ONE 167: "This is where professionalism comes in" - Denice Zamboanga on putting friendship aside to face Stamp at ONE 167

ONE Championship fans will get to witness a rarity in the world of combat sports at ONE 167 on June 7 as close friends Stamp Fairtex and Denice Zamboanga duke it out in the main event over the former's women's atomweight MMA world title.

While it would be unthinkable for two tightly-knit athletes to fight one another, Zamboanga is more than ready to put away their friendship for just one time in the hopes of claiming her first ONE world title.

'The Menace' said the following in an interview with ONE Championship:

"We're really good friends, but at the end of the day, this is where professionalism comes in. The moment we enter the ONE Circle, that friendship will have to be put aside, as we both have the same goals."

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With it being Denice Zamboanga's first-ever shot at the women's atomweight MMA world championship, defeating her longtime friend will be of major historical significance to her Filipino fans as a win would make her their first-ever female MMA world champion.

Denice Zamboanga issues warning to those counting her out against Stamp

Denice Zamboanga will be entering Stamp's backyard for ONE 167 as it will happen inside the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand. Still, instead of feeling the pressure, she remains confident in pulling off the biggest win of her career.

Talking to Tiebreaker Times, the No.2-ranked women's atomweight MMA fighter warned those ready to dismiss her ahead of the world title clash:

"If Stamp continues to improve as a fighter, so am I. I think you'll just see it in our fight. I've improved so much now, especially since I've been waiting for this opportunity for so long."

ONE 167 will air live and for free to all Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.

About the author

Karl has been an MMA writer at Sportskeeda since 2023. He holds a Bachelor of Arts major in history, which helps him pay attention to the finer details while writing, and also has first-hand experience in boxing. He has a total experience of 5 years, and has worked for the International Business Times.

Karl turned into an MMA fan back in 2011 after watching Tito Ortiz defeat Ryan Bader via first-round submission at UFC 132. He has interviewed ONE world champions like Eduard Folayang, Joshua Pacio, Stamp Fairtex, and Tawanchai in his career so far.

On the non-MMA side of things, he interviewed WWE superstar Matt Riddle in 2021 and his question about Roman Reigns elicited an interesting answer which was widely covered by outlets like Sportskeeda and Cultaholic Wrestling's YouTube channel. He has also interviewed NBA stars Dwight Howard, Nick Young, Andre Roberson, Shabazz Muhammad, Jason Williams and Brian Scalabrine plus Filipino women's volleyball star Alyssa Valdez.

Karl ensures to double-check facts before using them in articles, and reads up on potential topics for pieces a day before. In his off time, he likes to play video games, and keep up with basketball and pro wrestling.

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Edited by C. Nayak