“His hard work and experience will pay off” - Denice Zamboanga backs Eduard Folayang to stun Shinya Aoki in Japan

ONE interim atomweight MMA world champion Denice Zamboanga believes Eduard Folayang will come out victorious in his ONE 172 assignment on March 23.

Folayang locks horns against fellow ex-ONE lightweight MMA world champion Shinya Aoki for the fourth time on martial arts' biggest platform inside the Saitama Super Arena in Japan.

The Lions Nation MMA co-founder may have been out of action for an extended period, but Zamboanga is certain 'Landslide' won't have any issues bagging triumph No. 24 of his illustrious career:

"He's facing a longtime rival, and I know how much this means to him. I'm rooting for him and praying for his victory. Believing that his hard work and experience will pay off," Denice Zamboanga told Philippine media outlet ABS-CBN ahead of fight night.

Should he ace his assignment in Saitama, Folayang will draw level with 'Tobikan Judan' at two wins apiece.

The 41-year-old drew first blood when he stunned the Japanese MMA icon at ONE: Defending Honor to claim the lightweight MMA crown inside the Singapore Indoor Stadium in November 2016.

However, in his subsequent matchups against Aoki, Folayang fell short on both occasions via submission.

'Landslide' is out to flip the script and ruin Aoki's retirement party come fight night inside the fabled Saitama Super Arena this Sunday.

Find out if he can do so by tuning in to ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang, which will be available live via pay-per-view at watch.onefc.com on March 23.

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Denice Zamboanga ready to showcase her "evolution" vs. close pal Stamp at ONE 173: Denver

On her end, Denice Zamboanga makes her return in a world title unification contest against ONE atomweight MMA world champion Stamp at ONE 173: Denver.

Their scheduled five-round tie will broadcast live in U.S. primetime from Ball Arena on Friday, Aug. 1.

The Filipino warrior had this to say to the promotion shortly after their contest in 'The Mile High City' was confirmed:

"Stamp is a cherished friend, but come fight night, I'm prepared to showcase the evolution of 'The Menace'."