Rising MMA star dead at 18

Victoria Lee was considered to be one of the sport’s most promising fighters

MMA sensation Victoria Lee has died at the age of 18, according to her sister and ONE Championship atomweight titleholder Angela Lee.

Writing on Instagram, Angela Lee said her younger sister died on December 26, and that she and her entire family, which also includes another ONE Championship standout Christian Lee, are devastated at the loss.

No explanation was given for her passing.

Nicknamed ‘The Prodigy’, Victoria Lee very much lived up to her moniker by racing to a 3-0 start in her professional MMA career, despite being the youngest fighter on the ONE Championship roster.

She made her debut for the Singaporean organization in February 2021, fighting two more times that year – finishing all three of her fights before the end of the second round – but hadn't competed since a September 2021 TKO victory against Victoria Souza.

“She has gone too soon and our family has been completely devastated since then,” Angela Lee wrote online.

“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 realize. 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.”

Angela Lee had previously stated that she believed her younger sister to be the most talented fighter in their family, and that she would quickly surpass her own accomplishments in the sport – and even those of Christian Lee, who is the organization’s lightweight and welterweight champion.

“I am heartbroken by Victoria Lee’s passing,” wrote ONE Championship CEO Chatri Sityodtong online.

“I first met Victoria when she was 11 years old. I watched her blossom over the years as a martial artist and a human being. I always remember thinking how wise, thoughtful, and selfless she was beyond her years.

“Of course, she was an extraordinary martial arts prodigy even back then, but I could see that she was so much more than that.”