Denice Zamboanga says Stamp fight may start slow before escalating: "We size each other up"
Denice Zamboanga isn't expecting either her or her opponent to come flying out of the gates at ONE 167. The Filipino contender believes that her first main event under the ONE Championship banner will come with a feeling-out process to start.
This isn't necessarily surprising to hear, given the opponent that she is facing and the magnitude of this fight.
At ONE 167, Denice Zamboanga will challenge Stamp Fairtex for the ONE atomweight world championship.
The two women know each other very well thanks to their history as former training partners, and with that being said, there may be a process of settling into the fight.
The challenger will also want to fight smart in this contest so that she doesn't get caught by any dangerous strikes early whilst the champion looks to work out her opponent's game before opening up with her offense.
In a recent interview with ONE Championship, Denice Zamboanga said that she expects a tentative start until both women start to get more comfortable inside the Circle:
"I expect the fight to start slow as we size each other up, and then the action will pick up from there."
A slow start might benefit Denice Zamboanga
The dangerous striking game of Stamp Fairtex will be no shock to Denice Zamboanga, given their previous history in the gym.
The challenger already knows what awaits her on June 7, and giving herself some time at the start of the fight to gauge the range and speed of her opponent could benefit her as the fight goes on.
What she cannot afford to do is let the champion get too comfortable and relaxed so that she settles into a rhythm and starts to let her strikes go.
The key for Zamboanga on fight night is keeping herself safe whilst attempting to limit the strikes that are coming back at her, which is far easier said than done.
ONE 167 will air live from the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand, on June 7.