Denice Zamboanga has made it abundantly clear that she has no plans to sit on the sidelines.
“The Menace” broke her 14-month layoff at last weekend’s ONE 167, where she dominated Noelle Grandjean over the course of three rounds to cruise to a clear-cut unanimous decision.
This victory reaffirmed her status as the next contender for Stamp Fairtex’s ONE Women’s Atomweight MMA World Title.
However, it may take a while before the 27-year-old standout from Quezon City can finally get a crack at 26 pounds of gold.
It can be recalled that Zamboanga was supposed to challenge Stamp for the divisional crown at ONE 167, but the latter was forced to pull out of the bout three weeks before the encounter due to a torn meniscus.
(C) Denice Zamboanga
With Stamp’s recovery expected to take several months, Zamboanga is advocating for the introduction of an interim championship.
“I love Stamp, and we should give her all the time she needs to recover. But at the same time, our division should remain busy. I think it’s right to have an interim champion as we wait for her to return,” she told Tiebreaker Times.
Given her position as the rightful frontrunner for a title shot, the Filipina heroine believes she deserves to have a spot in the interim title picture, squaring off against the next available contender in the weight class.
While Zamboanga is open to facing anyone in the Top Five, she has singled out Ham Seo Hee and Chihiro Sawada as potential opponents.
“I’ve worked hard to be where I am right now. So it’s not surprising if I’ll fight for the interim title. I deserve it. And other contenders in my division like Ham and Sawada also deserve a chance to fight for it if ever,” she said.
(C) ONE
It’s worth noting that Ham and Sawada occupy the No. 1 and No. 3 seats respectively in the rankings. Meanwhile, Zamboanga is rated No. 2 in the stacked bracket.
At the moment, Zamboanga’s primary objective is to keep herself in peak condition while awaiting her eventual showdown with Stamp.
She is acutely aware of the risks involved, as each match from this point forward could jeopardize her standing.
But rather than dwelling on the uncertainties, she embraces the challenge, understanding the magnitude of the task ahead.
“Eventually, my fight with Stamp will happen. But while I wait, I need to be active. I need to level up even more. Stamp is the champion for a good reason, and I need to be even more prepared for her,” Zamboanga stated.
