Zamboanga's ONE title shot derailed due to injury

MANILA, Philippines -- Another ONE Championship title shot of Filipino mixed martial artist Denice Zamboanga will have to wait due to an injury.

Zamboanga, who was set to face Ukraine’s Alyona Rassohyna at ONE Fight Night 25: Nicolas vs. Eersell II in October, will have to sit the ONE interim atomweight MMA championship match out due to a hamstring injury.

The No. 2 women’s atomweight sustained the injury during her training.

"Unfortunately, during one of my sparring sessions, I heard a loud snap, and I knew right away that something was seriously wrong," she said.

"It’s heartbreaking because I’ve been waiting for this opportunity for so long,” she added.

The 27-year-old fighter was supposed to fight for the atomweight title against Stamp Fairtex in March, but the bout was rescheduled to June.

But Stamp suffered a torn meniscus two weeks before the fight, which forced Zamboanga to face Noelle Grandjean instead.

Zamboanga won via unanimous decision, which put her on the forefront of the title race.

She will need one to two months of therapy before being cleared to train.

"I've faced challenges before, and I'll face them again. My dream of becoming a World Champion is still alive, and I won't stop until I achieve it," she said.

For her part, Stamp sent kind words to her former training partner.

“I'm sorry to hear about Denice's injury. I was really excited about Denice's fight with Alyona. It was a highly anticipated match,” she said.

“I hope she recovers quickly and can get back to training soon,” Stamp stated. “Wishing you a speedy recovery, my friend!”