ONE Championship: Chatri will ask Angela Lee for ‘blessing’ over Ham Seo-hee interim title shot
- With Lee’s future still uncertain, ONE boss says atomweight division ‘must go on’ and Ham is ‘deserving of a title shot’
- South Korean Ham set to face winner of Stamp Fairtex and Alyse Anderson after win over Itsuki Hirata in Singapore
ONE Championship chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong has said Ham Seo-hee will get an interim atomweight MMA title shot after her win over Itsuki Hirata in Singapore – but he will ask Angela Lee for her “blessing”.
The 36-year-old South Korean veteran defeated Japan’s Hirata by unanimous decision, making her much younger opponent look decidedly inferior on Saturday morning.
Ranked No 2 in the division, Ham is now set to face the winner between Stamp Fairtex and Alyse Anderson from ONE’s on-ground US debut on May 5 in Colorado.
“I think we’re gonna do an interim title shot,” Chatri told the Post backstage at Singapore Indoor Stadium.
“Let’s see what happens with Stamp and Alyse but for sure, Seo Hee-ham will be going into an interim title shot in her next fight, and her opponent will be either Stamp or whoever is in the top 2. She will get a title shot.”
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Chatri revealed he visited the Lee family in Hawaii this month to pay his respects to “The Prodigy”, who also fought in his promotion and went 3-0 during her brief MMA career.
“I don’t know when or if Angela Lee will be coming back,” he said. “I was in Hawaii a couple of week sago visiting the family and visiting Victoria’s resting place.
“It’s still a very, very, very difficult time, so I would like them to heal and go at their own pace and their own time and decide whatever they want. If they want to retire I’m super supportive of it, and if they want to continue I’m super supportive.
“But I do believe the atomweight division must go on and Seo-hee Ham is deserving of an interim title shot.”
Chatri said ONE may also introduce interim titles in its lightweight and welterweight MMA divisions, which are currently ruled by Angela’s 24-year-old brother Christian Lee.
“That’s a very strong possibility, for sure,” he said.
“Again, I would like to call Angela and Christian out of courtesy to get their blessing to continue on with interims, just out of respect. It’s a very difficult time for them. I don’t want to put any undue stress or negativity out there for them.
“I just want to make sure they’re feeling loved and supported by the world.”
Angela and Christian’s younger brother Adrian Lee, 17, won a series of high-school wrestling titles – including a state championship – in January, having claimed an amateur MMA title just days before Victoria died.
Adrian’s older brother and sister cheered him on from the stands for his victories, with the family making their first public appearance together since suffering their tragedy.
