Drex Zamboanga confident in Denice’s Grand Prix chances against Seo Hee Ham

Denice Zamboanga

Count Drex Zamboanga as one of the more interested observers in the upcoming ONE Women's Atomweight World Grand Prix, whose eight-woman field was revealed a couple of weeks ago and is set to kick off on May 28 during a historic all-female fight card called ONE: EMPOWER.

Drex's younger sister is Denice, the top-ranked women's atomweight contender in ONE Championship. She is set to face off against veteran mixed martial arts campaigner Seo Hee Ham in the quarterfinals.

About that particular matchup, Zamboanga says, "I think it's a great matchup. Obviously, having trained martial arts with Denice basically since we were young, I know her capabilities. She's not just talented, she also has work ethic and I know she's working hard towards achieving her dreams."

He adds, "Seo Hee Ham is without a doubt the most dangerous opponent for Denice in this tournament. But I have complete confidence in my sister. She can beat the odds and take out the biggest threat in the Grand Prix. Denice is preparing well right now."

The ONE Flyweight contender believes that Denice's training camp for this fight will dictate how things will go against Ham, who is considered by some as the "darkhorse" of the tournament.

Drex says, "Denice is younger than Seo Hee Ham, so she has youth on her side. Yes Ham has the experience, but there are other factors important in this game. Physical conditioning is going to be super important. Denice needs to come into this fight in the best shape of her career. It's going to take a tremendous effort to defeat Ham, but Denice is up for the challenge. We're working on a strong game plan for this fight."

The ONE Women's Atomweight World Grand Prix champion will likely have the right to face current ONE Women's Atomweight World Champion Angela Lee later in the year.

Zamboanga believes that his sister is ready to seize on that opportunity, and eventually be able to wrest the title away and bring it back to the Philippines.

"I'm very proud of my sister. There's nothing she can't achieve and I see how hard she has worked in her career. Now we're here. We're in a great position to shock the world again. I believe Denice will beat Ham, win the Grand Prix, and take out the atomweight champion later this year," he says.