“I don’t think we’d have problems” – Denice Zamboanga on fighting former stablemate Stamp Fairtex at ONE 166

Denice Zamboanga doesn’t see any issues putting her friendship aside to face Stamp Fairtex for the ONE atomweight MMA world title at ONE 166: Qatar on March 1.

‘The Menace’ has been harping on a shot at 26 pounds of gold since she broke into the divisional chart. Three years on, her dream will now turn into reality inside the Lusail Sports Arena.

Though it means temporarily breaking bridges with the three-sport queen, the No.2-ranked atomweight superstar is pleased to open a new chapter of her career in 2024.

Speaking to spin.ph, Denice Zamboanga admitted that it won’t be much different to sparring with the atomweight MMA queen when they shared the mats at the world-renowned Fairtex Training Center in Pattaya, Thailand.

She said:

“I don’t think we’d have problems competing against each other because back then when we trained together, when we’d spar, we really took it seriously. All the friendship goes out the window. But after that, all the happy moments are back.”

Both women are two of the best atomweight superstars to ever grace the global stage, alongside former divisional queen ‘Unstoppable’ Angela Lee.

The T-Rex Mixed Martial Arts Center affiliate has amassed five victories under the ONE banner against established names such as Julie Mezabarba, Lin Heqin, Mei Yamaguchi, and Jihin Radzuan.

As for Stamp, the Pattaya native has been on a roll over the past three years, attaining the ONE Atomweight MMA World Grand Prix Championship before claiming the world title gold against Ham Seo Hee at ONE Fight Night 14 in September last year.

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Denice Zamboanga’s path to ONE world title

After dropping two successive matches to top-ranked contender Ham Seo Hee between September 2021 and March 2022, Denice Zamboanga took extended time away from the limelight to upgrade her arsenal.

In her comeback fight at ONE on Prime Video 5 in Manila, Philippines, ‘The Menace’ reminded everyone that she isn’t here to make numbers as she went toe-to-toe in a thrilling contest against Lin.

After a 15-minute tie, Zamboanga walked away with a deserving split decision win.

Four months later, the Filipina fighter extended her winning run with a decisive performance over Brazilian athlete Mezabarba, one that seemed to have been enough to gain her a shot at 26 pounds of gold.

ONE 166: Qatar will be broadcast live from Lusail Sports Arena on Friday, March 1.