Longtime ONE Women’s Atomweight MMA World Champion Angela Lee has long been breaking down barriers in the world of mixed martial arts, putting a spotlight on women competitors after becoming the first bonafide star in ONE Championship’s atomweight division. 

Now, she’s breaking down bigger barriers and championing something much larger than World Titles and MMA accolades. 

In a highly emotional video, Lee revealed that the death of her sister, rising 18-year-old MMA star Victoria Lee, was the result of suicide. In the same video, she said that she also tried to take her own life many years ago – and only her husband, Bruno Pucci, knew about it. 

“It’s been six years, and although I’ve done a lot of growing and healing since then, it’s still difficult to think about, let alone talk about,” she said. 

“Because I survived, it was difficult to go on and live life as normal because no one really knew what had happened.”

This has inspired Lee to take action and start Fightstory, a non-profit organization that gives athletes an avenue to speak about their mental health issues without judgment. 

According to Lee, it’s meant for “healing, awareness, acceptance, and support for those battling through their darkest times.” 

“No battle needs to be walked alone,” Lee said. 

“At Fightstory, we believe stories can save lives. These narratives, our stories, need to be shared, and people need to hear them. We are focused on creating a community where voices can be heard, and stories celebrated,” she said. “We are starting the conversation.” 

This movement is for her sister, Victoria, and while she’s no longer with the world today, her passing shouldn’t be for naught. 

“Fightstory was created because of Victoria. She was the most selfless person I knew. She would want her passing to mean something, to save lives,” Lee said.