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.

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At Friday’s Empower card, the ONE Championship fighter and decorated Indian wrestler had to deal with some real adversity from China’s Meng Bo. Bo appeared to have her hurt towards the end of the first round, and heading into the second, Phogat’s ability to recover was in question.

She did, however, falling back on her dominant wrestling to clearly win the remainder of the fight. Speaking to Cageside Press and other media outlets following the event, Phogat said of the experience that she felt she had “done a pretty good job during the match, even though the first round, I wasn’t doing that great of a job.”

“But then I managed to get through the next two rounds pretty well, and I made sure that I was a very strong competitor against Meng Bo,” she continued. When it comes to competition, Bo, with over 20 fights to her name, has absolutely been Phogat’s toughest yet.

That’s the type of opponent, and fight, that should serve her well moving forward. The now 6-1 Phogat stated that “I feel that the fact that I’ve actually competed against a very strong fighter, I managed to gain not only confidence but experience. The way that I managed to compete against Meng Bo has definitely helped to amp up my confidence at this point in time, and that’s something that I want to forward with every match I’m going to be in, [starting] with the next round.”

The next round doesn’t have a date yet, but the potential opponents include Stamp Fairtex, Itsuki Hirata, and Seo Hee Ham (for now). Phogat says she’s ready for any one of them.

“I’m ready to take on anyone that’s actually being paired with me, and it doesn’t matter who it’s going to be,” she told the media following Friday’s event. “I’m ready to take on the next challenge, and I’m willing to actually put on the effort, and I’m going to go forth and make sure that I prove myself, and prove that I am still the best in the competition.”

Watch the full ONE: Empower post-fight media appearance from Ritu Phogat above.

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While there’s no guarantee that ONE will reverse the decision, which saw Ham serve up the first loss of Zamboanga’s career, it’s a step in the right direction. At least for those who feel the Filipino fighter was the true winner of the bout.

ONE officials announced the news on social media Monday.

🚨 NEWS ALERT 🚨 The fight between Denice Zamboanga and Seo Hee Ham is under official review by the ONE Competition Committee. @DZDenice @yodchatri #ONEEmpower #WeAreONE #ONEChampionship pic.twitter.com/vZ2FkPf3wZ

— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) September 5, 2021

The all-female Empower card, which went down this past Friday, saw all four women’s atomweight grand prix quarterfinals take place. None was as controversial as Ham vs. Zamboanga, however. “The Lycan Queen” Zamboanga was dominant through the first five minutes, followed by a much closer second round. The third saw Ham get off to a good start, but an accidental clash of heads — which opened up a nasty cut on the forehead of Zamboanga — halted the action.

When the fight finally resumed Zamboanga seemed to have the edge. Come the result being announced, however, Ham was given the nod by two judges.

While western promotions use the 10-point must scoring system that finds its origins in boxing, fights in ONE Championship are scored as a whole. Following the bout, Ham insisted that she never felt she was losing “in any point of the fight” and suggested the outcry from fans was a result of them not understanding the ONE ruleset.

Zamboanga stated immediately after the bout that “I clearly won the fight,” calling for the review that will now take place.

ONE Championship’s semifinal match-ups are to be voted on by fans, who can cast their ballet at onefc.com/vote — with the other semifinalists consisting of Stamp Fairtex, Itsuki Hirata, and Ritu Phogat.

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A first for a major promotion outside of Invicta, putting the focus on the women’s side worked supremely well for ONE, whose atomweight roster is the deepest out of any promotion sporting the division (yes, with their weight rules, it’s not technically atomweight, but the bulk of the fighters were true atomweights). The grand prix featured names like Seo Hee Ham, Itsuki Hirata, Ritu Phogat, Stamp Fairtex, Alyse Anderson, Aloyna Rassohyna and more, and while there were no major upsets, there was a fair bit of controversy.

