ONE Championship’s Competition Committee has upheld the result of Seo Hee Ham vs. Denice Zamboanga from Friday’s Empower card.
The atomweight grand prix quarterfinal fight saw controversy erupt after Ham (24-8) won a split decision following three rounds of back-and-forth action. The first round clearly belonged to Zamboanga (8-1), while the second seemed to lean towards Ham. However, as with all ONE Championship fights, scoring is based on the entirety of the fight, not round-by-round.
ONE Championship Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong announced the news Wednesday to the South China Morning Post.
Per Sityodtong, the committee, comprised of ONE officials, referees, and judges, voted “9-5 in favor of keeping the decision standing, that Seo Hee Ham won the fight. So the decision stands.”
A tearful Zamboanga had pleaded with the promotion to review the result following her loss. Both fighters told media outlets that they felt they had done enough to win the bout.
Denice Zamboanga will now be matched up with grand prix alternate Julie Mezabarba. The Brazilian made her debut at Empower, defeating veteran Mei Yamaguchi to move on as an alternate.
No date has been announced for that fight, or for the atomweight grand prix semifinal round. Fans, however, can vote for the upcoming match-ups at onefc.com/vote — with Stamp Fairtex, Ritu Phogat, Itsuki Hirata, and Seo Hee Ham the four fighters remaining.
