By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
Filipina Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) superstar Denice Zamboanga will be marking her return to the ONE Fighting Championship stage on December 3, 2022.
The no. 3 ranked ONE Women’s atomweight contender will be squaring off against Lin Heqin of China in the upcoming ONE Fight Night 5 to be held at the Mall of Asia Arena.
“For me, nothing compares to the feeling of hearing the cheers of my fellow Filipinos in Manila. That’s why I’ll do my best to make sure their tickets are worth it,” said Zamboanga.
This will break Zamboanga’s eight-month hiatus in the sport and is also seeking revenge after losing back-to-back matches against Seo Hee Ham via decision.
Zamboanga and her camp lost in a controversial decision during their first encounter against Ham but failed to retaliate in their rematch last March 26, 2022.
Despite two-straight losses, Zamboanga is still at the top of the atomweight rankings and was on an eight-fight winning streak before matching up with Ham.
The Filipina ground expert made her ONE FC debut last January 2017 and made a lasting impression after scoring a technical knockout victory over the veteran Paj Nut.
After the Nut fight, Zamboanga quickly rose to the atomweight standings after adding Watsyapinya Kaewkhong and Mei Yamaguchi to her list of casualties.
On the other hand, Heqin is also seeking to bounce back in the ONE stage after losing to Itsuki Hirata in a back-and-forth explosive fight.
Heqin is known to be a technical striker inside the ring and relies on her solid standup game using her quick jabs and snappy leg kicks.
“I’m very happy. This is very special for me and for my whole family. It will be my first time to fight here in Manila for ONE, and I’m truly honored to perform and fight in front of my countrymen,” added Zamboanga.