In the final bout out of the four quarterfinals, Seo Hee Ham won a close split decision against Denice Zamboanga, with many surprised at the outcome, given that Filipino fighter Zamboanga had appeared to control most of the fight. A tearful Zamboanga expressed hope following the fight that ONE would review the outcome. As it stands, however, the “Lycan Queen” is out of the grand prix, suffering the first loss of her career in the process.

Stamp Fairtex, Itsuki Hirata, and Ritu Phogat, meanwhile, join Seo Hee Ham in the semifinals, with match-ups voted on by fans.

In the Empower main event, strawweight champion Xiong Jing Nan made a fifth defense of her title, successfully avoiding the dangerous ground game of Brazil’s Michelle Nicolini en route to a lopsided unanimous decision win.

Full results and a gallery of highlights from ONE: Empower can be found below.

ONE Championship: Empower Results

Main Card

Xiong Jing Nan def. Michelle Nicolini by unanimous decision – for the ONE strawweight world championship
Seo Hee Ham def. Denice Zamboanga by split decision – atomweight grand prix quarterfinal
Stamp Fairtex def. Aloyna Rassohyna by split decision – atomweight grand prix quarterfinal
Ritu Phogat def. Meng Bo by unanimous decision – atomweight grand prix quarterfinal
Itsuki Hirata def. Alyse Anderson by unanimous decision – atomweight grand prix quarterfinal
Anissa Meksen def. Cristina Morales by TKO, Round 2, 2:27 – kickboxing

Lead Card

Jackie Buntan def. Daniela Lopez by unanimous decision – Muay Thai
Julie Mezabarba def. Mei Yamaguchi by unanimous decision – atomweight grand prix alternate bout

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“I don’t know what to say. I’m so speechless right now,” the Filipino fighter told media outlets following the atomweight grand prix quarterfinal. “For me, I clearly won the fight.”

Saying that nothing surprised her in the match-up, Zamboanga believes that she had the control in the bout. Which makes her exit from the grand prix that much harder to swallow. That in turn may lead the formerly undefeated atomweight appealing the result.

Zamboanga and Ham went the distance in the contest, which saw the “Lycan Queen” dominate the early going. While Ham was more active on the feet in the second and third rounds, the bout was close. After an accidental head butt opened up a gash on Zamboanga in the third, it looked as if the action would be stopped. But allowed to continue, she rallied, and control the remainder of the fight.

The split decision result against Zamboanga was a surprise to many.

“If they can review my fight, and re-decide who really won that fight, that would be good,” Zamboanga stated, before emotions overwhelmed her. “For me, I really did my best and everything. She didn’t do anything. I had the control, I even took her striking. I still can’t believe—” she added, unable to finish her statement.

ONE Championship rules see the bout scored based on the entirety of the fight, rather than the round by round format used in most western promotions. With many questioning Friday’s result, Zamboanga took “a bit of consolation” in the popular sentiment. But ultimately, she wants ONE to review the fight.

“They haven’t talked to me yet, but I hope they talk to me about the future, and about fighting Ham.”

When asked if she was opened to a rematch with the South Korean, Zamboanga was emphatic. “Absolutely, yes.”

ONE Championship has reversed fight outcomes in the past. Earlier this year, Eddie Alvarez petitioned the promotion to overturn his DQ loss against Iuri Lapicus. A panel of experts comprised of industry experts, ONE Championship officials, judges, and referees reviewed the bout. They later overturned the result to a No Contest.

Watch Denice Zamboanga’s full ONE: Empower post-fight media appearance above.

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It did not exactly go off without a hitch, but the South Korean veteran (24-8) did move forward in the women’s atomweight grand prix.

Ham battled it out in a very close fight with Denice Zamboanga, and arguably lost the opening round. Things were closer as the fight progressed, until an accidental clash of heads, which opened up a nasty cut on Zamboanga, halted the action for an extended period in the third.

Just when it seemed like the action would be called early, the fight was allowed to continue. The third round might have gone either way; of course, in ONE Championship, fights are judged as a whole, not round by round.

