Number-two ranked atomweight contender Denice “Lycan Queen” Zamboanga is confident that she’ll get the job done the second time she meets #3-ranked “Arale Chan” Ham Seo Hee at ONE X on Saturday, March 26.
The Filipina absorbed a controversial split-decision loss to the highly touted South Korean in their initial encounter at ONE: EMPOWER last September in the ONE Atomweight World Grand Prix quarterfinals.
It was one of the most debated decisions of 2021, as many felt that the Marrok Force representative deserved the victory over Ham.
One thing that can’t be disputed is how close the fight was. However, Zamboanga is confident that it won’t be the same this time around.
“Honestly, before fighting Ham Seo Hee, I was scared in the sense that she was the most experienced fighter among us all. I was a little intimidated having had to face such a dangerous opponent in the first round of the tournament,” Zamboanga admitted.
“But after sharing the Circle with her, I realized that she wasn’t all that people made her out to be. There wasn’t really a huge difference in our fighting skills, and I could handle her.
“In this coming rematch, there are no more nerves, and there is no more fear. I would say that’s all gone and you will see the best of Denice Zamboanga.”
While she believes she should have won the first match, the 25-year-old admitted that she could’ve done things differently in their first encounter to avoid the disappointing outcome.
“I would have focused on the finish from the very start. After reviewing the fight many times, I see that I could have actually finished her in the first round. I already felt her power and I knew I could handle it,” she said.
“I also knew I could finish her. I experienced what she had to offer, and I wasn’t impressed. I don’t exactly know why I was reluctant to. I just need to be more assertive next time.”
Now, having spent 15 minutes inside the Circle with “Arale Chan,” Zamboanga plans to extinguish her opponent before the judges even get a say.
“This time I’m going to finish her for sure,” Zamboanga said.
“I’m going to take her down and submit her. Her biggest weakness is on the ground. I took her down whenever I wanted, and she couldn’t handle herself on the mat. I can finish her there.”
