Denice “The Menace” Zamboanga enjoyed a meteoric rise to the #1-ranked spot in the women’s MMA atomweight division after three fashionable wins inside the ONE Circle.

However, the 26-year-old succumbed to two back-to-back losses to Ham “Hamzzang” Seo Hee in her fourth and fifth promotional appearances thereafter, dropping her down to the #3-ranked spot in the division.

But with her back against the wall, the Filipina warrior upgraded her arsenal and earned an important victory over “MMA Sister” Lin Heqin at ONE on Prime Video 5 in December last year.

And with a fresh taste of victory still lingering at the tip of her tongue, Zamboanga admits she is more fired up than nervous ahead of her atomweight showdown against Brazilian athlete Julie Mezabarba at ONE Fight Night 9: Nong-O vs. Haggerty this Friday, April 21. 

Read more: “You Have to Hit the Weight Without Dehydration” – Julie Mezabarba on ONE Championship’s Unique Weight-Cutting Rules

Speaking to ONE, “The Menace” said:

“It’s always a good feeling when you get to return to ONE Championship. Sure, there are always nerves. But I’m more excited.

“This is such an important fight for me because I want to hold onto this third spot in the atomweight division.”

Denice Zamboanga will be careful around Julie Mezabarba

Despite her excitement, the atomweight star knows she must avoid being too overly confident against a tricky test in the form of Mezabarba.

Mezabarba enters this pivotal clash on the back of a pair of defeats to Jenelyn “The Graceful” Olsim and Stamp Fairtex. Knowing she cannot afford another slip-up, the Brazilian is eager to make a statement against Zamboanga.

For her part, “The Menace” understands that and will be prepared for whatever may come her way when the two lock horns inside the ring inside the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

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Read more: “This Will Be The Big Difference” – Julie Mezabarba Shares The Key To Victory Over Denice Zamboanga

She added:

“If there’s something that I have to watch out for against Julie Mezabarba, it’s her raw strength, her jiu-jitsu, and of course, her heavy strikes. I have to look out for those.

“I think my main advantage will be my heart. We all know that Filipino fighting spirit. We’ll fight till the end, and we won’t allow ourselves to lose.”