Denice Zamboanga says Stamp showdown is still very much on her radar: “I hope she recovers and we can fight”
Second-ranked ONE Championship women's atomweight MMA contender 'The Menace' Denice Zamboanga of the Philippines is still looking forward to an eventual showdown with reigning and undisputed ONE women's atomweight MMA world champion Stamp Fairtex.
Stamp pulled out of her world title defense against Zamboanga at ONE 167 on Prime Video last week due to injury. As a result, French-Thai star 'Lil' Monkey' Noelle Grandjean filled in for the Fairtex representative.
Despite missing out on a world title shot once again, Zamboanga remains optimistic that her showdown with 'bestie' and former training partner Stamp will happen some time in the near future.
'The Menace' told Andrew Whitelaw of the South China Morning Post after the fight:
"Hopefully, [it happens]. It’s just not me expecting the fight. It’s just not me, everyone wants to see that fight. So I hope she recovers and we can fight."
Zamboanga proceeded to put on an incredible performance against Grandjean, cementing her spot in the rankings.
A unanimous decision in favor of 'The Menace' was read as Zamboanga contined to impress with another strong showing.
ONE 167: Tawanchai vs. Nattawut II took place before a sold-out crowd last Saturday, June 8th, at Bangkok, Thailand's Impact Arena.
Fans in the United States and Canada can catch all the action via replay on-demand on Amazon Prime Video.
What's next for Denice Zamboanga?
The fiery Filipina superstar is definitely next in line for a world title shot against Stamp Fairtex, if and when the Thai fighter is ready to go. However, what could derail Zamboanga's hopes and dreams is another setback.
Zamboanga seems to be flirting with the idea of a rematch with former world title challenger and no.1-ranked Ham Seo Hee of South Korea. Ham has twice defeated 'The Menace' in close fights, and could steal her thunder yet again if given the chance.
Stay tuned to Sportskeeda MMA for all the latest news and updates on Denice Zamboanga's next fight.