5 fighters Denice Zamboanga should fight next

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#2. Denice Zamboanga vs. Julie Mezabarba

Denice Zamboanga versus Julie Mezabarba would provide fans with an interesting style contrast. The Filipina warrior provides the perfect complement for Mezabarba, who was also eliminated from the Grand Prix.

Interestingly enough, Zamboanga taking on Mezabarba shakes out with a striker-versus-striker dynamic. Both come from standup fighting backgrounds, with Mezabarba featuring a base in kickboxing while Denice Zamboanga's specialty is Muay Thai and wrestling.

No matter which way you slice it, a fight with Zamboanga and Mezabarba would be an adrenaline fan’s delight, and a chance to re-insert a young contender into the division’s elite.

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#1. Denice Zamboanga vs. Angela Lee

Listen, it may not make much sense right now, with the Filipina coming off a loss, but a fight between Angela Lee and Denice Zamboanga is guaranteed to deliver. After all, a win for the fans is a win for mixed martial arts.

Lee, the atomweight division’s queen, has been sidelined since late 2019, partly due to pandemic challenges, but largely because of her pregnancy, which she announced in mid-2020. Lee has since given birth to daughter Ava Marie, and is reportedly back in the gym, working herself into fight shape.

During Lee's absence Zamboanga signed with ONE Championship, won three of her first four bouts, and earned the top contender spot in the atomweight division. The issue: Denice Zamboanga is coming off her only loss, making a title shot a tough sell.

That won't stop fans from hypothesizing.

Lee has hardly ever been in a boring fight, with eight of her ten wins coming by submission. Zamboanga, meanwhile, lacks the number of finishes boasted by Lee but possesses an exciting karate-based style conducive to action-packed rounds.

Even though the fight doesn’t make the most sense on paper, it’s undeniable that Denice Zamboanga versus Angela Lee would be anything less than fireworks.