Denice Zamboanga relates to 'idol' Demetrious Johnson's tough journey to MMA stardom: "He pursued his dream"

Denice Zamboanga is preparing for the biggest fight of her career right now in what could be a life-changing fight for her.

The Filipino superstar and No.2-ranked atomweight MMA contender is proud to be representing her country on the biggest stage possible in ONE Championship.

She also finds herself motivated and inspired by some of her biggest idols who she has looked to in the past.

At ONE 167, Denice Zamboanga will look to claim her first piece of world championship gold when she takes on Stamp Fairtex for the atomweight MMA title.

The two former training partners will meet in the main event of a stacked card that is heading to Bangkok's Impact Arena.

One of her biggest role models in the sport of MMA knows a thing or two about being a world champion and when you think of people that are strong examples to follow, they simply don't get much better.

ONE flyweight world champion Demetrious Johnson is considered to be one of the all-time greats in the sport but he had to work hard to get that sort of recognition.

Zamboanga told Calf Kick Sports in a recent interview that she finds herself being able to relate to Johnson and his story which inspires her:

"There's a lot of MMA fighters that I look up to, but I like Demetrious Johnson the most because, like me, he came from a poor family and he pursued his dream to be an MMA fighter."

Watch the full interview below:

Denice Zamboanga isn't short on motivation for this one

Competing for a world championship is obviously going to be a new experience for Denice Zamboanga as she steps into the main event for the first time.

With that in mind, it's important to have strong role models and inspirations that she can look to for both motivation and to learn from their experiences.

That being said, the challenger isn't exactly lacking any motivation for this fight given what it could mean for her, her family, the supporters back at home, and of course, for the Philippines.

ONE 167 will air live from the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand, on June 7. North American fans with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription can catch the entire card for free.