Angela Lee ‘Returned From Childbirth’ Under Disadvantage Against Chinese World Champion Xiong Jing Nan Believes Ex-Rival Stamp Fairtex

“Unstoppable” Angela Lee and “The Panda” Xiong Jing Nan have split a pair of epic World Title defenses in their past two encounters.

Xiong retained her ONE Women’s Strawweight World Title with a fifth-round TKO win in the first meeting in March 2019, courtesy of a barrage of body kicks and punches. 

And when they rematched six months later in the atomweight division, Lee defended her crown with a rear-naked choke submission win over the Chinese star in the dying moments of the final stanza.

Understandably, the martial arts fraternity expects another tight battle when they collide to contest the strawweight gold once again in U.S. primetime at ONE on Prime Video 2. 

Stamp Fairtex picks against Angela Lee

However, top-ranked atomweight contender, Stamp Fairtex, believes Xiong’s ability to control the tie with her striking will see her continue her undefeated run in the stacked division inside the Singapore Indoor Stadium on September 30.

“I think Xiong will still beat Angela in the strawweight division because this is her natural weight and her own belt. She definitely trains hard to defend her title,” she predicted.

“Xiong’s punches are fast and heavy. I think she can handle Angela with those strikes. I think the game will go to Xiong Jing Nan.”

“The Panda” enters her tenth appearance inside the Circle on the back of three successive World Title defenses, with the latest coming this past January, when she scored a hard-earned unanimous decision win over submission specialist Ayaka “Zombie” Miura.

Read More – Intense Chinese World Champion Xiong Jing Nan Sends a Fiery Message to ‘Beat’ Atomweight Champion Angela Lee at ONE on Prime Video 2

Meanwhile, Lee returned to competition in March this year, following a two-and-a-half-year break to become a mother. The United MMA and Evolve MMA star showed no signs of ring rust as she forced Stamp to tap at 4:50 of the second round in their ONE Atomweight World Title tussle at ONE X.

Stamp Fairtex details why Xiong Jing Nan has a better chance

However, based on that encounter, and after watching Xiong’s impressive performance early this year, the Thai megastar believes that Lee may struggle to keep up with Xiong’s pace when they meet for the much-anticipated rubber match.

“While this is Angela’s second fight after she returned from childbirth, in our last fight, I noticed that her cardio was still a bit off,” she pointed out.

“Xiong Jing Nan has been more active in the Circle than Angela in recent years, so I think this is one of her advantages.”

Indeed, Xiong’s striking power and attacking dexterity have seen her put up an unbeaten run in the strawweight division. 

But fans can see whether that will be enough for her to maintain that run against the atomweight queen at ONE on Prime Video 2 on September 30.

Read More – ONE Championship Announces Full Lineup for ONE on Prime Video 2: Lee vs. Xiong III