ONE Atomweight MMA World Champion Denice“The Menace” Zamboanga has been vocal about wanting to be a “fighting champion” and she already has a date in mind for a possible return.
The first ever Filipina MMA World Champion wants nothing more than to stay active and join what’s looking like a stacked ONE 173: Superbon vs. Noiri card on Nov. 16 at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan.
“I hope, by God’s will, I’ll get the chance to compete at ONE 173 in Japan, a beautiful country that loves martial arts and reflects the values we stand for at ONE,” she said.
There are already two World Title bouts set for that show, and Zamboanga is hopeful to join the champions on that stacked show.
In the main event, ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Champion Superbon takes on interim king Masaaki Noiri in a highly anticipated unification bout between the two striking geniuses.
An old score will be settled once for all when ONE Heavyweight MMA World Champion “ReugReug” Oumar Kane and two-division king Anatoly Malykhin meet again for the former’s belt.
“It’s the birthplace of MMA, and it’s also one of my favorite places in the world. I’ll make sure I’m ready to face the top contenders of this division and defend the belt,” she said.
“We will make sure to bring home the win to my dear country, the Philippines.”
Zamboanga’s hunger to stay active stems from the chip that stays planted on her shoulder as she knows there are still fans who believe she’s only the queen of the division because Stamp Fairtex got injured.
While she can’t control the opinions of fans, what she can do is to dominate until she becomes undeniable.
“There might be people who think I only became champion because Stamp was stripped of the belt, but I’m determined to prove that I truly deserve this,” she said.
“I’ve given everything to this sport, and now that I hold the title, I’m ready to defend it against anyone.”
