The ONE Women’s Atomweight MMA World Championship has become the most prestigious prize in women’s mixed martial arts, and only three superstars have held the belt since its inception. Each champion has left a lasting legacy, from a teenage prodigy who rewrote history to a three-sport icon and the Philippines’ first-ever female MMA World Champion.
The crown’s journey began in May 2016 when Angela “Unstoppable” Lee captured the inaugural title at ONE: Ascent To Power, defeating Mei “V.V” Yamaguchi by unanimous decision at just 19 years and 10 months old. Lee became the youngest MMA World Champion ever and went on to defend her belt four times, showing her elite grappling and striking skills.
Despite challenges, Lee proved resilient, including a victory while battling pneumonia against Istela Nunes in 2017 and a second win over Yamaguchi in 2018. She also split two fights with Chinese star Xiong Jing Nan in 2019, defending her atomweight belt with a rear-naked choke at ONE: Century Part I.
Lee retired in September 2023 at ONE Fight Night 14, personally crowning Stamp Fairtex as the new queen. She finished her career with an 11-3 record and left behind one of the most remarkable reigns in MMA history.
Stamp’s rise to the throne was equally historic. The Thai sensation was already a two-sport champion in kickboxing and Muay Thai before transitioning to MMA. She won the ONE Atomweight World Grand Prix in 2021 with a submission victory over Ritu Phogat, earning a shot at Lee the following year. Although she fell short at ONE X, Stamp rebounded with victories over Jihin Radzuan and Alyse Anderson.
Her crowning moment came in September 2023 when she defeated South Korea’s Ham Seo Hee at ONE Fight Night 14 in Singapore. With that victory, she became the first and only three-sport World Champion in ONE Championship history. However, her reign ended early when a knee injury forced her to vacate the belt.
That opened the door for Denice “The Menace” Zamboanga, who battled her way to the top after setbacks against Ham Seo Hee. The Filipina fighter strung together four straight victories, including a split decision win over Lin Heqin and a dominant performance against Julie Mezabarba.
Her breakthrough came at ONE Fight Night 27 in January, when she captured the interim title with a second-round TKO of Alyona Rassohyna at Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium. Zamboanga was later elevated to undisputed champion after Stamp relinquished the belt, making her the first female MMA World Champion from the Philippines.
Now, Zamboanga looks to defend her crown against Ayaka “Zombie” Miura at ONE 173: Superbon vs. Noiri on Nov. 16 at Tokyo’s Ariake Arena. The bout will continue the storied legacy of the ONE Women’s Atomweight MMA World Championship and decide the next chapter in the division’s history.
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