"She's stronger and has powerful punches" - Stamp assesses Denice Zamboanga's striking before they throw down at ONE 167
Reigning ONE atomweight MMA world champion Stamp Fairtex is prepared to successfully defend her crown for the first time at ONE 167 on June 7.
But, to do that, the three-sport Thai fighter knows she must get past No.2-ranked Denice Zamboanga's striking inside the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand.
After all, the divisional queen spent years smashing the pads with Zamboanga at the Fairtex Training Center in Pattaya, Thailand. As such, she knows all too well what to expect when Zamboanga and her trade leather in four-ounce gloves.
Speaking to the South China Morning Post, Stamp said:
"Denice has very good boxing, and she's a very good fighter. She's stronger and has powerful punches."
Watch the full interview here:
Apart from coming out of the card with their hand raised, both superstars are on a mission to extend their winning streaks under the ONE banner.
The 26-year-old seeks her fifth-straight triumph after suffering a second-round submission loss to Angela Lee at ONE X in March 2022.
Meanwhile, 'The Menace' is on the hunt for her third consecutive victory after getting her hand raised on the judges' scorecards against Julie Mezabarba and Lin Heqin.
ONE 167 will emanate live from the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand, in U.S. primetime on June 7.
JIhin Radzuan says Stamp will be in search of a KO vs Denice Zamboanga
While the Thai striking specialist has played down her chances against Denice Zamboanga on the feet, her main sparring partner, Jihin Radzuan, begs to differ.
The Malaysian star and No.5-ranked atomweight MMA contender expects the three-sport queen to dish out another clinical performance to secure a third back-to-back highlight-reel win at ONE 167.
Jihin told Sportskeeda MMA earlier this week:
"Based on Stamp's previous fights, she knocked people out with her striking. So I predict she's looking for [the] knockout."
In the same interview, 'Shadow Cat' also revealed that she will be down to run it back against Zamboanga whether or not the Filipina comes out on top in her key world title fixture against Stamp.