“You can start at home” - Denice Zamboanga says the first step to starting fitness journey is to take action

ONE interim atomweight MMA world champion Denice Zamboanga believes one's fitness journey through martial arts starts from one small step. And it could well begin right at home.

She touched on it in an interview with the Atleta Filipina podcast, sharing that getting fit doesn't have to happen all at once. One could take it step by step and have the desired result in time.

Zamboanga said:

"Actually, even if you don’t go to a gym. You can start at home. Maybe just start hitting pads, or anything, really. Just start. That’s where it all begins - the basics. You don’t need to come in there and be very technical right away. Just start with the basics."

Watch the interview below:

Denice Zamboanga herself took it a step at a time and eventually found success in her martial arts career. From competing in various organizations in the Southeast Asian circuit, she landed in ONE Championship in 2019.

In the 'Home of Martial Arts,' the T-Rex Mixed Martial Arts Training Center affiliate has made a lot of inroads, the biggest of which came in her last match back in January. where she claimed the interim atomweight championship belt.

'The Menace' now looks to take it further by becoming the undisputed queen in the atomweight division when she battles reigning atomweight world champion Stamp Fairtex in a unification bout at ONE 173: Denver on Aug. 1.

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Denice Zamboanga says her friends and classmates did not see her having a career in martial arts

Generally quiet in her younger years, Denice Zamboanga said her friends and classmates never predicted her having a career in martial arts, more so, becoming a world champion.

She shared this in the same interview session with Atleta Filipina, highlighting how back in the day she tended to keep to herself and did not show much inclination to be a future combat sports athlete.

Zamboanga said:

"My college classmates are really surprised to see where I am now because I was very quiet when I was in school. They didn’t know why I would be a fighter now, when back then I didn’t even talk much on the campus. This sport doesn’t choose who will pursue it. Anyone can do it."

In becoming a world champion, Denice Zamboanga steadily worked on her game, which also included a stop in Thailand, where she trained at Fairtex Training Center alongside some of the top fighters in the world and under the guidance of noted coaches.