Denice Zamboanga says she will beat Stamp if she can take the fight to the ground: "I don't think she can stop it"
Denice Zamboanga is putting her money on her grappling to score an upset of ONE atomweight MMA world champion Stamp Fairtex in the main event of ONE 167. The former training partners collide with the Thai's coveted 26-pound gold on the line inside Bangkok's Impact Arena on June 7.
During a recent interview with ONE Championship, the T-Rex Training Center athlete highlighted why she envisions the Thai divisional queen struggling against her should things hit the ground.
Denice Zamboanga said:
"I believe I can utilize my ground game to my advantage because I don't think she can stop it."
If anything, across all her fights under the ONE banner, 'The Menace's' grappling has been one of her strongest suits. But her solid all-around game has been far more impressive.
There were times when she heavily relied on her striking prowess to get the job done. When that failed to set her up for a win, the Filipina's game on the canvas has been her go-to tool to victory.
As such, there's no doubting her skills in either sector, particularly in the latter.
However, Stamp's recent displays prove that she's been getting more comfortable with jockeying for positions on the mat, and the divisional queen will be more than game to establish her dominance when she's on her back or in mount to succeed in her first MMA world title defense.
Denice Zamboanga's impressive run on the global stage
Heading into her hotly anticipated showdown against Stamp, Denice Zamboanga has secured five wins from seven appearances through her ONE Championship campaign.
The second-ranked atomweight MMA contender debuted with an impressive win over Jihin Radzuan in December 2019 before following up with another pair of victories over former ONE atomweight MMA world title challenger Mei Yamaguchi and Watsapinya Kaewkhong of Thailand.
That three-match win streak pushed Denice Zamboanga right to the top of the division's rankings. Unfortunately, setbacks outside the circle derailed her planned world title showdown against then-divisional queen 'Unstoppable' Angela Lee.
Furthermore, a pair of back-to-back defeats to Ham Seo Hee and Stamp's ONE Women's Atomweight MMA World Grand Prix Championship success meant that her shot at the crown received more bad news.
The 27-year-old Filipina has since flipped the script, finally earning her ticket at 26 pounds of gold off successive wins against Julie Mezabarba and Lin Heqin.
She hopes to go all the way and close ONE 167 with the ONE atomweight MMA world title resting on her shoulder.