ONE women’s atomweight champion Angela Lee acknowledged the likes of Filipina fighters Denice Zamboanga and Gina Iniong as strong contenders in the division.
Zamboanga is listed as number one contender while Iniong sits at number five in the ranking.
The atomweight queen, who holds a 10-2 professional mixed martial arts record, believes Zamboanga is a good all-around fighter.
In fact, no less than ONE CEO Chatri Sityodtong gave the green light for the Zamboanga-Lee title bout right after the Filipina Fairtex warrior, currently at 4-0, defeated Japanese Mei Yamaguchi last February.
“ a really good mixed martial artist,” Lee told ONE of the 23-year-old Zamboanga. “I think she mixes it up in the trenches pretty well, and she can pretty much play anywhere.”
“Judging her last fight with Mei, it was a really smart game plan that her team came up with, and she was able to execute, so I thought that was smart.”
“She looks like a tough girl, and one of those new breed of mixed martial arts fighters where she can mix it up and pretty much feel comfortable in any range,” added "Unstoppable" Lee, who is the same age as Zamboanga.
Last week, ONE announced the return of its flagship event on July 31 titled “ONE: No Surrender” after a four-month hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic.
It’s only a matter of time if Sityodtong decides to include the Zamboanga-Lee clash after finalizing the fight cards.
As for Iniong, who decided to take a break from the sport to focus on her family, Lee said she deserved to be in the top five.
“I think she has had quite a bit of fights in ONE,” Lee said.
“ some ups and downs, but she has stayed relevant, and based on who she has fought most recently, I think it definitely qualifies her for being in the top five.”
Iniong, a kickboxing gold medalist in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games, and longtime partner Richard Araos tied the knot last October. The two are expecting their first child.
The last time Iniong, nicknamed “Conviction,” saw action in the Circle was in January via a unanimous decision victory over Asha “Knockout Queen” Roka to improve at 9-4 slate.