Denice Zamboanga has been promised a shot at reigning atomweight champion Angela Lee. But the Filipina might be asked to step aside, at least if the fans get their way.
Stamp Fairtex recently emerged ahead of Zamboanga in an online poll organized by ONE Championship to ask fans what fight they most wanted to see. A bout between the Thai and Lee emerged as the clear winner.
But Zamboanga is taking it all in stride and says she will fight anyone,
“Angela is the one I want to fight. But if I won’t get that fight, I’m willing to face other fighters on the roster. I am not the type of fighter who chooses my opponents. I’m ready to face whoever they put in front of me,” she declared.
No fear
Zamboanga is undefeated in MMA and coming off an impressive win over Mei Yamaguchi at ONE: ‘King Of The Jungle’ in February. So some fans were upset when Lee appeared to suggest she would rather face Stamp than the number one challenger.
The champion responded in robust style,
“I’m not scared of anyone. I just want to fight the (opponent) fans want! Champ versus champ. That’s the real money fight,” Lee stated in response to a user who claimed that she is avoiding Zamboanga.
Lee thinks that Stamp’s status as the reigning ONE Muay Thai atomweight champion and former atomweight kickboxing champion makes her a more appealing opponent than the Filipina,
“I’d beat them both. I don’t even care. Bottom line is Stamp is more relevant than Denice. I’m not dodging anyone, dummy. I’m already sitting at the top,” Lee replied to another Instagram user who questioned the match-up.
Stepping aside
Zamboanga, who trains at the Fairtex camp in Pattaya alongside Stamp, believes her teammate has earned a shot at the champion,
“It (Angela Lee’s response) did not garner any negative reaction from me. I’m also not surprised because Stamp has been in ONE Championship longer than I am. She also deserves to fight Angela Lee,” the 23-year-old said.
According to Zamboanga her team mate has been hoping to fight Lee for a while,
“For a long time, I heard Stamp saying she wants to fight Angela. As a friend and training partner, I will support her. When it was announced that I would fight Angela, she was happy. If she’s going to get the title shot, I will be happy for her as well,” she shared.
Strengths and weaknesses
Zamboanga also went into detail about Stamp’s strengths and weaknesses and how she could potentially beat Lee,
“We know that striking is her strength, but on the ground, she’s improving. She’s putting in the work every single time. I believe she has a chance against Angela,” Zamboanga explained.
It seems surprising that an undefeated fighter who has cemented her status as the number one contender and been promised a title shot would have such a relaxed attitude about the fight. But Zamboanga was willing to go into detail when discussing how she would help Stamp prepare for the fight,
“I am her training partner, and we spar on a daily basis. I will help her, no questions asked. I will pass whatever knowledge and information I know about the sport to her.”
A lot of people will be unhappy if Stamp overtakes the number one contender spot on the back of an online poll, particularly in the Philippines. But Zamboanga isn’t one of them and the 23 year old is prepared to step aside and let her team mate have the title shot.
