[ad_1]
It was a quick and flawless victory for 23-year-old Philippine top atomic weight Denice “The Menace” Zamboanga.
The undefeated top contender put on an inspiring performance, finishing her opponent “Dream Girl” Watsapinya Kaewkhong of Thailand just over a minute in the first round of their clash in ONE: A NEW BREED on Friday, August 28.
After establishing his dominance in punching exchanges early on, Zamboanga managed a quick takedown and then secured lateral control. From there, he worked to start up an Americana, and the tap came soon after.
Looking back on his performance, Zamboanga gave his play a bit of credit but outplayed his opponent. Ultimately, “The Menace” explained that he felt he had no choice but to win this fight, to keep his dream of facing reigning ONE atomweight world champion Angela Lee alive.
“She (Watsapinya) had good control, but I think I was able to control her. Of course, I couldn’t afford to lose that fight. My goal was to achieve victory and nothing else, ”said Zamboanga.
“I didn’t expect to subdue her so easily, by Americana no less. He wanted to attack with her, that’s what he was planning to do. But the submission was there, so I took a chance and got the win. That’s the important thing. “
Zamboanga is the number one contender for Lee’s atomweight belt. After impressive victories over his top-tier opponent Jihin “Shadow Cat” Radzuan and former ONE world title challenger Mei “VV” Yamaguchi, the 23-year-old effectively earned a shot at the division queen.
However, due to Covid-19 restrictions, with increased security across national borders, hosting events in Asia has proven difficult. Zamboanga was left with no choice but to take a tightening fight in preparation for Lee, which he wouldn’t mind doing again if the opportunity presents itself.
“Once the world is back to normal, I think I’m ready to face Angela. She’s my idol. But if the situation remains like this for some time, and if ONE Championship gives me the opportunity to fight again, then I will take another fight, ”said Zamboanga.
Previously on the card, Zamboanga’s older brother Drex made his ONE Championship debut successfully, subduing Thai Detchadin “Detchpool” Sornsirisuphathin in the second round.
Denice followed the contest closely throughout the entire process, watching from backstage.
“To be honest, I was more nervous watching my brother fight more than nervous for mine. That was his ONE Championship debut, so he really needed to win. Glad we both could win. This night marked a milestone in our careers, ”concluded Zamboanga.
Zamboanga currently remains in Bangkok to continue mounting Covid-19. She hopes to return home to Manila before the year is out.
COMMENT DISCLAIMER: Readers’ comments posted on this website are in no way endorsed by Manila Standard. Comments are opinions of manilastandard.net readers exercising their right to free expression and do not necessarily represent or reflect the position or point of view of manilastandard.net. While this post reserves the right to remove comments deemed offensive, indecent, or inconsistent with Manila Standard’s editorial standards, Manila Standard is not responsible for any false information posted by readers in this comment section.
[ad_2]
