By:  | August 23, 2023 12:45 pm

Seo Hee Ham has been in with some of the best fighters in the atomweight division. At ONE Fight Night 14 she has the chance to add another title to her already impressive collection.

The Korean faces Stamp Fairtex with the interim atomweight title on the line. Ham has won all her ONE Championship fights to date but sees her opponent as a very genuine threat,

“I think Stamp is a powerful opponent. Her Muay Thai strikes are powerful, and she successfully transitioned them into MMA.”

Striking credentials

Ham does not quite have her opponent’s striking credentials but has earned a reputation for being one of the hardest hitting fighters in the lowest weight class. While she might not win a Muay Thai fight with Stamp the 36 year old is confident she can outstrike her Thai opponent,

“I’m a cut above her in MMA. I think MMA striking has different distances and movements that set it apart.”

Given Stamp’s striking credentials it would not be a surprise to see Ham look to wrestle. After all both of the Thai fighter’s career losses have come by way of submission.

But it sounds like the UFC veteran wants to go toe toe with Stamp.

“I am doing my best to prepare in every aspect rather than just preparing separately for one area. But as we both possess striking strengths, I am focusing on training to showcase it during the title fight.”

Digging deep

Her last fight did not exactly produce fireworks. Itsuki Hirata refused to engage and Ham has to grind out a decision win over the Japanese judoka.

The fans definitely didn’t enjoy it and Ham wasn’t particularly happy with her performance. But she has been the distance 24 times in her career and knows how to dig deep and get a decision win,

“It’s great if I get the finish, but even if I don’t, I enjoy being in the circle and don’t mind spending more time there. I will always enjoy the fight. And I will always try my best, give it my all, and come out without any regrets.”

New territory

Ham has never fought five rounds before. It will be new territory for her if the outcome still isn’t settled at the end of the third but the Korean says she prepared to fight for the full 25 minutes,

“I can’t say who holds the advantage, but I maintain confidence against any opponent. I always aim for the finish and try to fight aggressively. However, I also consider the judges’ verdicts and make sure to prepare accordingly.“

She has already held titles with Deep-Jewels, Road FC and Rizin. Ham says the ONE Championship belt will be her last but she plans to keep defending it for many years to come,

“I think the ONE Championship belt will be the final achievement. That’s why it means a lot to me. I want to continue fighting this level of competition while defending the title for a long time.”