"I don't want to waste my training" - Denice Zamboanga pleased to get things going despite having to 'wait for world title'
Denice Zamboanga is excited to be back in action at ONE 167 even if it wasn't what she has been preparing for.
The No.2-ranked atomweight MMA contender has been out of action since ONE Fight Night 9 in April of last year but she has certainly been putting in the work in the gym.
At first, Zamboanga was set to get her first shot at the ONE atomweight world championship in a huge clash with Stamp Fairtex at ONE 166 in Qatar.
The fight was then pushed back from March to June where unfortunately, just weeks before fight night, the champion suffered a major injury in training that forced her to withdraw from the fight.
Zamboanga is set to stay on the card as she takes on Noelle Grandjean and looks to showcase the improvements that she has made.
In a recent interview with the South China Morning Post, the Filipino stand-out spoke about wanting to stay busy even if she isn't fighting the champion:
"For me, yeah, when I said I'm grateful that ONE Championship still gave me a chance to fight, I've been training for this world title shot since December I guess. And I don't want to waste my training while I wait for the world title."
Watch Denice Zamboanga's full interview below:
Denice Zamboanga will look to stake her claim at atomweight
Of course, Denice Zamboanga has already earned herself a title shot and would seemingly have nothing left to prove.
However, just because Stamp is injured doesn't mean that the other contenders will wait for her return to try and prove themselves as the number one contender.
Zamboanga staying on the card gives her the opportunity to make a statement on June 7 and show for certain that she is the biggest threat out there to the champion's title reign.
ONE 167 will air live from the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand, on June 7. North American fans with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription can catch the entire card for free, live in U.S. primetime.