“In any point of the fight, I never thought I was losing. In any point of the fight,” Ham stressed following the fight, speaking to media outlets including Cageside Press. “Because if you know the ONE Championship rules, I believe it’s a bit different than the global ruleset. Like, let’s say takedowns, or the clinch, she wasn’t advancing her position, she wasn’t really effective. Damage-wise and all that, I believe I was clearly winning.”

Up next for Ham will be one of Stamp Fairtex, Ritu Phogat, or Itsuki Hirata. Ham doesn’t seem to have a preference.

“I never really thought about who I wanted for the semifinals. I just want to compete with as many athletes as possible, so that I gain more experience,” she said Friday. “I just want to experience more of that ONE Championship circle.”

Ahead of Friday’s Empower card, Ham’s confidence was on full display. After picking up the win in her promotional debut, the former ROAD FC and RIZIN champion believes she’s the favorite moving forward.

“Always. My confidence is always the same, and I’m always confident for every bout.”

Watch the full ONE: Empower post-fight press appearance by Seo Hee Ham above.

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Hirata (5-0) battled it out with Alyse Anderson at ONE: Empower on Friday, earning a unanimous decision win over the American. That victory, which saw the Japanese atomweight dropped late in the fight, means the 22-year old moves forward in ONE Championship’s high-profile women’s atomweight grand prix.

The semifinal round is up next, with fellow Empower athletes Ritu Phogat, Seo Hee Ham, and Fairtex all advancing in the tournament.

“I’m pretty sure that the fans want to see me against Stamp,” Hirata said following the fight, speaking to media outlets including Cageside Press. “So let the fans choose Stamp and I, and let’s have a good fight.”

Fans will in fact be voting for the semifinal match-ups. It’s a setup that the Japanese fighter is content with.

“I’m totally good about the fan vote, because the first time I heard about the fan vote, it was at the rule meeting. I’m sure everyone was really excited and got motivated, because in the semifinals, the fans can see what they want to see,” Hirata recalled. “My job is to make my fans happy and excited. We’re here to showcase whatever the fans want to see, so yeah, fan voting is great.”

While Hirata got out to a solid start Friday in Singapore, the late adversity she faced certainly changed the complexion of the fight.

“I just saw the ceiling, I wasn’t dizzy or out on my feet or anything, so I was able to come back and put pressure on [Anderson] again,” Hirata said of being knocked down in the third. “Probably in the semifinals, the next opponent will most likely be a good striker, better than Alyse. So I need to make sure I won’t get those big punches again in my next fight.”

Watch the full ONE: Empower post-fight press appearance by Itsuki Hirata above.

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Knowing that the multi-time BJJ champ was deadly on the ground, the Chinese champ absolutely refused to be lured in to any sort of grappling exchanges. In the opening round, Jing Nan dropped the challenger, but despite the obvious opportunity to finish the fight, she opted not to venture into the danger zone on the mat.

The champ’s stand-up prowess was clear in round one, and that continued in the second frame. This time, Nicolini was able to drag the fight to the ground, quite literally. She locked on to one of Jing Nan’s legs, pulling her down and threatening with heel hooks as the champ rolled through, defending well until she could finally escape out.

By the third round, Nicolini was looking tired, or just tired of being lit up on the feet. Jing Nan’s striking continued to be tight; she mixed in some low kicks, but had to fend off a takedown after firing a kick to the body. Nicolini then jumped into guard, forcing the champion to carry her weight. Rather than go to the ground, Xiong Jing Nan opted to press Nicolini against the fence and try to shake her lose. Eventually, the weight was too much, and to the canvas they went. The champ briefly trapped an arm with her leg, allowing her to sneak in some ground n’ pound.

The fight went to the championship rounds with Jing Nan careful not to give Nicolini any openings. And again, she refused to enter the Brazilian’s guard when Nicolini invited her in. Any success Jing Nan found on the feet, and there was plenty, seemed to be answered by Nicolini trying to lure her to the mat. The champ wasn’t biting. By the end of the round, it was clear the challenger needed a finish.

