"It will bring honor to the Philippines" - Denice Zamboanga says she'll emulate Manny Pacquiao in title fight vs. Stamp
Denice Zamboanga knows it's going to take an otherworldly performance to dethrone Stamp Fairtex from her atomweight MMA throne.
So much so, that the 'The Menace' says she's ready to channel her inner Manny Pacquiao to become the Philippines' first-ever female MMA world champion.
In an interview on The Sheehan Show via Sherdog, Denice Zamboanga said she's inspired by the greatest Filipino athlete of all time and boxing's only eight-division world champion.
Moreover, the 27-year-old challenger said 'PacMan's' gracefully destructive boxing style would be the perfect counter to Stamp's remarkable Muay Thai:
"I like Manny Pacquiao's style. And I think everyone in the world knows him, his style. And if I can copy Manny Pacquiao's style [in my fight against Stamp], it will bring honor to the Philippines too."
Watch Denice Zamboanga's full interview:
Manny Pacquiao, of course, is a living legend who ruled the boxing world with his unique blend of speed, athleticism, toughness, and fearsome one-punch knockout power.
While Denice Zamboanga's hands may not be as good as the boxing icon's, her striking has proven to be a problem for anyone in the women's 115-pound ranks.
We'll soon see if the proud Filipina warrior can emulate Pacquiao and write her own place in history.
ONE 167 will air live in US primetime free of charge for existing Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.
Denice Zamboanga ready to seize her dream at Stamp's expense
The biggest storyline of this massive matchup is certainly the friendship between Stamp and Denice Zamboanga, who used to be stablemates at Fairtex Training Center.
While it's all been fun and games for the two pals heading into this match, 'The Menace' promised that all gloves will be off come fight time at ONE 167.
The second-ranked atomweight MMA contender told ONE:
"We're standing in front of each other's dreams, and that's what I'll be thinking about when we face each other."