“There’s now a target on my back” - Denice Zamboanga has been grinding nonstop since being elevated to undisputed world champion

The undisputed world title fell into Denice Zamboanga’s hands in a way she never expected. Originally set to face Stamp Fairtex for the ONE atomweight MMA crown, Zamboanga ended up being promoted after her close friend and rival was forced out due to a relapsed knee injury. Just like that, she became champ. It's bittersweet, but 'The Menace' stepped up to the role.

Now, Zamboanga knows she’s got something to prove, and the changes have been evident in the way she approaches her training.

“I feel like I have to train more," she told ONE Championship. "I have to do more since there’s now a target on my back. At the same time, I also stop myself because I don’t want to overtrain and get injured again like in the past."

"Very careful about my training" - Denice Zamboanga taking a cautious approach as she awaits first test as atomweight queen

Denice Zamboanga’s original plan was to peak at the right time for a unification bout with Stamp Fairtex. She and her team had already started building out the game plan as early as April, readying for what was supposed to be the biggest fight of her career.

"We just started doing the game plan since April," she said. "Actually, I just started the camp in April and then we were planning to do the serious camp this month."

But everything shifted when news broke that Stamp was out—and shortly after, Zamboanga was elevated to undisputed champ.

That unexpected development meant hitting pause on her full training schedule. Instead of going full speed into fight camp, she had to adjust and scale things back.

"But after the announcement, I have to do light training again because if I do hard training and then start my camp, I might face injury again. So I'm very very careful about my training. I have to train smart so I can avoid some injuries."

Now, Denice Zamboanga's next challenge is still up in the air. There are some names floating around, but nothing definitive yet.

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