"My real goal was to get the belt" - Denice Zamboanga says receiving $50,000 is just icing on the cake of her historic win

Second-ranked ONE women's atomweight MMA competitor Denice Zamboanga went into ONE Fight Night 27 last Friday, Jan. 10, intending to win the division's interim crown over Alyona Rassohyna.

Zamboanga achieved her goal and also received a $50,000 performance bonus from ONE Championship Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong for logging a second-round TKO victory inside the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

Speaking with the Bangkok Post after the event, the first-ever Filipina MMA world champion made it clear that while she is grateful to have received the bonus, what mattered most was winning gold, saying:

"Actually, I didn't care about the bonus. My real goal was to get the belt. I didn't care if its via decision, but I'm just grateful that I finished her."

Watch the entire interview below:

Despite the stakes involved, Zamboanga looked extremely comfortable inside the circle and controlled the pace owing to her striking, while Rassohyna tried her best to stay in step by engaging in the stand-up game.

The Ukrainian grappler turned the tide a bit in her favor early in the second round by nearly submitting Zamboanga. However, she kept her wits about her and eventually worked her way to the TKO finish.

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Denice Zamboanga proud of achieving what Stamp could not

While Denice Zamboanga has cemented her shot at a unification bout with reigning women's atomweight MMA queen Stamp Fairtex, she is also happy to have done something that her Thai counterpart was unable to do against Alyona Rassohyna on two separate occasions.

In the same interview with the Bangkok Post, 'The Menace' said:

"She fought Stamp before and Stamp didn't finish her, but I made a statement by finishing her."

Fans in the United States and Canada with an active Prime Video subscription can rewatch ONE Fight Night 27 on demand.