“There hasn’t been a Filipina MMA world champion” - Denice Zamboanga eager to put the Philippines’ women’s MMA on the map

Denice Zamboanga is ready to make history at ONE Fight Night 27: Tang vs. Abdullaev on Prime Video.

'The Menace' has always been grateful for the outpouring of support she has received from her passionate Filipino fans. Now, it's time to repay that love by becoming the first-ever Filipina mixed martial arts world champion.

The No. 2 ranked 115-pound MMA contender just needs one more victory to call herself the interim atomweight MMA world champion.

To do so, the TREX MMA representative must vanquish Alyona Rassohyna in a five-round battle at ONE Fight Night 27 on Jan. 10 at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

The magnitude of this moment is not lost on Zamboanga, who admits feeling the pressure wherever she goes. The 27-year-old world title challenger told The MMA Superfan:

"The pressure is there. It will never go away. Whether I’m in the Philippines, going to a different gym here, or be it in Thailand, that’s what they all tell me - 'Philippines doesn’t have an MMA champion.' They know the history, that there hasn’t been a Filipina MMA world champion."

Watch the interview in its entirety:

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Denice Zamboanga plans to follow Stamp's lead in beating Alyona Rassohyna

Denice Zamboanga used to be training partners with Stamp Fairtex, the last fighter to best Alyona Rassohyna in battle.

That said, 'The Menace' is confident she could pull off a similar game plan to neutralize the Ukrainian's dangerous grappling-heavy style.

Denice Zamboanga told The MMA Superfan:

"It really helps a lot that I trained with Stamp before and I will face someone who she fought before because I will get to compare both of their skills. I think seeing how Stamp can outstrike her and how she defended against takedowns and submissions really helps a lot in my own preparations."

Prime Video subscribers in North America can watch ONE Fight Night 27 free live as it happens in US primetime.