Filipino female mixed martial arts fighter Denice Zamboanga set her focus on the ONE Championship atomweight world Grand Prix and not being distracted by the word war between her and the reigning champion.
Earlier, Zamboanga engaged ONE women’s atomweight world champion Angela Lee in a word war after the latter claimed the Filipino fighter is about to be defeated by her opponent in the elimination round of the Grand Prix.
The 24-year-old Zamboanga, who is currently based in Bangkok, Thailand has admitted she’s not even thinking about facing the champion right now.
Zamboanga is one of eight women who will participate in the Grand Prix, where she is scheduled to face the dangerous South Korean veteran and current top five-ranked contender Seo Hee Ham in the quarterfinal round.
Instead of engaging Lee in a word war, Zamboanga has some kind words for the champion.
“I have no doubt Angela will be back. She’s the champion for a reason and she’ll be back stronger than ever,” she said.
“But right now, in this tournament, there’s a lot of work to be done. I have a very dangerous opponent in Seo Hee Ham, and I am not looking past her,” she added.
Despite Zamboanga’s position at the top of the rankings, many believe Seo is the favorite to win this matchup, with the former coming in as the underdog. In fact, Seo is considered the dark horse to win the entire tournament.
But Zamboanga is no stranger to overcoming adversity and defying the odds. No one expected her to beat highly regarded Malaysian star Jihin Radzuan and former ONE world title challenger Mei Yamaguchi, either.
The winner of the Grand Prix will go on to challenge Lee herself for the world title, which means Zamboanga will need to get past Seo to get the chance to settle matters with Lee in the circle. – Harley F. Palangchao
April 19, 2024
