Denice Zamboanga slams Ham Seo Hee for feisty comments: “I’ve earned my place” 

Denice Zamboanga chose to set the record straight after hearing Ham Seo Hee’s remarks on social media. 

The South Korean veteran recently expressed her disappointment on Instagram. She criticized the decision to grant Zamboanga a shot at the ONE Interim Atomweight MMA World Title. This is in light of divisional queen Stamp Fairtex’s absence due to a torn meniscus. 

Zamboanga, who presently occupies the #2 seat in the rankings, was supposed to battle #4-ranked Alyona Rassohyna for the belt at ONE Fight Night 25 on Prime Video this October 5. 

However, the Filipina sensation suffered a hamstring injury in training. This caused her to pull out of the matchup. 

Despite sitting on the sidelines, “The Menace” wasn’t going to let Ham’s comments slide. 

“I respect Ham Seo Hee, but it feels like she’s dismissing the struggles I’ve had to face to get here,” Zamboanga told Tiebreaker Times in an interview. 

Zamboanga first made waves back in February 2020 when she stunned the world with an upset victory over Mei Yamaguchi. That win catapulted her into the spotlight as a serious contender.  

Since then, her path has been anything but smooth. She basically needed to fight tooth and nail to put herself back in contention. 

The 27-year-old was primed to face Stamp for the lineal crown this past March. But the clash was postponed to June, only to be scrapped entirely when the Thai megastar’s injury flared up just weeks before the bout. 

Denice Zamboanga justifies having pole position  

Denice Zamboanga feels it’s time for the weight class to allow new contenders to vie for gold. This sentiment comes after Ham Seo Hee’s recent loss to Stamp Fairtex for the title in September 2023. 

“She’s already had her chance. It’s time for others in the division to step up,” Zamboanga said. “It’s time to give others the chance and prove themselves worthy of the title. In this way, the division can truly move forward.” 

As the competition heats up, Zamboanga stands firm, vowing to protect her pole position. 

“Everyone is going to want their shot, but I’ve earned my place in line,” she said. “I’m not going to let anyone cut ahead of me, whether it’s Ham or anyone else.”