I wanted to show my emotions with my music - Ham Seo Hee says her walkout song reflected her desire to beat Denice Zamboanga

Ham Seo Hee usually has an upbeat entrance whenever she fights, but she did a complete about-turn during her walkout at ONE X at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. The South Korean veteran had a menacing look as she approached the ONE Championship circle in her rematch against the Philippines’ Denice Zamboanga at ONE Championship’s 10-year anniversary show.

A dreary feeling enveloped the arena during Ham’s walkout and she said that her entrance music reflected her attitude toward the fight.

The veteran fighter said in her post-fight interview:

“All these years. I’m known for enjoying it there, having fun you know. My mood is always up there, but for this bout, I had something to prove. It wasn’t about enjoying it out there, it was about showing that I can beat her and that I was the winner. I wanted to show that with my music and with my emotions and with my facial expression... I wanted the people to see and that I really wanted to prove them wrong.”

Ham and Zamboanga first met in September 2021 in the ONE Women’s Atomweight World Grand Prix, which resulted in a controversial split-decision win for the former Rizin and ROAD FC champion.

Many believed that Zamboanga deserved the victory for being the aggressor and that Ham was content in countering her opponent. Ham seemingly took the criticism to heart and made sure to take a decisive victory over her rival in their rematch.

The 35-year-old used her superior wrestling against her opponent, who is 10 years younger than her, grinding out the match in every way possible. She said:

“I won clearly and everything is behind now. I don’t have any controversies anymore. I want to rest up a bit and recover.”

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It’s always about respect for Ham Seo Hee

Ham Seo Hee and Denice Zamboanga have feuded since their controversial fight in 2021, but the South Korean maintains that she doesn’t hate her younger opponent.

While she may not like her that much, Ham Seo Hee says she doesn’t harbor any ill will towards Zamboanga:

“I don’t dislike anyone. I don’t [hate] any athletes or anything, but at the same [time] I don’t like her. I respect her and I just hope all the athletes do well."

Ham and Zamboanga competed on the second card of ONE's three-card extravangaza at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.