“My first fight was really difficult” - Denice Zamboanga shares the unique pressures and challenges of her debut in ONE

Filipino fighter Denice Zamboanga has now settled in her home of ONE Championship. But she admitted such was not always the case, especially during the early days of her journey which entailed a lot of adjustments.

'The Menace' made her promotional debut in December 2019 against Malaysian standout Jihin Radzuan. She won the contest by unanimous decision, setting the pace for what has been a solid campaign to date, becoming the ONE interim atomweight MMA world champion along the way.

In an interview with Atleta Filipina, Zamboanga recalled what she had to go through in her maiden ONE outing, including the pressure she dealt with.

The 28-year-old T-Rex Mixed Martial Arts Training Center affiliate said:

"My first fight was really difficult because they have a unique weight and hydration test. Of course, there’s also the pressure of making my debut."

Check out what she had to say below:

Since her ONE debut, Denice Zamboanga has gone on to win six of her next eight matches, including the last one in January over Alyona Rassohyna of Ukraine to become the interim atomweight MMA queen.

She is now looking forward to continuing her impressive roll and becoming her division's undisputed world champion when she takes on reigning titleholder Stamp Fairtex in a unification bout at ONE 173: Denver on Aug. 1.

For more information on ONE 173: Denver, check out onefc.com.

Denice Zamboanga recalls her time in Thailand to train

Denice Zamboanga's mixed martial arts journey also saw her make a stop in Thailand to train. It was a phase in her career which she said helped her a lot in growing as a fighter.

While in Thailand, she trained at the Fairtex Training Center, where she had the opportunity to sharpen her skills under the guidance of top coaches and alongside some of the best in the game.

She shared the circumstances that led her to the noted training facility in the same interview with Atleta Filipina, saying:

"Fairtex Gym in Thailand was scouting for female fighters around the world. So, I was one of those female fighters that was scouted by them."

At Fairtex Gym, among those Zamboanga trained alongside and became friends with was Thai superstar Stamp Fairtex.

They are set to collide in a marquee title showdown at ONE 173: Denver in August but they have vowed to set their friendship aside come fight night and give fans a great match.