ONE Championship CEO Chatri Sityodtong signed Adrian Lee with caution due to the tragic suicide of his sister Victoria Lee, while Christian Lee is set to return to fighting after supporting Adrian’s debut and grieving his sister’s death.
ONE Championship has always had a tight bond with the Lee family. Angela and Christian Lee both snagged titles after debuting as teens. Now, the spotlight’s on 18-year-old Adrian Lee, who kicked off his career with a submission win in June.
But adding Adrian to the roster wasn’t a snap decision. ONE CEO Chatri Sityodtong had his doubts, especially after the heartbreaking loss of Victoria Lee.
Victoria, like her siblings, started young and racked up a 3-0 record quickly. Tragically, she passed away in December 2022. Angela later revealed that Victoria took her own life.
Given this backdrop, Sityodtong approached Adrian’s signing with extreme caution.
“I was very cautious about Adrian,” Sityodtong told MMA Fighting. “Angela and Christian say he’s the best in the family at 17.” He noted Adrian benefits from having two world champion siblings guiding him through both athletic and marketing pressures.
Still, Sityodtong couldn’t ignore the impact of Victoria’s death. “Adrian was super close to Victoria,” he said. “It’s tough to follow in older siblings’ footsteps, especially after such a tragedy.”
As a promoter working with hundreds of fighters, Sityodtong has developed a special bond with the Lees over the years.
Victoria’s death hit everyone hard. At one point, Sityodtong thought Angela and Christian might quit fighting for good.
“The Lee family is extraordinary,” he said. “Incredible human beings.” He praised Ken and Jewel as parents and expressed deep affection for all their children.
“When Victoria passed away, it was an unspeakable tragedy,” he admitted. Angela retired to honor her sister by starting a mental health foundation. Christian also took time off but eventually decided to return to fighting.
Christian still holds both ONE welterweight and lightweight titles. Sityodtong assured him he’d have all the time needed to grieve and recover.
Christian’s hiatus is ending soon; he wanted to focus on Adrian’s debut first before returning himself.
“Christian would have fought in June,” Sityodtong said, “but he chose to support Adrian fully instead.”
Last year was busy for Christian—he welcomed his second child—and didn’t want distractions from family responsibilities or healing time.
Now set for Nov. 8 at ONE 169 in Atlanta, Christian will defend his lightweight title once again.
Meanwhile, Adrian’s career is off to a promising start with his pro debut win via second-round submission. His next fight is already lined up for ONE 167 in Denver this September.