Former RIZIN FF super atomweight champion Seo Hee Ham has criticised ONE Championship’s matchmaking after being overlooked for an interim world title fight despite being the company’s top-ranked atomweight fighter.
The 37-year-old vacated her RIZIN crown to sign with ONE in 2021 but has only fought four times for the Singapore-based company in four years.
South Korean star Ham recorded back-to-back decision wins over the Philippines’ former karate fighter Denice Zamboanga before outfighting Japan’s Itsuki Hirata.
The only blemish on her ONE CV is a TKO loss to Stamp Fairtex last year for the vacant ONE Women's atomweight championship.
Ham has heard from media sources that with reigning champion Stamp recovering from a major knee injury, ONE will be pitting Ukrainian Alyona Rassohyna against Zamboanga to crown an interim champion in the division.
“I’m the number one ranked atomweight in ONE Championship, I beat Denice twice and also beat Alyona outside of ONE,” Ham posted on Instagram on Monday morning.
“I thought it didn’t make sense for them to fight for the Interim Belt when I’m ready and waiting. I’ve been waiting for an offer for a long time.”
The former UFC fighter added: “As long as I have enough time to train, I will accept any offer and fight against anyone. I believe that ONE Championship will make the right decision.”
Ham becomes the latest in a long line of fighters who have publicly called out the company on social media.
There’s a recurring theme of fighters being frustrated with a lack of activity and questionable matchmaking.
Former ONE Flyweight champion Adriano Moraes complained about the lack of fights he was being offered while earlier this year ex-ONE Middleweight champion Vitaly Bigdash ripped off his ONE t-shirt in threw it in the bin in a post on his Instagram account. #ONEChampionship #UFC #RIZIN