Tributes Pour In For ONE Championship's Victoria Lee

Described as "The Next Big Thing" in the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA), tributes have been flooding in from the who's who of the industry since the unfortunate news of Victoria Lee's sudden passing broke on Saturday, January 7.

Victoria's shocking demise at the age of 18 was first confirmed by her older sister, Angela Lee, through a lengthy post on Instagram. However, the cause of her death remains unknown as of this writing.

Per Angela's public statement, Victoria passed away last December 26, 2022.

"Each and every little thing makes me think of you. From the sun rays to the sunset. You taught us to see the beauty in the simple things. You were our bright light. Our sunshine. And that will never change. You were perfect in every way. The best person I knew. The most beautiful girl, inside and out. We love you, Victoria. I love you, Sprout. Until the end of time," Angela penned.

"Please give our family grace and respect during this most difficult time. And please, check on your loved ones. Keep checking on them. Give them hugs and tell them how much they mean to you. You just never know," she later added.

Their mother, Jewelz, posted several photos of Victoria on her personal Facebook profile in late December, which could have already hinted at the passing of her daughter.

An obituary posted at the Valley of the Temples Memorial Park and Funeral Home in Kanahe, Hawaii said that a celebration of her life has been scheduled for January 22 before her burial.

Victoria held a professional MMA record of 3-0 with two wins via submission and one by knockout.

Fans and experts alike believed she had the talent to become an MMA world champion, just like her siblings Angela and Christian Lee who are well-regarded titleholders under the ONE Championship banner.

Victoria was remembered by an emotional Chatri Sityodtong, the chairman and CEO of ONE Championship.

"I am heartbroken by Victoria Lee's passing. I first met Victoria when she was 11 years old. I watched her blossom over the years as a martial artist and a human being. I always remember thinking how wise, thoughtful, and selfless she was beyond her years," Chatri wrote on Facebook.

"Of course, she was an extraordinary martial arts prodigy even back then, but I could see that she was so much more than that. 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."

Filipino MMA superstar Eduard Folayang also paid his respects to Victoria and her family.

"Life is like a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Rest in peace, Victoria Lee," Folayang stated.

Aung La N Sang—the former ONE middleweight and light heavyweight champion—also extended his heartfelt condolences on social media.

"My heart breaks for the Lee family. I have so much respect and admiration for them. This news of Victoria broke my heart," the Burmese MMA icon expressed.

Several members of the ONE Championship roster soon followed and sent their sympathies to the Lee clan.

Victoria first turned heads when she made her professional debut by submitting Sunisa Srisan with a rear-naked choke in the second round at ONE: Fists of Fury in February 2021.

She then rounded out her 2021 with two more victories, making Wang Luping tap courtesy of a wrenching triangle armbar at ONE: Battleground in July before stopping Victoria Souza by way of second-round technical knockout at ONE: Revolution in September.

Victoria was originally penciled to return to action at ONE Fight Night 6 in Bangkok, Thailand on January 14 (January 13 in the United States) against India's Zeba Bano in a three-round atomweight bout.