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Manila Bulletin devider Others devider Fritz Biagtan talks coach-fiance relationship with Denice Zamboanga

Fritz Biagtan talks coach-fiance relationship with Denice Zamboanga

Published Apr 10, 2023 07:50 am
Having a coach-fiance relationship is rare in sports, let alone such a physically demanding sport as mixed martial arts. But for newly signed ONE Championship flyweight [Fritz “Kid Tornado” Biagtan](https://www.onefc.com/athletes/fritz-biagtan/) and third-ranked atomweight [Denice “The Menace” Zamboanga](https://www.onefc.com/athletes/denice-zamboanga/), it’s not that rare at all. Take how the power couple is preparing for Zamboanga’s upcoming fight against [Julie Mezabarba](https://www.onefc.com/athletes/julie-mezabarba/) at [ONE Fight Night 9](https://www.onefc.com/events/onefightnight9/) on April 22, for instance. Biagtan knows that it’s a tough fight, but he sees Zamboanga overcoming her opponent in Bangkok, Thailand. “Somehow, it’s easy to handle. We understand each other, especially when we have a fight coming up. We know we need to be focused on training, and our goal is to win,” Biagtan said. “That’s the fighter’s mindset. If somehow we misunderstood something and ended up fighting, we fix it together, calmly.” Having Biagtan as Zamboanga’s coach has its benefits, as “Kid Tornado” is no slouch as a fighter as well. While he’s only competed seven times in his MMA career, Biagtan hails from a family of Muay Thai fighters led by his dad Ray. Also, he has competed nearly 40 times in “the art of eight limbs.” For Biagtan, such experiences are valuable for his partner in this coming fight. “As an experienced fighter, I need to be a good role model to her. I need to show her how we need to be more disciplined in this sport,” he said. While he expects a tough scrap against Mezabarba, he’s confident that his fiance has all the tools to come out on top. “Denice is more passionate and well-disciplined in her camp right now. Denice has a lot of advantages. We just need to be focused on our game plan and for sure we will bring home the win,” he said. “Denice and Julie are both tough fighters, but my prediction is Denice will get the win by KO/TKO or by submission. Worst case, it ends up as a [unanimous decision] for Denice.”

Read More From ONE Championship:

[Superlek Kiatmoo9 Finishes Danial Williams, Retains Flyweight Kickboxing Crown](https://www.onefc.com/news/superlek-kiatmoo9-finishes-danial-williams-retains-flyweight-kickboxing-crown/) [Allycia Hellen Rodrigues Beats Janet Todd, Unifies ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Title](https://www.onefc.com/muay-thai/allycia-hellen-rodrigues-beats-janet-todd-unifies-one-atomweight-muay-thai-world-title/) [Ham Seo Hee, Zhang Peimian, Akbar Abdullaev Earn Pivotal Wins At ONE Fight Night 8](https://www.onefc.com/news/ham-seo-hee-zhang-peimian-akbar-abdullaev-earn-pivotal-wins-at-one-fight-night-8/)

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