Denice Zamboanga battles Alyona Rassohyna for atomweight strap at ONE Fight Night 25
Denice Zamboanga could fulfill a long-awaited dream when she takes on Alyona Rassohyna for the ONE Interim Atomweight MMA World Championship.
This five-rounder will feature as the co-main event of ONE Fight Night 25 on Prime Video. It airs live in U.S. primetime from the historic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, on October 4.
“The Menace” has been on a quest for a World Title since her stunning victory over Mei Yamaguchi in February 2020.
However, her journey to the top has been marked by several challenges. This included back-to-back losses to Ham Seo Hee that momentarily derailed her momentum.
Despite these setbacks, Zamboanga’s resilience shone through as she bounced back with hard-fought victories over Lin Heqin and Julie Mezabarba. This gave her the pole position to challenge Stamp Fairtex for the divisional crown.
That encounter was supposed to happen at ONE 166: Qatar this past March. However, it was suddenly postponed to ONE 167 on Prime Video in June.
Yet, just weeks before the bout, a torn meniscus forced Stamp to withdraw. This caused the fight to be rescheduled once more.
In a twist of fate, the Filipina faced replacement opponent Noelle Grandjean on the card. There, she went on to claim a clear-cut unanimous decision, ensuring her place in the title hunt.
With Stamp still out of the picture, ONE Championship has decided to crown an interim champion. Now, Zamboanga is finally getting the opportunity she has tirelessly worked for.
Alyona Rassohyna provides litmus test for Denice Zamboanga
As #2-ranked Denice Zamboanga gears up for the biggest opportunity of her career to date, she lures a formidable foe in #4-ranked Alyona Rassohyna.
The Ukrainian standout first gained attention with a submission win over Stamp Fairtex by way of a guillotine choke in her January 2021 promotional debut.
However, Stamp got her revenge eight months later by defeating Rassohyna in the quarterfinals of the 2021 ONE Atomweight MMA World Grand Prix.
Rassohyna shouldn’t be underestimated. She brings a wealth of experience and a formidable skill set. In addition, the 34-year-old holds a record of 13-5 with 11 submission wins.
