No matter what she faced, Denice Zamboanga always had husband Fritz Biagtan (left) in her corner. —PHOTO COURTESY OF ONE
When Denice Zamboanga was crowned ONE’s interim atomweight champion, emotions overwhelmed her. Tears flowed as her knees—a trusted arsenal in the ring—buckled under the weight of emotions that were finally unleashed.
Days later, those feelings lingered. Alone in a Thailand hotel room, Zamboanga continued to process the enormity of her achievement.
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“It hasn’t fully sunk in yet,” Zamboanga told the Inquirer with a chuckle, recalling her second-round knockout of Alyona Rassohyna. “But my mom keeps watching the replays of my fight, so I’m reminded that all the training, hard work and sacrifices paid off.”
The Filipino fighter hasn’t decided how to spend her $50,000 performance bonus or strategized for her unification bout against friend and former training partner Stamp Fairtex. For now, she’s savoring her victory and analyzing her performance against Rassohyna, which she considers her best as a professional.
“I had the advantage in striking, takedown defense, ground control and even jiujitsu defense. I was able to maximize everything,” she said.
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‘Cooked my meals’
Zamboanga’s journey to the belt has been anything but smooth. For over five years, the atomweight title seemed just out of reach. Now, she’s one win away from standing alone atop the division.
Her path, she said, would have been far tougher without the unwavering support of her husband, Fritz Biagtan, and brother Drex.
“I salute Fritz. I’m all praises for him,” Zamboanga said. “He guided me through my fights and training camps. He cooked my meals, did my laundry and was my coach and sparring partner—all while being by my side 24/7, even when I was crying during training.”
Zamboanga admitted Fritz helped her overcome self-doubt when the grind became overwhelming.
“I asked him, ‘Is this really for me?’ I was emotional, overthinking and feeling the pressure,” she said. “He and kuya kept telling me to stay strong. They said, ‘Just a little more, Denice, and you’ll be a champion.’”
Looking back, Zamboanga feels a sense of clarity. As she embraces her new title, she’s allowing herself one simple reward: a vacation back home in the Philippines.
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“I want to go to the beach, ride motorcycles with my family—especially my brother,” she said, smiling. “These are things I can’t do when I have fights scheduled. Now, I finally can.”
