Stamp Fairtex faces Denice Zamboanga in first title defense at ONE 166: Qatar

Stamp Fairtex will make the first defense of her ONE Women’s Atomweight MMA World Title against Denice Zamboanga.

The bout will be one of the co-feature attractions at ONE 166: Qatar. This will air live from the Lusail Sports Arena on March 1.

Stamp enters the Circle with the weight of her historic achievement back in September 2023. There, the Thai megastar bolstered her legacy by becoming the first-ever three-sport ONE World Champion.

Having previously held World Titles in Muay Thai and kickboxing, Stamp added the coveted MMA gold to her collection by defeating Ham Seo Hee via a third-round TKO.

Now, Stamp will look to establish her dominance over the division. However, she lures a formidable foe in Zamboanga.

The current #2-ranked contender has earned her spot in the championship conversation with two significant victories.

Zamboanga initiated her ascent to World Title contention with a hard-fought split-decision win over Lin Heqin in December 2022.

Building on this momentum, she followed up with a dominant decision against Julie Mezabarba in April 2023.

Stamp Fairtex, Denice Zamboanga need to put aside friendship

Adding a unique layer to this clash is the fact that Stamp Fairtex and Denice Zamboanga are no strangers to each other.

Both women were once teammates, training together at the Fairtex Training Center in Pattaya, Thailand. Over time, they developed a close friendship.

Despite their camaraderie, Stamp and Zamboanga have openly acknowledged that when it comes to competing for a World Title, personal relationships must take a back seat.