"I've improved so much now" - Denice Zamboanga says Stamp isn't the only one who has gotten better
Second-ranked atomweight MMA contender Denice Zamboanga believes she has made steady progress heading into her world championship matchup against Stamp Fairtex at ONE 167.
The former training partners meet in the event's headliner with the ONE atomweight MMA world championship on the line. Their five-round contest broadcasts live in U.S. primetime from Bangkok's Impact Arena.
Though the majority of the hype heading into this showdown has all been about Stamp's vastly improved arsenal, the 27-year-old maintains that she has undergone a similar change since leaving the Fairtex Training Center in Pattaya, Thailand.
While it's hard to notice any significant changes to her overall game based on her victories against Lin Heqin and Julie Mezabarba, she promises that the watching world will be in for a treat when fight night unfolds.
Denice Zamboanga told the Tiebreaker Times:
"If Stamp continues to improve as a fighter, so am I. I think you'll just see it in our fight. I've improved so much now, especially since I've been waiting for this opportunity for so long."
Before Stamp shook things up in the atomweight MMA division, Zamboanga was seen as a worthy challenger to vie for the divisional gold against longtime queen, 'Unstoppable' Angela Lee.
Unfortunately, a couple of bumps along the way meant that the fight failed to materialize.
However, good things come to those who wait. In about a month, she will finally have the opportunity to compete for gold in the main event of ONE 167.
Denice Zamboanga fired up to become her country's first female MMA world champion
Beating Stamp will be a big enough statement for the No.2-ranked divisional contender.
But what's far bigger and more important for Denice Zamboanga is an opportunity to write her name in her nation's rich martial arts history as the Philippines' first-ever female MMA world champion.
As big of a task as it may seem, the 27-year-old doesn't see herself crumbling under the daunting challenge, as she added:
"For me, I don't see it as a pressure; I just go with the flow and do what needs to be done. I view it as motivation to bring prestige to the country."
ONE 167 will be available to all active Amazon Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada on June 7.