Jihin Radzuan says Denice Zamboanga's striking on par with her grappling: "She is equal in both"

Jihin Radzuan expects Stamp Fairtex to be up against a stiff test against second-ranked atomweight MMA contender Denice Zamboanga in the main event of ONE 167. In particular, the Malaysian athlete sees the challenger's versatility as something that could turn the tide around.

Both superstars put their friendship aside when ONE Championship returns to the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand, with a talent-jammed card. Their ONE atomweight MMA world title war goes down in American primetime on June 7.

Having shared the Circle alongside the Filipina warrior in the past, 'Shadow Cat' knows a thing or two about Denice Zamboanga's arsenal. Though she acknowledges that there have been some improvements to her game, Jihin admits nothing quite outweighs one another when accounting for all-around ability.

The Fairtex Training Center affiliate told Sportskeeda MMA:

"For me, personally, I think her grappling and striking are still her best weapons. I don't think her takedowns or her fighting on the feet is better than one another. She is equal in both."

'The Menace' will need every bit of her well-rounded game when she squares off against her close pal and former training partner come fight night.

Stamp has continued to take her game to new heights since the pair shared the mats at Fairtex years ago, evolving into a complete MMA fighter from a striking-reliant athlete.

The same can be said on Zamboanga's end, though.

The T-Rex Mixed Martial Arts Center star has sharpened her striking and ability to mix things up whenever she's on the offense, and that ability will only match well with Stamp's all-out approach when they meet in the center of the Circle at ONE 167.

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Mark Sangiao believes Denice Zamboanga must take advantage of close friendship with Stamp

Denice Zamboanga and Stamp Fairtex might be sharing the Circle for the first time, but they've shared countless hours on the Fairtex mats as they worked their way up the atomweight MMA ranks.

As such, there should be no questions about familiarity when these two throw down in the main event of ONE 167.

Knowing how the famed Pattaya Gym lays out a blueprint, Team Lakay head coach Mark Sangiao believes Stamp will keep close tabs on Zamboanga's previous fights or training footage to formulate a winning game plan.

However, he said Denice Zamboanga must deploy a similar strategy to stand a better chance of leaving the Thai capital city with ONE gold.

In an interview with One Sport previously, he shared:

"They were teammates before, and they know each other's weaknesses and strengths, and she should capitalize on that."