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ONE women's atomweight MMA world champion Stamp Fairtex means business when she says she'll leave her friendship with Denice Zamboanga at the door when she defends her crown at ONE 167.
The Thai superstar is en route to her first world title defense on June 7 to fight former Fairtex Training Center stablemate 'The Menace' Denice Zamboanga at Impact Arena in Bangkok.
Both women share a strong friendship after training together for two years under the same banner. Now that their MMA journeys have led them to the point of becoming rivals, it's made their upcoming bout much more intriguing but not any easier for the two besties.
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Stamp, however, is determined to stay professional.
Appearing on the MMA Superfan, Stamp said:
"She wants my belt and I want to defend it. I just have to continue doing my job and defending my belt. In terms of friendship, that is outside the ring."
Stamp returns to the foray with great momentum after capturing the ONE atomweight world title against South Korean slugger Ham Seo Hee at ONE Fight Night 14 last September.
That night, she proved beyond all doubt that she's a full-fledged MMA fighter with the capacity to finish fights either by submission or knockout.
Now, the 26-year-old sensation has another opportunity to bring something new to the table that Zamboanga isn't prepared for.
"It doesn't matter who the champion is" - Denice Zamboanga on facing Stamp Fairtex
As mentioned above, Stamp Fairtex will show no quarter to her Filipino challenger just because they're good friends. Denice Zamboanga, in a similar fashion, has taken all sentimentality out of the equation.
After working her way up to a world title opportunity with two straight wins against Lin Heqin and Julie Mezarbarba, 'The Menace' will by no means play nice against her Thai friend.
Zamboanga's unshakeable resolve to become the number one atomweight in the world is the only thing taking up space in her mind.
Speaking to the MMA Superfan, the 27-year-old striker said:
"It doesn't matter who the champion is, be it her or someone else, my mindset going into the fight will always be that way. This is going to be all business for me."
ONE 167 is available live and free to all Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.
