After a lengthy wait, No. 2 atomweight MMA contender Denice Zamboanga will get her shot at gold.

Zamboanga will take on Stamp Fairtex -- one of her good friends -- for the ONE women's atomweight MMA world title at ONE 166: Qatar at the Lusail Sports Arena on March 1.

"I feel like I've been truly prepared for this moment," says Zamboanga, who has been highly-ranked in her division since 2019. "It's God's will. He has a purpose on why he delayed my world title shot. I feel like it's my time. This one's for me."

Zamboanga burst onto the scene as one of the most promising stars from the Fairtex Training Center in Pattaya, Thailand. There, she developed a good friendship with Stamp who at the time competed in the striking arts rather than in MMA.

Zamboanga actually had a chance to contend for the belt, but then-world champion Angela Lee had to withdraw due to pregnancy.

Things then began to fall apart for Zamboanga, who lost a controversial decision to Ham Seo Hee before falling to the same fighter in a rematch – this time much more convincingly.

• MMA: Zamboanga begins comeback with decision win vs Chinese foe

But Zamboanga continued her grind, rebounding with two solid wins over Lin Heqin and Julie Mezabarba to re-establish herself in the atomweight division.

"At first, yes, of course I was disappointed. I've been waiting for that title shot for the longest time," said Zamboanga of her long wait for a title shot. "But truth be told, I didn't feel those four years. I kept my spot in the rankings, continued training, fighting whoever they put in front of me."

"Those are my stepping stones and it helped me prepare for this fight," she added.

This is the fourth world championship match in the Qatar card. Zamboanga joins compatriot Joshua "The Passion" Pacio, as the Lions Nation MMA standout takes on ONE strawweight MMA world champion Jarred "The Monkey God" Brooks in a rematch.

Meanwhile, ONE Middleweight MMA World Champion Reinier "The Dutch Knight" de Ridder defends his belt against former tormentor and two-division MMA World Champ Anatoly "Sladkiy" Malykhin.

ONE Featherweight MMA World Champion Tang Kai and interim king Thanh Le will unify belts.

• MMA: Biagtan confident of Zamboanga's chances vs. Brazilian foe
• MMA: Sangiao, Zamboanga to represent PH in ONE Fight Night 9

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