What's next for top atomweight contender Denice Zamboanga?

On an evening where Denice Zamboanga had expected the sweet taste of victory, the No.1-ranked atomweight contender found herself backstage with her head in her hands, trying to deal with the bitterness of failure. The feeling was novel and unwelcome for the 24-year-old athlete, whose perfect professional record was now marked with a defeat.

The quarterfinal round of the ONE women’s atomweight world Grand Prix would see Denice Zamboanga exit the tournament amidst controversy. After a trio of hard-fought rounds, the judges awarded her opponent—Seo Hee Ham—the split-decision victory and a trip to the semifinal round.

As is the case with most close decision losses, each party thought they had done enough to win. In the eyes of the public, Zamboanga appeared to have had the upper hand over Ham. Unfortunately for the Filipina, the triumvirate of judges deemed the South Korean athlete the winner.

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Weeks later, Denice Zamboanga’s future is up in the air

On the bright side, she remains the atomweight division’s top-ranked combatant. Ham, in contrast, is still a rung lower, having withdrawn from the Grand Prix due to an injury suffered during training.

On the not-so-bright side, Denice Zamboanga’s departure from the tournament means she’ll have to fight, win, and wait to get a crack at Angela Lee, reigning ONE women’s atomweight world champion.

At the very least, Denice Zamboanga has options. The Filipina athlete will be a popular target for the other contenders in the division, especially with the veil of invincibility lifted from her following the recent loss.

After Denice Zamboanga and the No. 2-placed Seo Hee Ham, the rankings feature Stamp Fairtex, Ritu Phogat and Meng Bo in the number three, four, and five spots.

Stamp and Phogat have punched their tickets to the Grand Prix semifinal round, so neither currently serves as a realistic option for Denice Zamboanga’s next opponent. Meng, meanwhile, suffered a similar fate to her Filipina contemporary, finding herself on the wrong end of a decision, albeit free of controversy.

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2 options for Denice Zamboanga

With this in mind, there are two obvious options for Denice Zamboanga to dance with next: Meng Bo or a rematch with Seo Hee Ham. Of course, there are pros and cons to each matchup.

On the Meng Bo front, the Chinese athlete would represent the most physically dangerous opponent Denice Zamboanga has ever met.

Sporting a record of 17-6, Meng has knocked out six opponents and submitted five. The 25-year-old holds noteworthy victories over the likes of Samara Santos and Laura Balin in ONE. She is also one of just two fighters - along with Rose Namajunas - to have defeated former UFC champion Zhang Weili, although that came early in her career.

Additionally, with 23 professional bouts under her belt, Meng holds a significant experience advantage over Denice Zamboanga, both in number of fights and years within the sport. It’s safe to say a win over the likes of Meng would launch Denice Zamboanga right back into title contention, the risk suits the reward in this case.

As for the rematch with Seo Hee Ham, the stakes are equally high.

Although Ham doesn't possess the same earth-shattering power as Meng, her 32-fight career has provided her with invaluable experience. She used this to out-point Denice Zamboanga in their quarterfinal bout.

Should Ham be the victor again, Denice Zamboanga's stock would take a significant hit, as she would have lost twice to the same lower-ranked opponent. Conversely, a win would all but erase the controversy from the duo's first fight while firmly asserting Denice Zamboanga back into title contention.

With two conspicuous options and the means to dispatch both, all is not lost for the one called 'The Lycan Queen.' Although her loss to Ham may have felt devastating at that moment, Denice Zamboanga remains one of the brightest rising stars in ONE Championship.

Whoever she is booked to fight next, expect a new and improved version of the young mixed martial artist.