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wo of ONE Championship’s most dominant stars will finally meet for their much-anticipated trilogy match in the main event of ONE Fight Night 2 on Oct. 1.
ONE women's strawweight world champion Xiong Jing Nan and ONE atomweight world champion Angela Lee are one apiece in their series, and they’ll square off for Xiong’s gold for a second time when the organization returns to the Singapore Indoor Stadium early next month.
This battle is historic for a number of reasons. Not only is it one of the most sought-after bouts ever seen in ONE, but if Lee scores the win, she will become the first female two-division world champion in the promotion’s history.
That will not be an easy task for the atomweight queen to achieve, however. Xiong has been incredibly dominant in the women’s strawweight division and has defended her strap a staggering six times. She will do everything in her power to stop Lee and score the crucial second win.
If anyone can do it, though, it is “Unstoppable”. The Singaporean-American superstar has become a staple in ONE since her debut in 2015, and she has successfully retained her gold on five occasions. Most recently, at ONE X this past March, she bested Stamp Fairtex in her return to action following a nearly two and a half year break to focus on motherhood.
Who will come out on top on Oct. 1 will be the topic of many conversations in the leadup to this third showdown.
Read also: Reinier de Ridder to defend ONE world title against Shamil Abdulaev at ONE Fight Night 3
In their first matchup at ONE: A NEW ERA in March 2019 “The Panda” was the victor following five
hard-fought rounds of action. Lee made her presence known throughout the strawweight affair and looked for a minute to be on her way to claiming the win.
However, Xiong came alive in the championship rounds and eventually finished "Unstoppable” with a barrage of blows.
The two met again seven months later at ONE:
CENTURY PART I. Xiong was on the hunt for
two-division glory on this occasion, and in a mirror image of their first meeting, she appeared to be in control for the majority of the five rounds. However, Lee sank in a powerful rear-naked choke right before the end of the closing bell to secure the win and retain her belt.
This rivalry has gone down to the wire on both previous occasions, and it may not even be possible for these two superstars to produce any more nail-biting action than they already have. But if they can, fans are guaranteed to see it when the Circle door closes in the main event of ONE Fight Night 2 on Oct. 1.
Before this heated rivalry writes its next chapter, be sure to catch all the action at ONE 161: Petchmorakot vs.
Tawanchai on Thursday, Sept. 29, at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
This article was published in collaboration with ONE Championship