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Denice Zamboanga shared why she chose the "very dangerous" sport of MMA. In December 2019, Zamboanga made her ONE Championship debut. The Filipino superstar has since become the ONE interim women's atomweight MMA world champion, establishing an overall promotional record of 7-2.
Zamboanga was recently interviewed by Atleta Filipina and was asked why she started training in MMA. The 28-year-old responded, saying:
"I always hear that MMA, especially for women, is very dangerous. A lot of people ask me why I chose this sport. There are a lot of other sports but I chose one where I need to fight."
Between September 2021 and March 2022, Denice Zamboanga suffered her lone promotional losses in back-to-back fights against Ham Seo Hee. 'The Menace' has since bounced back with four consecutive wins, including an interim-title-winning performance against Alyona Rassohyna in January.
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Watch Zamboanga's entire interview with Atleta Filipina below:
Denice Zamboanga puts friendship aside heading into title fight against Stamp Fairtex
Denice Zamboanga was supposed to challenge Stamp Fairtex for the ONE women's atomweight MMA world title in 2024. Unfortunately, Stamp suffered a torn meniscus while training, forcing her to withdraw from the matchup and remain sidelined for over a year.
On Aug. 1, Zamboanga looks to upgrade her women's atomweight MMA interim title to undisputed status. The Filipino superstar will have to defeat Stamp Fairtex at ONE 173, which takes place inside the Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado, United States.
While speaking to Tempo, Zamboanga had this to say about fighting Stamp, her close friend and former training partner at Fairtex Training Center:
"Our journey from training partners to competitors adds a profound depth to this upcoming fight. Outside the circle, Stamp is a cherished friend, but come fight night, I'm prepared to showcase the evolution of 'The Menace'."
Before suffering her injury, Stamp Fairtex established a three-fight winning streak in MMA, including two inside the distance. Stamp captured the vacant women's atomweight MMA world title with a third-round knockout win against Ham Seo Hee, who holds two wins against Denice Zamboanga, in September 2023.
