MIXED martial arts rising star Victoria Lee has passed away.
Lee, 18, died on December 26 due to a cause of death that has yet to be shared.
Instagram/@victorialee.mmaLee already had a 3-0 record in her MMA career before her passing[/caption]
Instagram/@angelaleemmaVictoria (left) and Angela Lee (right) are siblings and both mixed martial artists[/caption]
Her eldest sister Angela confirmed the information through a recent post on Instagram.
“On December 26, 2022, our family experienced something no family should ever have to go through… It is incredibly difficult to say this… Our Victoria passed away,” Angela wrote.
“She has gone too soon and our family has been completely devastated since then.”
“We miss her. More than anything in this world. Our family will never be the same. Life will never be the same.”
Victoria was supposed to have her fourth match with ONE Championship, an MMA promotion company, on January 13 through Prime Video 6, per Yahoo! Sports.
She broke on the scene in February 2021 after signing at 16 in 2020, per Bleacher Report.
Victoria followed in the footsteps of Angela and her brother Christian, two of One Championship’s star fighters.
Angela is ONE women’s atomweight champion, and Christian is a double champion, winning lightweight and welterweight titles in 2022.
Since her MMA debut, Victoria had been undefeated at a 3-0 record.
Victoria won her first fight with a rear-naked choke submission against Sunisa Srisen.
She then won her second bout in July 2021 with a first-round armbar of Luping Wang.
Two months later, she earned her third win and first-ever TKO against Victoria Souza, who was previously undefeated.
Before turning pro, Victoria received notice in the multiple combat sports she competed in at the junior level.
Not only was she a Hawaii state wrestling champion, but she was also an International Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IMMAF) junior world champion.
Additionally, she was a two-time Hawaiian pankration junior world champion.
An obituary has also been posted to the Valley of the Temples Memorial Park and Funeral Home website for Victoria.
It details a celebration of life planned for Jan. 22 before her burial.
Angela requested in her post that her family is given “grace and respect” during this period.
She also pleaded with others to keep their loved ones close.
“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 said.