EPIC BATTLE | Angela Lee and Mei Yamaguchi put on an amazing show at ONE: ASCENT TO POWER (Photo : ONE Championship)
In a post on Facebook today, Chatri Sityodtong, Founder and Chairman of ONE Championship, announced that both Angela Lee and Mei Yamaguchi would receive bonuses for their ONE Women's Atomweight World Championship clash.
The bout was the main event of ONE: ASCENT TO POWER at the Singapore Indoor Stadium this past Friday, and is widely-regarded one of the best bouts in ONE Championship history, being a fantastic five-round back-and-forth encounter.
Sityodtong's post read: "Due to her extraordinary display of martial arts skill and warrior spirit in the main event of ONE Championship: Ascent to Power, ONE Atomweight World Champion Angela Lee has been awarded a ONE Warrior Bonus of US$50,000. Mei Yamaguchi has also been awarded her fight win bonus for her valiant effort. Without a doubt, these two phenomenal martial artists put on one of the greatest WMMA world title fights in history. RESPECT!!! I am almost certain these two will meet again in the future."
ONE Warrior Bonuses aren't often handed out in the Asian promotion's blockbuster events, as they are only awarded to fighters who have turned in one-of-a-kind performances. Lee's title-winning effort was certainly worthy, as she showed composure, skill, and willpower far beyond her 19 years of age.
Lee constantly attacked with submissions and strikes throughout the 25-minute battle, showcasing the range of weapons at her disposal. She even survived a Yamaguchi knockdown and rallied from the brink of defeat, ultimately winning a unanimous decision to become the first female MMA world champion in Asian history.
Yamaguchi also drew praise for her standout showing, as she showed the world composure and skill honed by years of experience against some of the best women's fighters in the world. She defended every single one of Lee's many submission attempts, and even came close to ending the fight with assaults of her own on several occasions.
For a match billed as the biggest female fight in Asian history, these two combatants truly delivered, and were duly rewarded.
