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'An unspeakable tragedy': MMA prodigy and ONE Championship star Victoria Lee dies at 18

Heartbroken MMA fighter Angela Lee announced the death of her sister Victoria Lee on Saturday, January 7, on Instagram

HONOLULU, HAWAII: A promising mixed martial artist who competed in the ONE Championship promotion died last month at the age of 18.

Heartbroken MMA fighter Angela Lee announced the death of her sister Victoria Lee on Saturday, January 7, on Instagram. Victoria carried on her family's legacy when she signed with ONE Championship in 2020. Angela is the current atomweight champion while their brother Christian Lee holds the lightweight title. While no cause of death was specified, Angela revealed that her younger sister died on December 26 as she mourned "the most beautiful soul" in an online tribute.

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'We will never be the same'

“She has gone too soon and our family has been completely devastated since then,” Angela wrote. “We miss her. More than anything in this world. Our family will never be the same. Life will never be the same. 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.”

Chatri Sityodtong, the CEO of ONE Championship, lauded the young prodigy as the “single greatest pound-for-pound female prospect in the world" when she joined the championship at age 16. Victoria had a 3-0 professional record before her untimely demise, after making her mixed martial arts debut in 2021 and defeating Sunisa Srian by a rear-naked choke. Her last fight was in September 2021 as she balanced mixed martial arts and her studies. Prior to entering MMA, Victoria was a two-time Pankration champion and won Hawaii’s junior wrestling championship in 2019 and 2020, according to the New York Post.

“I am heartbroken by Victoria Lee’s passing,” Sityodtong said in a statement on Saturday, December 7. “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. Victoria had the purest heart of gold and a brilliant mind. She looked after others before herself. She wanted to use her life to help the world." He added, "I will always remember Victoria for the beautiful and precious soul that she was.”

Tributes poured in from across the world of MMA.

"A lot of y’all who follow me know how much time I spent with the Lee family last year in Hawaii. To hear such an incredible talent lose their life at 18 is...This stuff has me questioning god. Why #rip #victorialee," filmmaker Will Harris, who made 'Anatomy Of A Fighter', tweeted alongside a photo with the two sisters.

"Floored by this Victoria Lee news. If you ever had the chance to speak to her, you know how sweet she was. As for her skills, just watch her fights. A terrible, terrible loss. Thinking of the whole Lee family," sports reporter Tom Taylor added.

"An unspeakable tragedy. May she rest in peace," MMA journalist Ariel Helwani offered.