Before joining the ONE Championship roster, Denice “The Menace Fairtex” Zamboanga was strutting her wares and dominating different mixed martial arts organizations in Asia. Now, the Filipina rising star is starting to create her own mark in the biggest mixed martial arts promotion on the planet.
The 23-year-old Fairtex gym representative is set to take on former ONE Atomweight World Title challenger Mei “V.V” Yamaguchi of Japan in a three-round atomweight showdown at ONE: KING OF THE JUNGLE which emanates from Singapore Indoor Stadium on 28 February
Undefeated as a pro, this is simply a dream come true for Zamboanga.
Hard work and sacrifices have brought her on where she is right now, and she can’t wait to showcase her talents again to start the year strong.
“I’m very happy and excited about this match especially that I’ll be facing a former contender in my division,” Zamboanga said.
“My record is the result of my non-stop training and dedication to the sport. It says a lot about me and that’s why I will do everything to collect my second-straight win here in ONE Championship. I wanna win, especially since this is my first fight this year.”
This will be Zamboanga’s second appearance inside the ONE Circle after a dominating performance on her debut at ONE: MARK OF GREATNESS against Jihin “Shadow Cat” Radzuan of Malaysia.
But this time, she will be facing a more formidable opponent — a former World Title challenger. And with less than a week before her much-awaited return in The Home of Martial Arts, Zamboanga looks to make every second count and maximized inside the gym.
“Fighting a former title challenger really motivates me to train hard and bring home the victory. I’ve been working on my striking and wrestling because I know she’s a very strong and experienced fighter,” Zamboanga shared.
“I work twice [a day] in every area of my game to make sure that I’ll be more than 100% prepared to face Yamaguchi.”
Yamaguchi is a former DEEP Jewels World Champion who holds a win-loss slate of 22-11. She is considered a veteran of the Japanese martial arts scene and one of the best atomweights on the planet.
In her last bout, The 37-year-old Tokyo City native scored her fourth-straight win after a unanimous decision win over Jenny “Lady GoGo” Huang of Taiwan at ONE: CENTURY in Tokyo last October.
“I fully respect my opponent. I know she is very good, she’s a high level and well-rounded MMA fighter. She is definitely a tough opponent,” Zamboanga admitted.
“She’s really good in her takedowns and grappling but I have a reach advantage on her. I can do striking, but we can go to the ground if she wants.”
But despite the enormous task in front of her, “The Menace Fairtex” believes that she got what it takes to start her 2020 journey with a win.
“I’m here to win. My strength has always been my burning desire to win no matter what and I know that a win in Singapore will give me the momentum I need to keep going in this career,” Zamboanga stated.
“I always want to have a good bout and give the fans a show. So do not expect a boring bout, because if it is up to me, the bout will always be good to watch.”
Fight Game Asia 