ONE women's atomweight MMA mainstay Denice Zamboanga proudly showcased her evolution as a combat sports athlete by masterfully breaking through Alyona Rassohyna's defense to win the division's interim crown at ONE Fight Night 27 on Friday, Jan. 10.
The new interim queen of the 115-pound division recently spoke with the promotion and was asked what she had improved on between now and her last appearance in the circle this past June versus Noelle Grandjean. Zamboanga said:
"Now, for this fight, I'm more comfortable with my striking and also with my top game and also my grappling skills."
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Happening inside the hallowed halls of the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, 'The Menace' never allowed Rassohyna to get into her groove as she fired off combinations to keep her at bay. Zamboanga also surprisingly outclassed the Ukrainian in her bread-and-butter of grappling.
To Rassohyna's credit, she nearly cinched in a handful of submission attempts, but the crafty Filipina escaped them all. The 27-year-old eventually won via TKO in the second round.
Denice Zamboanga lives up to her promise of grappling with Alyona Rassohyna
Denice Zamboanga always wants to test her opponent's greatest strength, and she did just that when she made good on her pre-fight promise to grapple with Alyona Rassohyna.
The T-Rex MMA Training Center product told ONE ahead of ONE Fight Night 27:
"I want to test her grappling. I haven't seen her face a pure grappler or wrestler, as she's faced strikers. That's why she always dominates the ground game. She hasn't faced someone like me. I want to prove that I'm better than her on the ground."
Fans in the United States and Canada with an active Prime Video subscription can rewatch ONE Fight Night 27 on demand.