![Stamp Fairtex (left) and Denice Zamboanga (right). [Photo from ONE Championship]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/05/053ac-17482679887744-1920.jpg)
![Stamp Fairtex (left) and Denice Zamboanga (right). [Photo from ONE Championship]](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http%3A//www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20xmlns%3Axlink='http%3A//www.w3.org/1999/xlink'%20viewBox='0%200%2010%206.6666666666667'%3E%3Cfilter%20id='b'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20stdDeviation='.5'%3E%3C/feGaussianBlur%3E%3CfeComponentTransfer%3E%3CfeFuncA%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20type='discrete'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20tableValues='1%201'%3E%3C/feFuncA%3E%3C/feComponentTransfer%3E%3C/filter%3E%3Cimage%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20filter='url(%23b)'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Denice Zamboanga's elevation to the undisputed ONE women's atomweight MMA world title was always a bittersweet moment for her.
While ecstatic about her historic achievement, she also couldn't help but think about the health of her close friend and former training partner, Stamp Fairtex.
Those feelings, though, might have been alleviated following an emotional video call between the besties.
ONE Championship shared a video of the two fighters' conversation where Zamboanga empathized with Stamp's condition, and the Thai megastar congratulated her close friend's feat.
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Denice Zamboanga said:
"I'm so sad that you got injured again. I'm so worried about your injury. If I were in your position, maybe I'd be crying for one month."
Stamp said:
"It's okay, everything gets better. But I'm not 100 percent ready to fight yet. Congratulations! You are the real world champion."
Zamboanga, who previously held the ONE interim women's atomweight MMA world championship, was supposed to face Stamp in a unification match for the undisputed ONE women's atomweight MMA world title at ONE 173: Denver on Aug. 1 at Ball Arena.
However, Stamp reaggravated her injured left knee during rehab and agreed to vacate her throne, elevating Zamboanga to undisputed world champion status.
With Stamp's injury and multiple world title matches not materializing, ONE Championship's United States card was moved to June 26, 2026.
It's unclear who Zamboanga will defend her throne against, but fighters such as Ayaka Miura and Ham Seo Hee have been floated as potential contenders in her first world title defense.
Denice Zamboanga admits she never expected Stamp Fairtex to vacate throne
Denice Zamboanga was just like everyone else when she found out that Stamp Fairtex decided to vacate the ONE women's atomweight MMA world title due to injury.
In an interview with Nick Atkin, Zamboanga said Stamp's decision this month completely surprised her.
The now-undisputed ONE women's atomweight MMA world champion added that it took her some time to understand Stamp's decision. She said:
"At first, I was really sad and it didn't sink in my head that 'Oh she cannot fight, she can't defend it.' It didn't sink in my head that she would relinquish her title. I didn't expect that decision from her."
