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Stamp Fairtex and Denice Zamboanga's friendship will be tested when they finally square off against each other for the first time in their professional careers.
The pair are known to be close friends and even trained together in the past, but they will have to set aside that friendship in the main event of ONE 167.
Stamp will defend the ONE women's atomweight MMA world title against Zamboanga on June 7 at Impact Arena in her first defense of her MMA gold.
Both fighters bring a wealth of experience to the Circle, but Stamp attributes one aspect of her game to Zamboanga. Stamp told The MMA Superfan that she developed her impeccable counterstriking under the tutelage of her former training partner.
She said:
"The skill that I learned from her, where I feel like I improved, is to defend. When I hit her, I know she'll be able to land and punch back. I learned a lot [in training] about being able to attack without being attacked back."
Zamboanga was once part of the Fairtex Training Center stable when she lived in Pattaya, Thailand, but she has since gone back home to the Philippines and joined her older brother Drex's T-Rex MMA in Manila.
The Filipino star is the number two contender in the women's atomweight MMA division and is coming off two straight victories over Lin Heqin and Julie Mezabarba to earn her shot at Stamp's world title.
Stamp, meanwhile, captured the vacant ONE women's atomweight MMA world title when she knocked out South Korean icon Ham Seo Hee at ONE Fight Night 14.
Watch Stamp's entire interview below:
Stamp expects "awkward battle" with Denice Zamboanga
Stamp is widely regarded as one of the best women's fighters of this generation, and she reached that distinction through her striking-heavy offense.
Her offensive style, though, is highly similar to what Denice Zamboanga does.
Zamboanga and Stamp rely on their powerful striking to put away opponents, but the two close friends aren't shy to mix things up if the fight inevitably goes to the ground.
In an interview with EssentiallySports, Stamp said she expects an "awkward battle" against her best friend.
Stamp added that since she and Zamboanga are natural strikers, neither of them would be shooting for a takedown at ONE 167. She said:
"I guess it will be a little awkward because we're both strikers. So I think no one will just go for a takedown. So it will be a little weird and fun, maybe."
ONE 167 is available live and free to all Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.
