“Unprepared to fight her in stand-up” - Alyona Rassohyna not impressed by Denice Zamboanga’s improved striking 

Alyona Rassohyna is not impressed with what she's seen out of Denice Zamboanga.

After more than three years on the shelf, Rassohyna will return to martial arts' biggest global stage this Friday night at ONE Fight Night 27 on Prime Video. There, she will square off with second-ranked contender Denice Zamboanga to crown an interim ONE atomweight MMA world champion.

Zamboanga goes into her first shot at 26 pounds of gold riding a three-fight win streak and a 6-1 overall record under the ONE Championship banner. That includes noteworthy wins against the likes of Jihin Radzuan, Lin Heqin, and Julie Mezabarba.

However, Rassohyna was very candid about Zamboanga's strength of schedule, suggesting that 'The Menace' has never fought anyone who could stand and trade with her.

“The work that I’ve seen from Denice in her last fights showed that the girls who boxed with her, they were worse in class and technically unprepared to fight her in stand-up," Rassohyna told ONE Championship. "They didn’t have the setups or feints to create entries."

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Denice Zamboanga credits Aloyna Rassohyna with giving Stamp the first true test of her MMA career

When Alyona Rassohyna steps inside the legendary Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, on January 10, it will be her first time competing since a pair of back-to-back clashes with current undisputed ONE atomweight MMA world champion Stamp Fairtex.

In their first meeting at ONE: Unbreakable III, Rassohyna scored a third-round submission victory over Stamp, handing the Thai fan favorite her first loss in mixed martial arts.

Seven months later, Stamp evened the series with a closely contested split decision victory at ONE: Empower.

Looking back on Rassohyna's performances against Stamp, Zamboanga told the promotion:

"In their fight, it was the first time I saw Stamp really struggle."

Will Rassohyna set the stage for a trilogy fight with Stamp Fairtex in 2025, or will Denice Zamboanga claim her first ONE world title and ring in the new year with the biggest win of his mixed martial arts career thus far?

Fans in the United States and Canada can watch ONE Fight Night 27 live on Amazon Prime Video on Friday, January 10, in U.S. primetime.