Denice Zamboanga Withdraws From ONE 173 World Title Defense Against Ayaka Miura Due To Medical Reasons
Undisputed ONE Women’s Atomweight MMA World Champion Denice “The Menace” Zamboanga has been forced to withdraw from her highly anticipated first World Title defense against Japanese star Ayaka “Zombie” Miura due to medical reasons.
The 28-year-old superstar announced the news via social media on Thursday evening in Manila, Philippines, citing health concerns that prevent her from competing at ONE 173: Superbon vs. Noiri inside Tokyo’s Ariake Arena on November 16.
Zamboanga expressed her disappointment in an emotional statement, acknowledging the significance of the matchup and apologizing to her opponent, the world’s largest martial arts organization, and its global fan base.
“The Menace” stated:
“Unfortunately, due to medical reasons, I am unable to step into the Circle this time. It is heartbreaking for me to pull out of this match, and I want to sincerely apologize to Ayaka, to ONE Championship, and to all the fans who were anticipating this bout.”
The Filipina captured the ONE Interim Women’s Atomweight MMA World Championship with a second-round TKO victory over Alyona Rassohyna at ONE Fight Night 27 this past January. Four months later, she was elevated to undisputed status when former titleholder Stamp Fairtex relinquished the gold.
Meanwhile, Miura earned her shot at the belt through an impressive five-bout winning streak, which includes four wins at atomweight, positioning herself as the top contender in the division.
Zamboanga has not provided a specific timeline for her return, but she expressed her commitment to coming back stronger once she has fully recovered from her medical issues.
Zamboanga Sends Personal Apology To Miura
Denice Zamboanga also drafted a personal apology for Ayaka Miura. The Japanese submission specialist was seeking her first ONE World Title in front of her home crowd.
The Filipina superstar said:
“I was truly excited to defend my belt against you at ONE 173. I know how strong and talented you are, which makes this even more heartbreaking for me. I sincerely apologize that I cannot compete this time due to medical reasons, and I hope we can share the Circle in the future.”
Despite Zamboanga’s withdrawal, ONE 173 remains a stacked event featuring multiple World Championship bouts.
The main event features a World Title showdown between ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Champion Superbon and interim champion Masaaki Noiri.
The card also includes a cross-divisional clash between ONE Strawweight MMA World Champion Joshua “The Passion” Pacio and ONE Flyweight MMA World Champion Yuya “Little Piranha” Wakamatsu, as well as a ONE Heavyweight MMA World Title rematch between reigning king “Reug Reug” Oumar Kane and former champ Anatoly “Sladkiy” Malykhin.
