After five long years of waiting for her chance at glory, Denice Zamboanga can finally call herself a world champion.
The 27-year-old standout from Quezon City delivered a dominant performance, dismantling Alyona Rassohyna in the co-feature attraction of ONE Fight Night 27 this morning at the historic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, to claim the ONE Interim Women’s Atomweight MMA World Championship.
From the opening bell, Zamboanga wasted no time asserting her presence, stalking Rassohyna with her trademark striking arsenal.
As the Ukrainian veteran looked to bring the bout to the ground, Zamboanga flipped the script, using sharp elbows in the clinch before surprising her opponent with a takedown of her own.
Even on the mat, “The Menace” was relentless. She staved off an armbar attempt and rained down heavy strikes before returning to her feet, refusing to allow Rassohyna the advantage in grappling exchanges.
(C) ONEFC.com
Rassohyna never hesitated to fully commit to her ground game, but Zamboanga was prepared, neutralizing every advance and ending the first round in a dominant top position.
The second stanza was more of the same as Zamboanga methodically worked from inside Rassohyna’s guard, landing punishing blows.
Toward the end of the round, Rassohyna tried to lock in leg entanglements, but the Filipina skillfully transitioned to side control.
From there, Zamboanga unleashed a barrage of hammerfists, forcing referee Herb Dean to step in and stop the contest with just 13 seconds left in the frame.
(C) ONEFC.com
The victory improved Zamboanga’s professional record to 12-2 and earned her a $50,000 bonus from company head honcho Chatri Sityodtong.
More importantly, she made history as the first Filipina mixed martial artist to capture a major world title in the sport.
Lineal atomweight MMA queen Stamp Fairtex, currently recovering from a knee injury, was in attendance and shared a face-off with Zamboanga post-fight, teasing a potential title unification bout later this year.
For Rassohyna, the heartbreaking defeat drops her record to 13-6, leaving her to regroup after falling short under the bright lights.
