Back Injury Forces Angela Lee Out Of ONE: HEART OF THE LION Main Event

“Unstoppable” Angela Lee’s quest for two-weight World Championship glory will have to wait for a while.
The 22-year-old Singaporean superstar was all set to challenge ONE Women’s Strawweight World Champion “The Panda” Xiong Jing Nan in the main event of ONE: HEART OF THE LION in Singapore this Friday, 9 November.
But injury struck the ONE Atomweight World Champion, forcing Lee out of the bout with a serious back condition.
The news was announced by ONE Championship Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong via Facebook, as he explained the extent of the injury that forced Lee out of the event.
“I am bummed to announce that our medical team has deemed Angela Lee unfit to compete at ONE: HEART OF THE LION this Friday, November 9,” he began.
“As such, I have made the decision to pull Angela off the card, despite her adamance to compete still in the world title fight against Xiong Jing Nan. We all know that Angela is a warrior with an unbreakable spirit. However, she suffered a serious back injury in training last week and badly herniated a spinal disc; she was unable to walk just a few days ago.
“Doctors suspect that the injury originally happened last year when Angela’s car flipped five times on the highway in her near-death accident. If it was up to her, she would still compete this week, even if it meant walking into the cage on crutches. In fact, she is still insisting on competing.
“However, safety is the number-one priority at ONE. On a personal level, I care deeply about the long-term health of our athletes, and would never put our athletes in any compromising situations.”
Lee elaborated on the circumstances of her injury in a post on her Instagram account and issued an apology to her Chinese rival and fans who were looking forward to the bout.
“Life is full of unexpected events and I still believe that – good or bad –everything happens for a reason. I have to trust in that,” she wrote.
“I know a lot of you may be disappointed. Hell, I am. And I’m sure my opponent, Xiong Jing Nan is as well. I sincerely apologize.
“This was not something that was in my control. I believe that this incident is just another test of patience & it will fire me up more than ever for my next fight.”
There is no confirmed timetable for Lee’s return, but you can be sure that she will be doing everything in her power to get back to full fitness as quickly as possible so she can resume her quest for greatness in a second division.