MANILA, Philippines — Denice Zamboanga is looking to turn a disadvantage into an edge come her title fight against Angela Lee for the ONE Championship women's atomweight world title.
Fighting only two bouts with ONE Championship before getting a shot at ruling her weight class, Zamboanga is aiming to use the element of surprise against the seasoned Lee.
"Wala pa masyadong video [yung] fights ko... Di niya ako masyado mapapag-aralan (There aren't too many videos of my fights... she won't be able to learn my style)," Zamboanga told Philstar.com.
The Filipina rising star also said she brings a different fight in each of her bouts, aiming to do the same when she faces off with Lee.
"Sa laban namin, iba rin ang ipapakita ko (In our fight, I will show something different)," she said.
Zamboanga admitted looking up to Lee, the first-ever women's atomweight champion of ONE Championship.
But the 23-year-old said that her admiration will not stand in the way of her quest to reach the top spot in her division.
"Labanan na ng pangarap eh, wala nang idol idol. Gusto ko ako na yung idol niya sa susunod (It is a battle of dreams already, no more idols. I want to be her idol after this)," she said.
Zamboanga is currently stranded in Thailand, unable to come back to the Philippines or train outside of her home.
However, she is maintaining a positive outlook and urged her supporters and fans to not worry about her.
"Wag kayong mag-alala, kukunin natin ang belt. I'm doing my best to stay active, para sa bayan 'to (Don't worry, we will get the belt. I'm doing my best, this is for our country)," she said.
The date of Zamboanga's clash with Lee has yet to be announced, with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic affecting ONE Championship's calendar.