‘The Menace’ Denice Zamboanga is on the verge of making history, and she knows her fight at ONE Fight Night 27: Tang vs. Abdullaev is about more than a championship belt. The 27-year-old Filipina MMA fighter will face Ukraine’s Alyona Rassohyna for the ONE Interim Women’s Atomweight MMA World Title on January 10.
Denice Zamboanga vs. Alyona Rassohyna
If victorious, Zamboanga will become the first Filipina MMA World Champion in history. A milestone she hopes will resonate beyond the ring.
“Just hearing those words—‘the first Filipina MMA World Champion’—I just can’t believe this is happening,” Zamboanga shared in an interview. “I’ve been waiting for this opportunity for a long time.”
For Zamboanga, this fight is about trying to inspire a new generation of female athletes, especially in the Philippines, to break barriers and pursue their dreams in combat sports. “I would like to inspire a lot of female athletes to pursue this kind of sport,” Zamboanga said. “Some of them are scared or think this sport is only for men, but no. I want to show them that women can also do this sport.”
First Filipina MMA World Champion
Denice Zamboanga’s journey to this moment has been characterized by hard work. She is a trailblazer for Filipino women in MMA and has consistently proven her mettle in ONE Championship. Originally, she was flowing into Thailand to be a training partner for Stamp Fairtex, now she is fighting for a world title and looking to make history.
The Filipina athlete Denice Zamboanga envisions a future where more women confidently step into combat sports. As she prepares for the biggest fight of her career, Zamboanga remains focused and motivated, knowing the stakes go far beyond her personal goals. Becoming the first Filipina MMA World Champion would be a powerful message for women everywhere.
