MANILA, Philippines — Up and coming flyweight Fritz Biagtan is predicting a convincing win for training partner and fiancée Denice Zamboanga when she faces Brazil's Julie Mezabarba at ONE Fight Night 9: Nong-O vs. Haggerty in Bangkok on April 22.
Training with Zamboanga in her older brother Drex's gym TREX MMA, Biagtan is helping his partner in preparing for the tough challenger.
The Filipino fighters are keen on preparing well for Mezabarba, even though the latter is in the middle of a two-bout losing streak.
"Julie Mezabarba is a good fighter, she’s well-rounded and a tough one. We’ve studied her skills and all, and we’re taking this fight very seriously," said Biagtan.
Even with her losses, Mezabarba made sure to force her opponents to earn the win with decision victories, not finishes.
Though expressing much belief in Zamboanga, Biagtan knows that they cannot take her lightly.
"The only thing we must avoid regarding Julie is her heavy punches and submission attempts. We need to play it smart and be sharp," he said.
"[Zamboanga's] preparation is good. As one of her coaches, we’re doing our best to get her in the best shape possible. We need to improve her reaction time, counter-attacking, and knockout power," he added.
Zamboanga, ranked third in the women's atomweight rankings, is looking to post her second win in a row after her last win over China's Lin Heqin where she took the unanimous decision victory.
Now against Mezabarba, Biagtan said they will be looking for the finish — or at least, a very lopsided decision win.
"Denice and Julie are both tough fighters, but my prediction is Denice will get the win by knockout or by submission. Worst case, it ends up as a unanimous decision for Denice," he said.
ONE Fight Night 9: Nong-O vs. Haggerty will be available through watch.onefc.com, as well as at One Sports and One Sports+ on Philippine television.