Denice Zamboanga Unfazed By hometown disadvantage at upcoming ONE Championship event

Denice Zamboanga

Fighting away from home is nothing new for Undisputed ONE Atomweight MMA World Champion Denice Zamboanga. 

The first Filipina MMA World Champion will enter hostile territory when she puts 26 pounds of gold on the line for the first time at ONE 173: Superbon Vs. Noiri against top contender Ayaka “Zombie” Miura on November 16 at Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan. 

While this epic five-round atomweight MMA battle will take place in the challenger’s backyard, Zamboanga remains undeterred about her chances of returning to the Philippines with her belt in tow. 

The TREX MMA standout has remained unfettered even when the odds were stacked against her for most of her incredible MMA career. 

Time and time again, Zamboanga has proven her doubters wrong, displaying unbreakable grit and unyielding determination to realize her lifelong dream of becoming a ONE World Champion. 

While the 28-year-old expects Miura to fight inspired and feed off the energy of the passionate Japanese crowd, the champ won’t let some hometown pressure get in the way of the legacy she wants to leave behind.   

Plus, Zamboanga knows her own loyal fanbase back at home in the Philippines will be cheering their lungs out and praying for her victory. 

The lady called “The Menace” shares:

“I know that fighting in Japan, Ayaka’s home, might bring added pressure — but as a proud Filipina, I carry the strength, dedication, and heart of every Filipino with me. We may be stepping into her territory, but our spirit and determination are built for any battleground.”

Drex Zamboanga confident in Denice’s Grand Prix chances against Seo Hee Ham

Denice Zamboanga

Count Drex Zamboanga as one of the more interested observers in the upcoming ONE Women's Atomweight World Grand Prix, whose eight-woman field was revealed a couple of weeks ago and is set to kick off on May 28 during a historic all-female fight card called ONE: EMPOWER.

Drex's younger sister is Denice, the top-ranked women's atomweight contender in ONE Championship. She is set to face off against veteran mixed martial arts campaigner Seo Hee Ham in the quarterfinals.

About that particular matchup, Zamboanga says, "I think it's a great matchup. Obviously, having trained martial arts with Denice basically since we were young, I know her capabilities. She's not just talented, she also has work ethic and I know she's working hard towards achieving her dreams."

He adds, "Seo Hee Ham is without a doubt the most dangerous opponent for Denice in this tournament. But I have complete confidence in my sister. She can beat the odds and take out the biggest threat in the Grand Prix. Denice is preparing well right now."

The ONE Flyweight contender believes that Denice's training camp for this fight will dictate how things will go against Ham, who is considered by some as the "darkhorse" of the tournament.

Drex says, "Denice is younger than Seo Hee Ham, so she has youth on her side. Yes Ham has the experience, but there are other factors important in this game. Physical conditioning is going to be super important. Denice needs to come into this fight in the best shape of her career. It's going to take a tremendous effort to defeat Ham, but Denice is up for the challenge. We're working on a strong game plan for this fight."

The ONE Women's Atomweight World Grand Prix champion will likely have the right to face current ONE Women's Atomweight World Champion Angela Lee later in the year.

Zamboanga believes that his sister is ready to seize on that opportunity, and eventually be able to wrest the title away and bring it back to the Philippines.

"I'm very proud of my sister. There's nothing she can't achieve and I see how hard she has worked in her career. Now we're here. We're in a great position to shock the world again. I believe Denice will beat Ham, win the Grand Prix, and take out the atomweight champion later this year," he says.

Denice Zamboanga faces tough opening matchup in ONE Atomweight World Grand Prix

The road for Denice Zamboanga to get a crack at the ONE Women's Atomweight championship is already set, with the recent reveal of the matchups for the World Grand Prix.

The lady called "The Menace" is slated to face Seo Hee Ham in the quarterfinals. The Korean was the Atomweight Champion at Rizin before joining ONE Championship. Ham can also count on her experience in Deep, Jewels, Road FC, and even the UFC.

Upon learning of the matchup, Denice shares, "Ham is a very experienced fighter, the most experienced out of all of us. I'm not taking her lightly by any means. She's held multiple world titles in different organizations, and she's a legit, well-rounded striker."

Zamboanga and her camp is taking their upcoming matchup seriously, and is very much aware of Ham's capabilities, one that qualifies as her toughest test so far in her stint with ONE Championship.

Denice adds, "My team and I are studying her previous fights for sure, looking for anything we can exploit. But I don't see any weaknesses in her. She's a complete fighter. We know she's incredible with her hands, and she's a southpaw. I don't have much experience facing southpaws. Her straight punch is her most dangerous weapon."

She also says, "It's going to be a tough challenge, no doubt. I think this is the biggest challenge I could face in this tournament, especially for a first-round matchup. But this is what I live for, to test myself against the best. I didn't get to where I am by facing easy opponents. I'm heading into this fight with the best Denice Zamboanga you've ever seen."

Aside from Zamboanga-Ham, the remaining quarterfinal matchups will see Meng Bo against Ritu Phogat, Stamp Fairtex against Alyona Rassohyna II, and Itsuki Hirata against Alyse Anderson. These matchups will comprise the undercard of ONE: EMPOWER, ONE's all-female fight card set for May 28.

The main event of ONE: EMPOWER involves ONE Women's Strawweight World Champion Xiong Jing Nan, as she defends her title against Michelle Nicolini.

The ONE Women's Atomweight World Grand Prix champion secures a title opportunity against current World Champion Angela Lee later this year.