when her family moved to Hawaii. She divides her training these days between the family gym on the island of Oahu and Evolve MMA in Singapore.
She grew up surrounded by martial arts. Father Ken and mother Jewelz are decorated martial artists who teach at their United MMA gym in Waipahu, where Angela and brother Christian are also instructors.
Ken was born in Singapore and Jewelz in South Korea. She moved to Hawaii at a young age while he came to Canada at the age of four. They met in Hawaii when Ken went there for high school, moving to Canada after graduation and eventually marrying.
Since winning her title, Lee says she has constantly been on the move.
"I've never travelled this much in my life before but I've always been a fan of flying and visiting new places so I'm really enjoying that," she said.
Lee also feels like she is flying the flag for women fighters.
"Especially because One Championship is huge, especially in this half of the world, and me being their first female champion, I do feel like I take sort of that ambassador role and I'm happy to kind of be that role model where I can help to grow the sport here in Asia."
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