Denice Zamboanga insisted it is “all respect” between her and Stamp Fairtex – but she can’t wait to get the “real” ONE Championship MMA title.
The 27-year-old became the first female Filipino MMA champion in the martial arts promotion’s history by winning the division’s interim title against Alyona Rassohyna on Saturday morning at ONE Fight Night 27 in Bangkok.
Her second-round TKO at Lumpinee Stadium capped off years of pain, sacrifice and frustration, with Zamboanga having seen several title opportunities slip through her fingers – through no fault of her own.
“A lot of Filipinos, especially my family, my supporters, my teammates and my coaches – everyone knows the struggles and hard work, all the tears that I've [shed] during training,” Zamboanga told the Bangkok Post backstage.
“They know how long we've been waiting for this opportunity and now I take this with a finish and also with a [US$50,000] bonus, so we're very grateful and blessed.”
Zamboanga had originally been set to fight ONE atomweight MMA champion Stamp last March in Qatar, before the fight was moved to Bangkok in June.
Stamp then suffered a knee injury in training and underwent surgery on her meniscus, forcing ONE to book an interim title fight in October 2024.
That again fell through when Zamboanga suffered her own injury, and was eventually rebooked for this weekend.
“It's all worth it – the injuries and delays are really worth it for what has happened now,” added Zamboanga, who had also been set to challenge Angela Lee for the title in 2020, before the now-retired former champ became pregnant.
“Actually, I didn't care about the bonus. My real goal was to get the belt. I don't care if it's a decision. I'm just grateful that I finished her. She fought Stamp before and Stamp didn't finish her, but I made the statement.”
Stamp entered the ring after Zamboanga’s win for a planned face off and staredown – but it turned into a hug and an embrace of mutual respect, instead, between the two former training partners.
“I really respect Stamp and I can't wait to fight her and get the real belt,” Zamboanga said.
“I'm confident I can finish her by decision or whatever, but I will get the belt.”
Zamboanga’s brother Drex and husband Fritz Biagtan were in her corner for the fight, and both stormed the ring to celebrate with her when she submitted Rassohyna just seconds before the bell was set to signal the end of the second round.
Zamboanga, who broke down in tears in the ring, was also a heavy fan favourite in the stadium, with large pockets of Filipino supporters in attendance cheering her on.
“I'm so grateful that a lot of Filipino fans have been supporting my career since I've started here in ONE Championship,” she said. “I want to thank them for keeping on supporting me through the ups and downs.”