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Tom Taylor

Nicolas Atkin

ONE Championship will make its debut on US soil with a stacked event in Denver, Colorado this Friday, but it will do so without two of its biggest stars: Hawaii-based siblings Angela and Christian Lee.
Angela and Christian’s absence from the card is no surprise.
Their 18-year-old sister Victoria – also a ONE fighter – died last December, and the siblings and their family have been in mourning ever since.
Speaking to the Post after Wednesday’s ONE Fight Night 10 pre-fight press conference, the promotion’s CEO and chairman Chatri Sityodtong admitted that, when his team began planning for a US debut several years ago, the Lee siblings were an important part of their designs.


“In my original plans, years ago, Angela Lee and Christian Lee would be fighting on the US debut,” he said.
“I didn’t even raise it or talk to them about it,” he added. “I just feel like the best thing we can do as fans and as an organisation is to support them in their time of grieving. It’s a long process.”
Angela, 26, has long reigned as ONE’s atomweight MMA champion, while Christian, 24, holds the promotion’s welterweight and lightweight MMA titles.
It is unclear when or if the two ONE stars will fight again, but Chatri is intent to give them all the time they need to decide their futures in the sport.
ONE: Stamp laughs off Anderson submission threat – ‘how?’
“My team are giving space to the Lee family to grieve and to heal, and we’ve actually not talked fights at all with them – zero – so I have no idea what their plans are,” he said.
“If they decide to come back, we’ll support them full-heartedly. If they don’t come back, I’m going to wish them a great retirement. I’m sure I’m going to be friends with Angela and Christian and [their parents] Ken and Jewelz. They’re really special people. I really, truly love them.”
Chatri recently revealed that the winner of Friday’s Stamp Fairtex vs Alyse Anderson bout will receive a crack at the interim atomweight title opposite South Korean contender Ham Seo-hee – a move to keep the division moving in Angela’s stead.

The status of Christian’s titles was a mystery until Wednesday, when the ONE boss revealed the stakes for Friday’s welterweight fight between Roberto Soldic and Zebaztian Kadestam have now been upped.
“The winner of Soldic and Kadestam will get an interim title shot,” he said.
The 28-year-old Croatian Soldic (20-3) is a former two-division champ in esteemed Polish MMA promotion KSW. Kadestam, meanwhile, previously held ONE’s welterweight belt.

Christian Lee (17-4) last fought in November, when he claimed the welterweight belt with a come-from-behind stoppage of Kyrgyzstan’s Kiamrian Abbasov.
Angela Lee (11-3) last fought in September, when she came up short in a bid to claim ONE’s strawweight MMA title from long-time rival Xiong Jingnan, losing a competitive decision.


ONE Championship: Ayaka Miura v Macarena Aragon, 2 other bouts complete line-up for ONE 169

ONE Championship: Tawanchai PKSaenchaigym puts title on line at scene of Russell Crowe film

ONE Championship: Rodtang Jitmuangnon wary of ‘slow’ but durable Jacob Smith in title bout

ONE Championship: Anissa Meksen hopes to cap off career with strawweight kickboxing crown

ONE Championship

ONE Championship: Chatri has ‘not talked fights at all’ with Angela, Christian Lee as their absence is felt at US debut

Angela Lee kisses her brother Christian Lee at Century Part 1 in Tokyo, Japan on 13 October, 2019. Photos: ONE Championship. 

Angela Lee (right) with her sister Victoria Lee during training at their family’s United MMA gym in Hawaii. Photo: Instagram/@angelaleemma

Christian Lee holds his two ONE Championship title belts after beating Kiamrian Abbasov.

ONE Championship: Chatri Sityodtong details Francis Ngannou contract demands after ‘two-face’ Twitter jab

Chatri Sityodtong speaks at the ONE Fight Night 10 press conference in Denver, Colorado. Photos: ONE Championship

Francis Ngannou takes questions at a press conference defeating Cyril Gane. Photo: AFP

ONE Championship: Rodtang casts doubts on Superlek fight, wants Jonathan Haggerty at bantamweight

Rodtang Jitmuangnon (left) and Superlek Kiatmoo9 were set to fight for flyweight kickboxing gold at ONE Fight Night 8 in Singapore. Photos: ONE Championship.

Jonathan Haggerty hoists the ONE bantamweight Muay Thai belt after a KO of Nong-O Hama.

Rodtang Jitmuangnon celebrates after winning the ONE flyweight Muay Thai title from Jonathan Haggerty in Manila.

ONE Championship: Tye Ruotolo wants ‘last boss’ Gordon Ryan but ‘he’d rather sit behind keyboard and talk’

Tye Ruotolo walks out for a grappling match with Marat Gafurov. Photo: ONE Championship. 

Reinier de Ridder will face off at ONE Fight Night 10 in Denver. 

Gordon Ryan. Photo: Instagram/@gordonlovesjiujitsu

ONE Championship: Stamp Fairtex laughs off Alyse Anderson submission threat – ‘how?’

Stamp Fairtex poses for the camera after a unanimous-decision victory over fellow atomweight MMA contender Jihin Radzuan. Photos: ONE Championship.

Alyse Anderson celebrates her win over Asha Roka.

Stamp Fairtex lands a punch on Jihin Radzuan. 

ONE Championship: Takeru Segawa signing opens doors to Rodtang super-fight, expansion in Japan

Rodtang Jitmuangnon (left) has already called out Takeru Segawa. Photo: ONE Championship

Superlek celebrates his ONE flyweight kickboxing win over Danial Williams.

Takeru Segawa poses with the ISKA lightweight belt. Photo: Instagram/@k1takeru

Rodtang Jitmuangnon lands a head kick Joseph Lasiri at ONE on Prime Video 4.

Sport

Martial Arts

Mixed Martial Arts

ONE will make debut on US soil this Friday in Denver without the Lee siblings, two of its best fighters and biggest American stars
‘I have no idea what their plans are,’ CEO Chatri says – ‘the best thing we can do as fans and an organisation is to support them’


ONE Championship will make its debut on US soil this Friday, but it will do so without two of its best fighters and biggest American stars.


Angela Lee

ONE Championship: Chatri has ‘not talked fights at all’ with Angela, Christian Lee as their absence is felt at US debut

ONE will make debut on US soil this Friday in Denver without the Lee siblings, two of its best fighters and biggest American stars ‘I have no idea what their plans are,’ CEO Chatri says – ‘the best thing we can do as fans and an organisation is to support them’

ONE will make debut on US soil this Friday in Denver without the Lee siblings, two of its best fighters and biggest American stars

‘I have no idea what their plans are,’ CEO Chatri says – ‘the best thing we can do as fans and an organisation is to support them’