Denice Zamboanga appears less than pleased with recent comments made by Ham Seo Hee regarding the pecking order in ONE Championship’s atomweight MMA division.
The South Korean veteran took to Instagram on Monday, September 23, to express her belief that she should have been first in line for the ONE Interim Atomweight MMA World Title shot, citing her No. 1 ranking as justification.
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With lineal queen Stamp Fairtex sidelined due to a torn meniscus, the aforementioned belt was scheduled to be contested at ONE Fight Night 25 on October 5.
Zamboanga, ranked No. 2, was originally set to square off with No. 4-rated Alyona Rassohyna on the card. Unfortunately, a hamstring injury forced the Filipina heroine to withdraw from the match, leaving the interim title picture in limbo.
Injury forces Denice Zamboanga to withdraw from interim ONE title fight
Despite this, Ham questioned the decision to pit Zamboanga and Rassohyna against each other for a portion of the divisional throne, highlighting the fact that she has already beaten both of them.
It’s worth noting that Ham is no stranger to Zamboanga, having crossed paths on two different occasions under the promotion’s banner.
“Hamzzang” picked up a controversial split decision at Zamboanga’s expense in the quarterfinals of the 2021 ONE Atomweight World Grand Prix.
Then, the 37-year-old won their rematch convincingly via unanimous decision.
Meanwhile, Ham holds a unanimous decision win over Rassohyna from a 2014 encounter outside of ONE.
For Zamboanga, this is far from the narrative she wants to be a part of.
“I respect Ham Seo Hee, but it feels like she’s dismissing the struggles I’ve had to face to get here. She’s already had her chance. It’s time for others in the division to step up,” Zamboanga told Tiebreaker Times, referring to Ham’s recent loss to Stamp for the strap in September 2023.
“It’s time to give others the chance and prove themselves worthy of the title. In this way, the division can truly move forward.”
Indeed, Zamboanga’s journey has been anything but smooth.
“The Menace” initially made a statement with her upset victory over Mei Yamaguchi in February 2020, putting her on the radar as a top contender.
But since then, a series of unfortunate events has delayed her championship aspirations.
This past March, she was slated to duke it out with Stamp for the crown. However, the duel was pushed to June, only to be canceled when the Thai superstar suffered a torn meniscus just weeks before the fight.
Now in recovery mode, Zamboanga is determined to return stronger.
“It’s frustrating, but I’m focused on getting back to my best form. I’ll be ready to fight for that belt as soon as I’m cleared to compete,” she said.
For Zamboanga, the stakes couldn’t be higher. With Stamp still on the sidelines, other contenders will be jostling for position, and she has no intention of allowing anyone to bypass her.
“Everyone is going to want their shot, but I’ve earned my place in line,” she stated. “I’m not going to let anyone cut ahead of me, whether it’s Ham or anyone else.”
