Denice Zamboanga looks back on missed world title shot against Angela Lee: "I was really disappointed"

ONE Championship has always reserved its high-stakes matchups for the main event and ONE 167 will be no different as Denice Zamboanga looks to dethrone Stamp Fairtex over the ONE women's atomweight MMA world championship.

Zamboanga, ranked No.2 in the division, earned her way back into the world title picture after posting impressive back-to-back wins against Lin Heqin and Julie Mezabarba in her recent outings.

However, there is one fighter that she ultimately regrets to have never faced: former ONE women's atomweight MMA world champion Angela Lee, who announced her retirement in September last year.

In an interview with ABS-CBN, Denice Zamboanga said:

"I think before, I was really disappointed when I didn't get my shot against Angela [Lee], but looking at it now in hindsight, I think it was God's will that it got delayed."

'The Menace' and Lee were two of the most in-form women's atomweight MMA athletes before Stamp joined the division, but many factors played a hand in them ultimately being unable to duke it out inside the Circle.

Filipino strawweight MMA star notes importance of Denice Zamboanga's potential ONE world title win

The Philippines is yet to have a female MMA world champion and ONE strawweight MMA star Lito Adiwang highlighted how big a win it would be for Denice Zamboanga to dethrone Stamp in front of her hometown crowd inside the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand.

'Thunder Kid' told ONE Championship:

"A big effect would be the huge encouragement Denice [Zamboanga] would bring, and motivation to the younger kids because they will see that we can do this. We can achieve world title success."

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