Rising mixed martial arts phenom Victoria Lee has died. She was 18.
Lee’s death occurred Dec. 26, according to an Instagram post Saturday by her older sister, ONE Championship atomweight title holder Angela Lee. A cause of death has not been shared.
“She has gone too soon and our family has been completely devastated since then,” Angela Lee wrote. “We miss her. More than anything in this world. Our family will never be the same. Life will never be the same.”
The surname “Lee” bears much weight in the history of ONE. Angela and brother Christian Lee have held titles as two of the promotion’s biggest stars. Victoria was pegged as the next sibling to follow their path.
Scheduled to compete in her fourth MMA bout Jan. 14 at ONE on Prime Video 6, Lee had a 3-0 record in MMA. Lee debuted in February 2021 with a rear-naked choke submission of Sunisa Srisen. After a first-round armbar win over Luping Wang in July 2021, Lee picked up her first TKO against previously undefeated Victoria Souza in September 2021.
Prior to her pro MMA debut, Lee impressed at the junior level across multiple combat sports. She was two-time Hawaiian pankration junior world champion, a Hawaii state wrestling champion, and an IMMAF junior world champion.
According to an obituary posted on Valley of the Temples Memorial Park and Funeral Home (Kanahe, Hawaii), a celebration of life has been scheduled for Jan. 22 before her burial.