Ham Seo Hee disappointed Itsuki Hirata didn’t come out with ‘a little bit more energy’

At ONE Fight Night 8 on Prime Video, the much-awaited clash between Ham Seo Hee and Itsuki Hirata didn’t exactly live up to the anticipation.

The two atomweight stars were scheduled to face-off in a number one contender’s fight back at ONE 163 in November, but the fight was postponed due to Hirata missing weight and failing her hydration test.

Both the fans and the fighters involved waited a long time to see the fight play out, with the hope that a clear contender for the ONE women’s atomweight world championship would come about in the aftermath.

Whilst the South Korean veteran did get her hand raised after winning a dominant unanimous decision, the fight itself wasn’t what people expected.

Ham fought a very cautious and calculated fight that didn’t gel well with Hirata’s style. The Japanese prospect seemed unwilling to commit to anything or engage with her opponent, resulting in large periods of inactivity.

In her post-event interview, ‘Hamzzang’ revealed that she was surprised by her opponent’s approac:

“So a lot of things were said, a lot of fire was shot in my direction from Itsuki Hirata so I did expect her to come out with a little bit more fire, a little bit more energy, but as you saw, I understood that it's very difficult to get a very exciting fight just from myself, just from my own efforts.”

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Ham Seo Hee wants Angela Lee but knows it may be ‘sensitive’ and difficult

With her victory over Itsuki Hirata this past weekend, Ham Seo Hee has solidified her position as a potential world title contender in the atomweight division.

With her third consecutive victory under the ONE banner since arriving in the promotion, the South Korean veteran is the clear front-runner for a clash with current world champion Angela Lee, but she is aware that it may not be that simple.

Whilst Ham has got her mind set on competing for a world championship next time out, she is not too concerned with who will be standing across from her inside the circle.

Following her win at the weekend, Ham Seo Hee made it clear that whilst she has titles on her mind, she is aware that a face-off with Angela Lee may not be the route:

“It's not Stamp or Alyse, of course. I would definitely wish to challenge Angela Lee, but I understand that may not be a possibility, understanding some of the more sensitive circumstances that have occurred. I haven't really thought of anyone else apart from those three people,” said Ham Seo Hee while alluding to other title contenders Stamp Fairtex and Alyse Anderson.

It remains unclear when Angela Lee will return to competition following the untimely passing of her younger sister and fellow competitor Victoria. The family have been taking time away from the spotlight to mourn the loss after it was announced in December.