Denice Zamboanga's 3 best weapons inside the Circle

ONE rising star Denice Zamboanga truly lives up to her nickname inside the Circle.

'The Menace', after all, keeps on charging forward with her bundle of chaotic energy to put the stacked women’s atomweight ranks on notice.

Currently ranked third in her division, Zamboanga will be looking to deny Julie Mezabarba’s bid to break into the top 5 at ONE Fight Night 9: Nong-O vs Haggerty on Prime Video on April 21.

The pivotal showdown will take place inside the iconic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand and will air free for Amazon Prime Video subscribers in North America.

With talks of a possible interim belt in the women’s 115-pound division, Zamboanga wants to continue her rise in the pecking order.

A decisive victory over the tough Mezabarba will no doubt keep her in the conversation of the next possible contenders.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at Denice Zamboanga’s most feared weapons.

#3 Dangerous clinch game

Zamboanga has no problem getting down and dirty in close quarters. In fact, the TREX MMA product welcomes a phonebooth match, often cornering her opponents near the Circle wall.

From there, ‘The Menace’ unleashes a brutal attack, mixing her strikes well with elbows to the face and rib-crunching knees to the body.

She’s also an expert at making her opponents carry her weight, which usually takes its toll the longer the fight goes.

Check out how Zamboanga neutralized the veteran Mei Yamaguchi using her prolific clinch game:

#2 Well-timed takedowns

Another reason why Zamboanga’s clinch game is so lethal is because of her relentless takedown attempts.

Once she clamps her arms together, the 26-year-old takes her opponents for a ride with powerful double leg takedowns, leg drags, and outside trips.

Her ability to take the fight to the mat at a moment’s notice is a real game-changer, especially during closely-contested matches.

For instance, Zamboanga was able to outgrapple Ham Seo Hee in their first encounter. The South Korean carries a reputation as a hard fighter to take down, but Zamboanga’s tenacity made it happen.

The Filipina stalwart was even able to outclass Mei Yamaguchi and Lin Heqin using her perfectly timed shots and throws.

#1 Mean right hand

Truth be told, striking wasn’t Zamboanga’s strongest suit when she first started in ONE Championship in 2019.

Over time, we’ve all witnessed the evolution of Quezon City, Philippines' native’s skills on the feet.

Zamboanga has always packed power, especially with that fearsome overhand right that she loves to throw.

Those wild hooks were always concussive whenever they landed, but it was evident that her technique still needed some work.

After making the necessary tweaks in the gym, the 26-year-old’s striking is visibly sharper and tighter than it has ever been.

In her last bout against feared slugger Lin Heqin, Zamboanga showcased her much-improved hands.

‘The Menace’ beautifully set up her attacks with a textbook flicking jab, which helped her gauge the distance to fire a piercing straight to break the Chinese fighter’s guard.

She even scored an early knockdown using that missile of a right hand. If she finds a home for that Sunday punch against Mezabarba, then victory is as good as hers at ONE Fight Night 9.