Denice Zamboanga Draws Julie Mezabarba As Opponent For ONE Fight Night 9

Denice Zamboanga's next foray inside the ONE Championship cage will see her face Julie Mezabarba at ONE Fight Night 9 on April 22.

The news was first reported by International Business Times sports editor and combat sports analyst Nissi Icasiano on Tuesday, March 7.

Zamboanga was last seen by fans at ONE Fight Night 5 this past December as she took rising talent Lin Heqin to her absolute limit, winning the bout by split decision after a three-round war of attrition.

The former Marrok Force MMA fighter had a great start to the fight as she tagged Lin with a powerful combination that dropped the Chinese atomweight, but she was also rocked with a counter left hook that forced her to shoot for a takedown.

As the fight wore on, the Filipina atomweight star showcased a much-improved striking game, surprising fans as she was more known for her skills on the mat.

The victory for Zamboanga allowed her to end her two-fight losing streak–both being against South Korean striker Ham Seo Hee in September 2021 (split decision) and March 2022 (unanimous decision).

For Mezabarba, she is entering this bout with a two-fight losing streak of her own.

Her last bout came against Jenelyn Olsim at ONE 158 in June 2022, the majority of it being a stand-up fight.

However, Mezabarba did threaten a guillotine choke early on in the fight and a heel hook late in the first round.

A solid striking display from both women had many wondering who would win the bout, but Olsim eventually won it by split decision thanks to her ground game.

However, Zamboanga would do well to avoid getting into a striking exchange with the Brazilian as she had tagged Olsim with a couple of hard shots throughout their fight, best seen early in the third round where she parried a punch and landed with a big straight right-hand down the middle.

Currently, Zamboanga is fighting to retain her No. 3 spot in the women's atomweight division as Alyona Rassohyna and Tiffany Teo, ranked No. 4 and No. 5 respectively, are nipping at her heels.

It should also be noted at this point that Zamboanga had called out her longtime friend and former teammate Stamp Fairtex to a match following her victory over Lin in the post-fight interview.

When asked as to why she did it, Zamboanga stated that "it's just all about business" as she looks to reclaim her No. 1 spot.

ONE Fight Night 9 on April 22 (April 21 in the United States) is set to take place at the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, and it will be headlined by Nong-O Gaiyanghadao's defense of the ONE bantamweight Muay Thai title against British star Jonathan Haggerty.