“Demetrious Johnson inspires fighters” - Denice Zamboanga names ‘Mighty Mouse’ as one of her all-time idols
Denice Zamboanga has a lot of fighters she looks up to, among whom is MMA legend Demetrious Johnson, whose fighting style she considers one of the best in the game.
'The Menace' shared this in an interview on The Sheehan Show via Sherdog, highlighting how 'Mighty Mouse' is an inspiration for her like many other fighters.
The 27-year-old Filipino atomweight MMA fighter said:
"There are a lot of fighters that I look up to. I like Demetrious Johnson. I like his style. He's a legend and a GOAT. I've met him a few times, and like, I was starstruck. He's almost like my height, but, you know, he's so good. Very cool guy. Demetrious Johnson inspire fighters."
Watch the interview below:
Johnson is currently the reigning ONE flyweight MMA world champion and was last in action in May last year in the United States, where he successfully defended his world title against Brazilian rival Adriano Moraes by unanimous decision in their trilogy title fight.
Denice Zamboanga, meanwhile, will vie for the ONE atomweight MMA world title against reigning divisional queen Stamp Fairtex at ONE 167 on June 7 in Bangkok, Thailand.
It will be the headlining contest of the event that will emanate from the Impact Arena and will be available live and for free in U.S. primetime to North American fans with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.
Denice Zamboanga wants to inspire Filipino women fighters with win at ONE 167
While she is inspired by top fighters like Demetrious Johnson, Denice Zamboanga herself wants to be an inspiration to her fellow Filipino women fighters by coming up with a victory at ONE 167 on June 7 in Thailand and become a world champion.
Zamboanga will try to become the new ONE atomweight MMA world champion against reigning divisional queen Stamp Fairtex in their title showdown. She looks at it with a lot importance, believing that a victory would give long-due spotlight on women fighters in the Philippines.
'The Menace' highlighted this in an interview with ABS-CBN, in line with her upcoming showdown with Stamp. She said:
"Becoming the first Filipina world champion goes beyond me. I want to win this belt because I want to inspire the kids, especially the young ladies who want to pursue MMA."
Adding:
"I want to show them that while boys have dominated the headlines, women can also shine and dominate this sport."
Denice Zamboanga is riding back-to-back victories heading into ONE 167, the most recent over Brazilian Julie Mezabarba by unanimous decision in April last year.