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ONE atomweight MMA world champion Denice Zamboanga took a while to reach where she is right now. Through her journey to the top, she had the Filipino fans' support, something she is truly grateful for.
She made mention of it in an interview with ONE Championship, underscoring that through the ups and downs in her promotional campaign, support for her from back home in the Philippines never wavered.
'The Menace' said:
“The support I’ve received is truly overwhelming. You really feel the support of your fellow Filipinos.”
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Denice Zamboanga came onboard ONE Championship in 2019 after an impressive run in the Philippine MMA scene, going 5-0.
She got her ONE journey to a solid start, winning her first three matches. Zamboanga, however, suffered back-to-back losses at the hands of veteran South Korean fighter Ham Seo Hee in 2021 and 2022 before bouncing back with four straight victories.
Her latest victory, a TKO of Alyona Rassohyna of Ukraine in January, allowed her to realize her goal of becoming a world champion as the win earned her the interim atomweight MMA world title.
She was supposed to face off with erstwhile divisional queen Stamp Fairtex later this year in a unification match in the United States. But the Thai superstar had to withdraw as she continues to deal with a knee injury, prompting her as well to decide to relinquish the atomweight title.
It led to Zamboanga being elevated as the atomweight MMA division's undisputed world champion.
Denice Zamboanga looks to defend world title whenever possible
Undisputed atomweight MMA world champion Denice Zamboanga is looking to defend her gold whenever possible. She said she is open to all-comers while vowing to do her best to remain at the top of the division.
The Filipino champion is still keen on locking horns with her former teammate but currently injured Stamp Fairtex but also has her eyes on other contenders, including the streaking Ayaka Miura of Japan.
"Since she's very active, I think that's one of her advantages. For me, it's a challenge because we are both good at grappling, but at the same time, she knows how to handle a fighter like me, so I think it will be a big challenge for me," Zamboanga said of 'Zombie' in an interview with The Bangkok Post.
But regardless of who she gets to defend the belt against, Denice Zamboanga assured that she will give her utmost best, knowing fully she worked hard to be where she is now.
