Denice Zamboanga: Joshua Pacio says Denice Zamboanga’s world title win a beacon for Philippine MMA: “It’s a big motivation to other female athletes”

ONE strawweight MMA king Joshua Pacio views the ascendancy of fellow Filipino fighter Denice Zamboanga as world champion with a lot of significance. He sees it as boding well for the Philippine MMA scene, particularly in inspiring female martial artists to step up their game and dream big.

'The Passion' highlighted it in an interview with ONE Championship, sharing how 'The Menace' becoming the atomweight MMA world champion was a proud moment and a major boost for Filipino fighters.

Pacio said:

"Honestly, that’s what we lack here in the Philippines. We don’t have a lot of female fighters. So, I’m really happy because there’s now a female MMA World Champion in ONE Championship. It’s a big motivation to other female athletes who are looking to capture a ONE World Title."

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Zamboanga long sought to become world champion since coming on board ONE Championship in 2019. She had her struggles but of late has picked up her game considerably. Back in January in ONE Fight Night 27, she won the interim atomweight MMA world title with a second-round TKO of Alyona Rassohyna of Ukraine.

She was supposed to battle Thai superstar Stamp Fairtex in a unification title fight later this year but the latter decided to relinquish the championship belt as she continues to recover from a knee injury. The contest was eventually scrapped.

Zamboanga is the latest addition to the list of Filipino ONE world champions, joining Joshua Pacio and former titleholders Eduard Folayang, Honorio Banario, Kevin Belingon and Geje Eustaquio.

Joshua Pacio, Denice Zamboanga feature at ONE 173

Fans will get to see Joshua Pacio and Denice Zamboanga in action in a pair of world title fights at ONE 173: Superbon and Noiri on Nov. 16 at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan.

Pacio will shoot for two-division world title glory as he challenges hometown bet Yuya Wakamatsu for his flyweight MMA world title. Zamboanga, meanwhile, will defend the atomweight gold for the first time against streaking Japanese contender Ayaka Miura.

The two world titles are among four already confirmed for the stacked event, which marks ONE Championship's second live event in Japan for 2025.

The others are the headlining unification title match between featherweight kickboxing world champion Superbon and interim champ Masaaki Noiri, and the heavyweight MMA championship rematch between reigning champion 'Reug Reug' Oumar Kane and former divisional king Anatoly Malykhin.

For more information on ONE 173: Superbon vs. Noiri, follow Sportskeeda MMA and ONE Championship.

About the author

Michael Murillo is a journalist who covers basketball and MMA at Sportskeeda with over two decades of experience. Michael has contributed as a proofreader, columnist and journalist for the Philippine broadsheet BusinessWorld.

A graduate of the University of the Philippines with a degree in English Studies, basketball caught Michael's imagination from an early age. Varsity basketball helped Michael to express himself, and later, it opened doors into the world of journalism.

Michael has a particular admiration for the Phoenix Suns, inspired by Kevin Durant. Icons like Magic Johnson and modern legends like Durant have left an indelible mark on Michael for their revolutionary impact on the game.

Michael relies on the tried and tested method of thorough research to ensure accuracy in his content. He has interviewed multiple NBA players and officials with BusinessWorld, alongside athletes from various disciplines.

Michael's hobbies include traveling, hitting the gym and watching movies, and he spends much of his downtime seeing his family.

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Edited by Saiyed Adeem Karim