Second-ranked ONE Championship women's atomweight MMA contender 'The Menace' Denice Zamboanga of the Philippines believes she will come into her world title showdown with close friend Stamp Fairtex like a curveball.
Zamboanga and Stamp trained together extensively a few years ago, when the two were teammates at Fairtex Training Center in Pattaya. But now, the two friends are scheduled to lock horns for the gold, and will be forced to set their friendship aside.
Speaking to ONE Championship in a recent interview, Zamboanga says she has a few surprises up her sleeve for her 'bestie'.
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The 27-year-old Quezon City resident said:
"It's been years since we last trained together, so as much as there's still familiarity, I believe I'll surprise her with how much I improved. And I expect Stamp to have improved a lot as well."
Zamboanga will challenge Stamp for the undisputed ONE women's atomweight MMA world title in the main event at ONE 167: Stamp vs. Zamboanga on Prime Video.
The event broadcasts live from the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand.
Fans in the United States and Canada can catch all the action live and absolutely free on Friday, June 7th, U.S. primetime, on Amazon Prime Video.
'The Menace' Denice Zamboanga says Stamp Fairtex won't be able to prevent her from taking action to the ground: "I don't think she can stop it"
If you think 'The Menace' Denice Zamboanga isn't taking her upcoming fight against close friend Stamp Fairtex seriously, think again. The 27-year-old believes she is the better fighter, and wants to prove it in the Circle.
'The Menace' told ONE Championship:
"I believe I can utilize my ground game as my advantage because I don't think she can stop it."
Stay tuned to Sportskeeda MMA for all the latest news and updates surrounding the event.