“She has to push herself to train” - Denice Zamboanga wants more female fighters to push through in their MMA journeys

Denice Zamboanga wants more women to pursue their MMA journeys, no matter the level they're in. The ONE interim women's atomweight MMA world champion is a strong advocate for women's MMA, and she's aware of how the sport is perceived, especially among the female audience.

In an interview with Atleta Filipina, Zamboanga detailed that some female fans or fighters might get apprehensive and hesitate from ever going to the gym. She said:

"Because it’s very rare for women to go to a gym because she has to push herself to train in combat sports. That’s why I always tell them, 'just step into the mats always, and don’t stop training, be consistent.'”

While Denice Zamboanga won't always be there to physically encourage her fans, her work inside the cage would be enough to inspire them to follow in her footsteps.

Zamboanga is a modern-day trailblazer who greatly elevated not just women's MMA but also Philippine MMA to greater heights. Despite suffering multiple injuries over the past couple of years, Zamboanga pushed through in her career and is now on a stellar four-fight winning streak.

That run culminated in an inspiring world championship win when Zamboanga scored an emotional second-round technical knockout win over Alyonna Rassohyna for the ONE interim women's atomweight MMA world title.

Zamboanga became the seventh fighter of Filipino descent and the first female fighter from the Philippines to capture MMA gold in ONE Championship.

The 28-year-old now embarks on the biggest fight of her career when she faces close friend and former training partner Stamp Fairtex, the ONE women's atomweight MMA world champion, in a world title unification match.

Zamboanga and Stamp's collision for the undisputed throne goes down at ONE 173: Denver on Aug. 1 at Ball Arena.

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Denice Zamboanga details the tough love her supportive parents give her

While some parents grimace at the sight of their children getting hurt, Denice Zamboanga's mom and dad are the complete opposite. In the same interview with Atleta Filipina, Zamboanga appreciated how her parents let her experience all the bumps and bruises in training.

She said:

"It sometimes felt like they want me to get beaten up during training so that they are confident that I would win in my next fight. They are very unlike other parents who show their support by expressing their concern about me getting hurt. But I like that they are like that."

Watch Zamboanga's entire interview below: