MMA Fighter Victoria Lee Dead at 18
Victoria Lee, rising MMA star, died Dec. 26, 2022 in Hawaii. She was 18.
Lee's sister, Angela Lee Pucci, also a champion MMA fighter, shared the news on Instagram Jan. 7.
"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," Pucci wrote.
"Victoria was the most beautiful soul who ever lived. She was the best little sister in the world," she continued, adding that "life will never be the same."
"You were perfect in every way. The best person I knew. The most beautiful girl, inside and out. We love you Victoria," Pucci shared, encouraging her followers to "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."
See her full Instagram post below:
Lee's cause of death has yet to be made public.
According to Paper, the MMA fighter was nicknamed "The Prodigy" due to her undefeated record during her short career.
Lee was a ONE Championship atomweight fighter and had earned the titles of Junior World Champion and IMMAF Junior State and World Champion.
Paper also reports that Lee's parents, Ken and Jewelz Lee, own the United MMA gym in Waipahu, Hawaii, where the whole family trained — including Pucci and Lee's two brothers, Adrian and Christian. Reportedly, the gym is now "permanently closed."
Per South China Morning Post, Lee was next scheduled to compete January 14 in Bangkok.
Lee's professional MMA career and winning streak began in February 2021.
Lee's final Instagram post was published Dec. 18 and shows the proud older sister posing with her 17-year-old brother Adrian, who had just won an amateur MMA title in Hilo, Hawaii.
According to South China Morning Post, a celebration of life for Lee is set to be held on January 22.
Her family has asked that any donations in memory of Lee be sent to the Hawaii Food Bank.
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