Photo from ONE Championship
MANILA, Philippines — ONE atomweight queen Angela Lee describes Filipino contender Denice Zamboanga as a fighter who can do it all.
Lee, though, believes she is better than Zamboanga in several aspects, particularly on the ground where the Brazilian jiu-jitsu artist flourishes.
“I think Denice is very well-rounded. She’s an up-and-coming fighter. I also think that her team did a great job in creating a smart game plan for her in the Yamaguchi fight, and she was able to execute that plan and get the decision win,” said Lee.
“She’s young, hungry, and well-rounded. She is the new breed of MMA fighter that can do it all. She can strike, wrestle, and grapple. But I think she may be inexperienced in certain areas of the game.”
As a testament to Lee’s exceptional ground game, seven of Lee’s 10 wins have come via submission.
The 23-year-old Lee hasn’t fought since submitting Xiong Jingnan in the fifth round to retain her title eight months ago in Tokyo, Japan.
Zamboanga, meanwhile, put herself in the title picture following a unanimous decision victory over Japanese veteran Mei Yamaguchi last February in Singapore.
“I just think it’ll be a great fight. The fans will love it. It will definitely be exciting. But when that final bell rings, you will hear the words, ‘and still,’” Lee said.