Denice Zamboanga expressed desire to face one of his closest friends Stamp Fairtex, the top-ranked atomweight contender, after returning to the win column in ONE Championship.
Zamboanga declared this after scoring a split decision win against Chinese opponent Heqin Lin in ONE Prime 5 last Dec. 12.
Her victory also served as a huge motivation following back-to-back losses against South Korean fighter Seo Hee Ham, who currently sits at No. 2.
After all, after Ham in the rankings, Stamp would be next in line for the third-ranked Zamboanga.
"Gusto kong mabalik 'yong No. 1 rank at 'yon lang 'yong only way to get back, which is kalabanin mo 'yong No. 1," said Zamboanga, who owns a 9-2 record.
Zamboanga and Stamp have stayed as close friends and kept in touch despite the former parting ways with Fairtex and transferring to Marrok Force.
She had a two-year stint under Marrok Force before transitioning fully under the tutelage of his brother Drex, who competes in the bantamweight division of ONE, at T-Rex MMA Training Center.
While she called out Stamp, the younger Zamboanga said "it's all about business" at the end of the day.
"Siyempre nothing personal. Alam naman niya 'yon na mahal na mahal ko si Stamp," she added.
In a short video tweeted by ONE Championship, Stamp responded and said Zamboanga should beat Ham first before negotiating a fight with her.
Meanwhile, Zamboanga plans to stay in the Philippines for the long-term to further enhance her striking skills, which she had shown against Lin.
"Maybe I can go back to Bangkok and train sometimes but be based in the Philippines ," said Zamboanga.