FILE – Denice Zamboanga vs Jihin Radzuan. ONE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—Denice Zamboanga scored the biggest upset of her career so far with a unanimous decision win over atomweight title contender Mei Yamaguchi in ONE: King of the Jungle Friday at Singapore Indoor Stadium.
The win set up Zamboanga (4-0) for a title fight against ONE atomweight World champion Angela Lee some time in 2020.
Although Yamaguchi (21-12) was the more aggressor in the bout, Zamboanga was the more calculated one turning the Japanese fighter’s own movements against her.
Denice Zamboanga 🇵🇭 defeats Mei Yamaguchi 🇯🇵 via unanimous decision to earn a ONE Atomweight World Title shot against Angela Lee! #WeAreONE #ONEChampionship #KingOfTheJungle pic.twitter.com/CqT8LjpmgO
— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) February 28, 2020
Zamboanga repeatedly stuffed Yamaguchi’s takedown attempts and even countered V.V’s grappling against her in the second round.
With Yamaguchi dropping for a leg lock in the second, Zamboanga used the moment to land clean punches on the mat.
Zamboanga then utilized her jabs in the third round and although Yamaguchi landed a knee to the body while in the clinch it was the Filipina who connected with the beautiful elbow slicing the Japanese across the face.
Earlier, Mark Fairtex Abelardo suffered a unanimous decision loss against American Troy Worthen.