“Fighters who lost to me” - Ham Seo Hee blasts proposed interim atomweight MMA tilt between Denice Zamboanga and Alyona Rassohyna
Former ONE women's atomweight MMA world title challenger 'Hamzzang' Ham Seo Hee of South Korea just recently learned about the proposed interim world title tilt between No.2-ranked Denice Zamboanga and No.4-ranked Alyona Rassohyna.
Zamboanga and Rassohyna were initially scheduled to compete for the ONE interim women's atomweight MMA world title this year due to the absence of an injured Stamp Fairtex. But Zamboanga had to pull out of the fight after suffering an injury in training.
Still, that didn't sit well with Ham, and she took to social media to express her disappointment.
The South Korean veteran wrote:
"I’ve received a news about Denice vs Alyona fighting for the Interim World Championship through media sources. I’m the Number 1 ranked Atomweight in ONE Championship, I beat Denice twice and also beat Alyona outside of ONE. Both are fighters who lost to me. I thought it didn’t make sense for them to fight for the Interim Belt when I’m ready and waiting. I’ve been waiting for an offer for a long time. As long as I have enough time to train, I will accept any offer and fight against anyone. I believe that @onechampionship will make the right/fair decision."
Ham is the no.1-ranked women's atomweight MMA contender. She has two victories over Zamboanga, as well as a victory over Rassohyna outside of ONE Championship.
However, 'Hamzzang' already challenged for the gold when she met Stamp at ONE Fight Night 14 in September 2023, when she lost via third-round technical knockout.
Denice Zamboanga on world title shot: "I no longer put too much pressure on myself"
As for Denice Zamboanga, the Filipina star has run into so many issues that have hindered her from claiming a world title shot that she was long due for years.
The 27-year-old has been in the running for a crack at the gold since her February 2020 victory over Mei Yamaguchi. Unfortunately, there have been a number of stumbling blocks that have prevented her from competing for the belt.
She's over it, Zamboanga told The MMA Superfan:
"To be honest, I no longer put too much pressure on myself to achieve my dreams. I go with the flow and do what I need to do in training. I stay consistent. And of course, keep faith in God. I rely on him for guidance and wisdom throughout my career. [My fiance] Fritz really motivates me and inspires me to do my best in my career. He gives me his 100 percent support."