Denice Zamboanga set for return, faces Chinese in ONE Manila card

MANILA, Philippines — ONE women's atomweight contender Denice Zamboanga returns to action for the first time since March, taking on a Chinese foe in ONE on Prime Video 5.

The morning show of ONE Championship's Manila card, Zamboanga will be tangling with China's Lin Heqin on December 3.

Coming off back-to-back losses against Seo Hee Ham, the 25-year-old will try to return to contention for the world title currently held by Singapore's Angela Lee.

Zamboanga was the former top contender for Lee's belt before the latter became pregnant and ONE's live events were stalled by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Singapore promotion decided that Zamboanga would have to go through the inaugural ONE Women's Atomweight World Grand Prix, but she stumbled early in a contested decision against Ham in the quarterfinal.

But in ONE X, Zamboanga fell anew to Ham as she struggled to find her rhtyhm.

Zamboanga, who now fights under her brother Drex's TREX MMA, will attempt to send Heqin to her second straight loss after she recently fell to Itsuki Hirata in ONE on Prime Video 1 last August.

Zamboanga's fight against Heqin is the latest of offerings featuring Filipino fighters in ONE Championship's first live event in Manila since the pandemic.

Reinier De Ridder's title defense against Anatoly Malykhin for the light heavyweight world championship headlines the event. Also on tap for the morning show is the featherweight kickboxing world championship between Superbon and Chingiz Allazov.

Afternoon show ONE 164 will see Team Lakay's Joshua Pacio defend his ONE strawweight world title against Jarred Brooks. Also featured on the card are the likes of Brandon Vera, Jenelyn Olsim, Geje Eustaquio, Danny Kingad and Jeremy Pacatiw.

A source privy with the situation said that more fights with Filipino athletes will be announced as the event nears.

Both cards will be held at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.