Denice Zamboanga believes her Brazilian jiu-jitsu skills will be better than that of her ONE Fight Night 9 opponent, Julie Mezabarba.
The two atomweight standouts are scheduled to clash this Friday night when ONE Championship returns to the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok. Determined to earn her fifth win inside the circle, ‘The Menace’ told the South China Morning Post that her skills on the mat will hold up much better than her opponent’s:
“I have confidence in my jiu-jitsu even though I’m only a blue belt. I know that my jiu-jitsu is better.”
With four wins over notable atomweight contenders including Jihin Radzuan, Mei Yamaguchi, and Lin Heqin, Denice Zamboanga could be on the cusp of a ONE world title opportunity. A big win over Julie Mezabarba could be exactly what she needs to put herself in line for a crack at atomweight gold.
For Julie Mezabarba, it’s all about staying relevant in the division. Dropping back-to-back fights against fan-favorite Stamp Fairtex and Jenelyn Olsim in her last two appearances, Mezabarba could fade into obscurity should she come up short against the divison’s No.3-ranked contender. On the flip side, a win over ‘The Menace’ would likely thrust her into the atomweight top five, getting her one giant leap closer to becoming a legitimate contender within the division.
Whoever has their hand raised at ONE Fight Night 9 will undoubtedly have their eyes locked on May 5’s highly anticipated atomweight matchup between Stamp Fairtex and Alyse Anderson, as the bout carries some major ONE world title implications in one of the promotion’s most stacked divisions.
Amazon Prime Video subscribers in North America can catch ONE Fight Night 9 live and for free in US primetime this Friday night.