ONE Women’s Strawweight World Champion “The Panda” Xiong Jing Nan believes that she can extend her perfect record and stay atop the division when she squares off against atomweight queen “Unstoppable” Angela Lee in their heated trilogy bout at ONE on Prime Video 2.
Xiong initially wanted to move down to Lee’s weight class in order to challenge the Singaporean-American superstar for her strap a second time, but it was decided that she would put her gold on the line once again instead.
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Xiong Jing Nan was unhappy with Angela getting a shot at her belt
Although disappointed at the call, “The Panda” is ultimately unconcerned, as she is solely focused on putting her stamp on the storied rivalry once and for all.
“The first time I found out that [Lee] was coming back to my division, I was a little bit upset because she had already lost twice at my level, including to Michelle Nicolini,” she said.
“At her weight, I lost once, so I thought I would fight there next. But it’s no big deal; it’s all the same. I want to win. It’s as simple as that. I’m not excited; I just want to beat her.”
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So far in the series, both women have picked up career-defining wins.
Xiong finished Lee with a stunning fifth-round TKO in their first meeting in March 2019, and “Unstoppable” submitted the Chinese superstar with just seconds remaining in their second showdown six months later to retain her divisional gold.
Xiong Jing Nan is not worried that she lost the second bout to Angela Lee
The strawweight queen remains unfazed by her defeat in that rematch, however.
Read More – Look: 3 Fights That Could Set the Circle on Fire at ONE 161 on September 29
Instead, she has used the loss as a chance to analyze her mistakes in the hopes of avoiding them in her upcoming main event battle at ONE on Prime Video 2.
“The second time we met was when I [challenged for her Atomweight World Title], and I ended up losing. For me, even though I was sad, it was a good sadness. Because I wasn’t too happy, despite winning the first match. Losing was a good thing for me because I could see more of my shortcomings,” Xiong said.
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“I don’t think it’s the winning or losing of a game that matters. What matters in the outcome is what you learn. To be able to see where you’re lacking and to know yourself more clearly.”
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Xiong undeniably wants to cement her status as the most dominant MMA fighter in ONE, but whether she will be able to do that against Lee when the promotion returns to U.S. primetime on September 30 remains to be seen.