Denice Zamboanga says Christian Lee has to finish Ok Rae Yoon in rematch, or suffer the same fate

‘Lycan Queen’ Denice Zamboanga is no stranger to controversial decisions and results left in the hands of judges. She’s gone through it herself, losing a close split decision to South Korean veteran Ham Seo Hee last September in a fight which she obviously thought she won.

That is why it’s not surprising to hear Denice Zamboanga say she thinks former ONE lightweight world champion Christian Lee needs to finish embattled rival Ok Rae Yoon when they meet in the Circle for a rematch.

Speaking to ONE Championship in a recent interview, Denice Zamboanga shared her thoughts on the much talked about matchup, why she thinks Ok Rae Yoon won and what Lee needs to do to get his belt back.

“I think that fight was a split decision. It was very close. I don’t think it should have been a unanimous decision. That being said, I’m on the side where I think Ok Rae Yoon won. Christian was absolutely exhausted in the fourth and fifth rounds. I mean, almost all of Christian’s previous fights ended in finishes, so he may not have been used to going the distance. That could have been a factor. Because if you watch those last couple of rounds, Christian was in hell.

“At the same time, Ok Rae Yoon is used to going the distance and getting those decision wins and South Korean fighters are so strong, especially with their cardio," Denice Zamboanga added. "Christian will have to finish him, otherwise Ok Rae Yoon is going to run away with another decision. He’s just too strong. It’s like Ok Rae Yoon never got tired. It was an effortless performance. Only chance Christian has is if he finishes the South Korean.”

Lee lost the lightweight strap in a close bout against Ok at ONE: Revolution in late September. Many fans and observers thought Lee had done enough to win, but the three judges sitting cageside all saw it for the South Korean.

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Denice Zamboanga didn’t like the way the Lee’s handled the situation after

After the fight, Lee took the microphone and expressed his disdain at the judging. He asked for a formal review of the fight and weeks later, the decision was upheld.

Looking back at how she handled her own formal review complaint, Denice Zamboanga thinks Lee and his older sister Angela should have kept it on the down low and not put the promotion on the spot the way they did.

“I really don’t know. Honestly, I was laughing at both Christian and Angela’s reaction to that decision. In my mind, that’s the same thing that happened to me. But I guess I handled it a little differently. I didn’t want to look into the cameras and throw any disrespect to the judging and the organization. That’s not a good look. I just wanted a formal review. But yeah, Christian probably just couldn’t come to terms with it at the time. He really wanted to keep the belt, and in the heat of the moment, when emotions are running high, that’s what happened."

Denice Zamboanga is currently in the Philippines to spend the holiday season with her family. This is the first time she has been home since the COVID-19 pandemic took hold of the world in March of 2020.

She is expected to return to action sometime in early 2022.