Rising MMA Star Victoria Lee Has Died At 18 & Fans Are Mourning 'The Prodigy'
"Our family will never be the same."
Victoria Lee.
Victoria Lee, a mixed martial artist and rising star in the sport, has died at the age of 18, according to her family.
The young MMA fighter from Hawaii died on December 26, her sister and fellow MMA fighter, Angela Lee, announced in an emotional Instagram post.
Her cause of death has not been revealed.
“She has gone too soon, and our family has been completely devastated since then. We miss her. More than anything in this world,” said Angela Lee’s post. “Our family will never be the same. Life will never be the same.”
Lee came from a family of fighters and was the younger sister of ONE world champions Angela Lee and Christian Lee.
During her short career, Lee won three victories, with her most recent win being against Victoria Souza in September 2021, according to ONE Championship.
ONE Championship mourned the death of their young fighter on Twitter.
“The ONE Championship team is devastated over the tragic passing of Victoria Lee,” read their tweet. "We send our most heartfelt condolences to her family and friends at this difficult time.”
\u201cThe ONE Championship team is devastated over the tragic passing of Victoria Lee. We send our most heartfelt condolences to her family and friends at this difficult time.\u201d— ONE Championship (@ONE Championship) 1673141430
The CEO of ONE Championship, Chatri Sityodtong, described her on Facebook as a “wise, thoughtful, and selfless” individual and “an extraordinary martial arts prodigy.”
“I am heartbroken by Victoria Lee’s passing,” read Sityodtong’s statement. “Victoria had the purest heart of gold and a brilliant mind. She looked after others before herself. She wanted to use her life to help the world. I will always remember Victoria for the beautiful and precious soul that she was.”
Lee's nickname in the sport was "The Prodigy."
All three Lee siblings were managed by their father, Ken Lee.
In a previous interview with MMA Fighters, Victoria Lee called her brother and sister “one of the biggest role models” in her life.
“Definitely, they were one of the reasons that I decided to start my professional debut,” Lee said in her interview. “I’m so grateful to have the opportunity to be able to compete in this organization, especially to be able to do it with my siblings and my family.”
Her Instagram page is filled with photos of herself training, fighting and celebrating wins by her siblings and friends.
Her final post from December 18 shows her celebrating a win by her brother.
"Super proud of my little bro for winning the Toughman Pankration World Title (2nd round top guillotine) and of my teammate Elias for an awesome kickboxing win!! (2nd round TKO)," she wrote.
Fans have filled up the comments with "rest in peace" messages since the news of her death broke.
"We've lost a real talented soul to the afterlife," wrote one user on Instagram.
"Had such a bright future ahead of her," wrote another commenter. "Things like this break my heart."
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