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Filipino MMA star Denice Zamboanga will finally fight for a world title for the first time in her career at ONE 166: Qatar on March 1. She will be facing her friend and former teammate Stamp Fairtex for the ONE atomweight MMA world title.
Denice Zamboanga and Stamp Fairtex have had a history as teammates in the Thai world champion's home gym in Pattaya, Thailand. Though they're no longer training together, the two maintained a friendly and cordial relationship as they went along with their respective careers.
Despite having similar professional MMA records so far, Zamboanga and Stamp led different paths to get where they are now. The 10-2 Zamboanga had an epic two-fight rivalry with South Korean former world title challenger Ham Seo Hee. As for Stamp, the 11-2 world champion fought for the world title twice, with the second winning her the strap.
In an interview with The MMA Superfan on YouTube, Denice Zamboanga said of her upcoming opponent:
“I think she’ll continue working on her grappling against me. But also, her Muay Thai and striking game has also leveled up. Her wins have come by finishes, so I think her grappling and striking have improved a lot.”
Watch the full interview here:
Denice Zamboanga believes her time at the top of her division is now
In the same interview with The MMA Superfan, Zamboanga said that she's at the perfect point in her career to be fighting for the world title. Her time is now and the opportunity to fight for the world title is the only logical step for her moving forward.
'The Menace' said:
“I can’t believe it’s been four years, [since Chatri Sityodtong said that I’ll get a title shot]. It’s crazy. Well, I believe it’s God’s will that my title shot got a bit delayed. I believe there’s a reason why that happened.”
She continued:
“I believe this is the perfect time for me to get this opportunity and become champion. I feel like ONE really prepared me for this moment and it’s finally here.”
ONE 166: Qatar will air live on March 1 via global pay-per-view on watch.onefc.com.
