ONE Championship: Chatri has 'not talked fights at all' with Angela, Christian Lee as their absence is felt at US debut

ONE Championship will make its debut on US soil with a stacked event in Denver, Colorado this Friday (May 5), but it will do so without two of its biggest stars: Hawaii-based siblings Angela and Christian Lee.

Angela and Christian’s absence from the card is no surprise.

Their 18-year-old sister Victoria – also a ONE fighter – died last December, and the siblings and their family have been in mourning ever since.

Speaking to the Post after Wednesday’s ONE Fight Night 10 pre-fight press conference, the promotion’s CEO and chairman Chatri Sityodtong admitted that, when his team began planning for a US debut several years ago, the Lee siblings were an important part of their designs.

“In my original plans, years ago, Angela Lee and Christian Lee would be fighting on the US debut,” he said.

“I didn’t even raise it or talk to them about it,” he added. “I just feel like the best thing we can do as fans and as an organisation is to support them in their time of grieving. It’s a long process.”

Angela, 26, has long reigned as ONE’s atomweight MMA champion, while Christian, 24, holds the promotion’s welterweight and lightweight MMA titles.

It is unclear when or if the two ONE stars will fight again, but Chatri is intent to give them all the time they need to decide their futures in the sport.

“My team are giving space to the Lee family to grieve and to heal, and we’ve actually not talked fights at all with them – zero – so I have no idea what their plans are,” he said.

“If they decide to come back, we’ll support them full-heartedly. If they don’t come back, I’m going to wish them a great retirement. I’m sure I’m going to be friends with Angela and Christian and (their parents) Ken and Jewelz. They’re really special people. I really, truly