Lito Adiwang says Denice Zamboanga has become "a more confident fighter" since returning to the Philippines
Denice Zamboanga has hit a newfound run of form in her recent performances under the ONE Championship banner. The Filipino standout looks to be getting better with each fight and she will now look to carry that into ONE 167.
Until the unfortunate injury news struck, Stamp Fairtex was set to defend her ONE atomweight MMA world championship against Zamboanga in the main event on June 7. With the champion out of the fight, Noelle Grandjean will be stepping in to replace the Thai superstar in a high-stakes contest in the atomweight division.
One of the key changes that Zamboanga made in her career that could suggest why her performances have improved in recent times is the change of her training camp.
Having previously worked alongside Stamp at the Fairtex Training Center, she then returned home to train at T-Rex MMA.
In a recent interview with ONE Championship, her fellow Filipino fighter Lito Adiwang spoke about the difference in Zamboanga since she made the switch:
"I think, when Denice left Fairtex, maybe one of the reasons was she felt, 'Maybe I should get as much attention as she had. I can be the number one focus, I'll receive the training.' We all saw what happened in Denice's previous fight. There was a confidence, we saw that in her.
"Denice was already confident, she already got that, but there's a difference if you gained that confidence on your own."
Denice Zamboanga will look to keep this momentum pushing forward
Since returning home and training out of the Philippines, Denice Zamboanga has looked better than ever.
With how long she has been training for her eventual clash with Stamp Fairtex, the second-ranked contender believes that she has made even more improvements that she is looking forward to showcasing on June 7.
Defeating Grandjean at the Impact Arena will allow her to stay active, put her skills to the test and cement her status as the next in line for a shot at the world championship.
ONE 167 will air live from the Impact Arena in US primetime, free of charge for North American viewers with an active Prime Video subscription.