Xiong Jing Nan couldn’t avoid going to the ground with Nicolini in the fifth and final frame. But once there, the champion fought like a wild cat. As soon as she could break free, she did, and there was no looking back from that point. The unanimous decision win secures Xiong Jing Nan her fifth successful title defense, capping off a historic night at the all-female Empower card.

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The former UFC fighter and ROAD FC champion had last fought in 2019, when she won the RIZIN FF super atomweight title. She later signed on with ONE, but delays thanks to the coronavirus pandemic saw the entire Empower card pushed back from May to September.

Ham’s debut opponent in the ONE circle was the undefeated Denice Zamboanga. And it was the Filipino fighter putting the fight right where she wanted it in the opening round on Friday.

Zamboanga pressed Ham into the fence, looking strong in the clinch and landing a number of knees. What she could not land was the takedown, with both double-leg and single-leg attempts fought off by the South Korean. The takedown would not come, in fact, until the final seconds of the round, Ham landing on her backside just as the bell sounded. For the most part the entire round played out against the fence, but Zamboanga was in the driver’s seat.

Ham’s hands were much busier to start the second. She even dropped for a level change, but thought better of it. Ham was being hit on the way in, but her left hand looked dangerous. The problem was, Ham wasn’t putting strikes together. Nothing in the way of combos, and at the halfway mark, Zamboanga shot and landed a key takedown. Ham would work her way up; Zamboanga pressed her into the fence, but without much happening, the ref moved them back to center. A better round from Ham, but close.

The third round saw Ham begin to take over on the feet. But a clash of heads halted the action, with Zamboanga sporting a nasty cut. It felt like things might go to the scorecards early, but the Filipino fighter was able to continue. She immediately shot for a takedown, and Ham found herself working off her back in the final minute. Still, she’d done enough to edge out a split decision in the end.

With the completion of Ham vs. Zamboanga, the four atomweight grand prix semfinalists are Seo Hee Ham, Stamp Fairtex, Itsuki Hirata, and Ritu Phogat. Fans will be able to vote for the semifinal match-ups at onefc.com/vote.

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Aloyna Rassohyna had served up the first loss of Stamp’s career earlier this year; the immediate rematch was one of four quarterfinal fights playing out in Singapore at the all-female Empower card.

Stamp is BACK with a brand-new dance! 💃 #ONEEmpower #WeAreONE #ONEChampionship pic.twitter.com/rdyMilCQvE

— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) September 3, 2021

Early on in the pair’s second meeting, there was some feeling out on the feet. But not surprisingly, when she could, Ukraine’s Rassohyna took the fight to the ground. She looked for a choke; when they did move back to the feet, Rassohyna kept the neck trapped and landed knees to the body. Late in the round, however, it was Stamp turning the tables, taking the back and getting her hooks in. She got the arm in under the neck, but Rassohyna fought hands, preventing the finish.

Fairtex fired some high kicks early in the second, which Rassohyna blocked. It was single strikes to start the round from Fairtex, which Rassohyna answered back with her hands. Near the midway mark, Rassohyna changed levels and landed a picture-perfect takedown. But Fairtex soon scrambled free and chopped at the legs of Rassohyna who remained on her back. The ref would then stand the fight back up. Or stand up Rassohyna anyway.

Near the end of the second, Rassohyna shot for a takedown, but Fairtex easily reversed and planted the Ukrainian on her back, finishing the round on top.

She’d end up on top again early in the third round. But when Rassohyna locked in an arm-bar, top control nearly backfired for Stamp. Fairtex was in a dicey situation for a bit, but moved with Rassohyna, preventing her from fully extending the limb. Once she settled in on top again, Fairtex landed some ground n’ pound, with several punches connecting clean to the face of Rassohyna. Fairtex would eventually back off, allowing Rassohyna to her feet with 45 seconds left in the fight. Stamp would hit home with a body kick, Rassohyna would shoot for a late takedown at the buzzer, and they’d go to the scorecards.

The outcome: Stamp Fairtex gets her revenge. A split decision, but she moves on in the atomweight grand prix. Semifinals will be chosen by the fans, with voting here.

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