"I will be an inspiration" - Denice Zamboanga vows to lead by example if she claims atomweight MMA gold at ONE 167

Denice Zamboanga believes she can inspire the next legion of female MMA warriors from the Philippines if she succeeds in her mission to claim the atomweight crown in the main event of ONE 167 on June 7.

'The Menace' sets her friendship aside with Stamp Fairtex for the card's headliner showdown. Their scheduled five-round world title bout goes down inside the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand.

Ahead of her hotly anticipated war, the No.2-ranked contender spoke on why this fight means so much more than just the coveted 26-pound world title that will be on offer inside the Thai capital.

Denice Zamboanga told ONE Championship:

"I'm always proud to represent the Philippines because there are not a lot of Filipina fighters here. So, to make history, by becoming a world champion, I will be an inspiration to other female athletes here in the Philippines."

So far, the Philippines has produced six MMA world champions on the global stage.

This list includes world-class talent like Eduard Folayang, Honorio Banario, Brandon Vera, Geje Eustaquio, Kevin Belingon and reigning ONE strawweight MMA world champion, Joshua Pacio.

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Denice Zamboanga says it's strictly business vs. Stamp

To become her nation's first female MMA world champion and join the stacked list of warriors, the 27-year-old will have to be at her best as there won't be time for fun and games when the pair of female dynamites gets locked inside the ONE Circle.

Stamp has vowed to hold nothing back against her former Fairtex Training Center teammate. Meanwhile, Denice Zamboanga also doesn't make too much of their close alliance with a golden opportunity just a stone's throw away.

Below is what the T-Rex Martial Arts Training Center athlete said about the predicament during an appearance on The Sheehan Show on Sherdog's YouTube channel:

"Fighting Stamp, yeah, I think it's all about business, right? There's nothing personal. I'm doing it for my gym, to achieve my dream and my goal. Because we're fighting for a championship belt and I want it."

ONE 167 will be available to all active Amazon Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada. The card will air live in U.S. primetime on June 7.