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South Korea's most valuable export in women's MMA , Ham Seo Hee, is riding strong momentum with back-to-back wins in ONE Championship. Both victories were over her most difficult opponent so far, Denice Zamboanga.
The two-fight rivalry between 'Hamzzang' and the fighting Filipina made for some compelling action inside the circle. Both fighters were at the top of their games and weren't going to let the other get the upper hand.
After their controversial first meeting in 2021, which divided the entire MMA world, Ham Seo Hee put a definitive end to the rivalry in the second fight. The Korean put on a dominant display at the promotion's landmark 10-year anniversary show, ONE X, last year.
Ham imposed her grappling, taking Zamboanga down midway through the second round and holding top position. From there, ‘Hamzzang’ sapped Zamboanga's energy with grappling pressure as they headed into the third round.
The Filipina slugger tried to turn the tide early in the third, but still succumbed to the South Korean's tight-wound execution of her gameplan.
The third round mirrored the complexion of the second, with Ham Seo Hee controlling where the fight went and stopping Zamboanga's attacks from all fronts. 'Hamzzang' went home with a clear unanimous decision win.
Watch the full fight here:
Ham Seo Hee to face Itsuki Hirata at ONE Fight Night 8
After a weight-missing fiasco that canceled their initial bout last year, Ham Seo Hee will finally face Japanese MMA star Itsuki Hirata at ONE Fight Night 8 on March 24.
The added drama of Hirata's initial weight miss brings more tension between the competitors, similar to how Ham had her bitter rivalry with Denice Zamboanga.
The two were supposed to face each other at ONE 163 in November last year. However, the bout was ultimately scrapped after Hirata missed weight by a significant margin.
Ham, choosing to stick to her values and not let Hirata's shortcomings slide, declined a catchweight bout. She explained her side in a well-written Instagram post:
Hopefully, after some significant time to adjust her weight and hydration, Hirata beats the scale come weigh-in time. It would be a shame if this fight gets canceled again. A battle between 'Android 18' and 'Hamzzang' will surely influence the complexion of their division's world title picture.
Fans in North America can catch ONE Fight Night 8 in U.S. primetime on March 24, live and for free on Prime Video with an Amazon subscription.
