ONE Championship: Angela Lee angry over reporter’s suggestion to give up title during pregnancy ‘vacation’
- ONE atomweight champ gets in heated debate on virtual media call after being asked if she considered ‘taking the high road’
- Lee, who will face winner of grand prix to determine her next challenger, hits back at Filipino reporter’s ‘poster girl’ remarks
ONE Championship atomweight queen Angela Lee got in a heated debate with a reporter who suggested she should have vacated her title during her pregnancy “vacation”.
“Unstoppable” Lee became angry when a Filipino reporter said “real champions” defend their belts once or twice a year, pointing to her brother Christian Lee, ONE’s lightweight champion, who was also on Wednesday’s virtual media call, which included the Post.
The media member also insinuated Lee had taken a “two-year vacation” because she is the “poster girl” of the Asia-based promotion, having announced her pregnancy last October and given birth in April.
“Well, I disagree with that,” Lee said. “First of all, these aren’t normal times. There’s a global pandemic going on, which has made it difficult to host a lot of events. It’s been hard for everyone around the world.
“Second of all, I do think what Chatri [Sityodtong, ONE chairman and CEO] did made a statement for everyone. It’s not because I’m the poster girl.
“It’s because this is just a given right. I worked so hard to get to the position I’m at, and just because I get pregnant and I want to have a baby I shouldn’t be stripped of my title, something I worked towards.