Denice Zamboanga has vacated the ONE Championship atomweight MMA world title after publicly revealing she has given birth to a baby.
The Filipina announced her decision in a social media post, alongside a video showing her and husband Fritz Biagtan – a fellow Filipino ONE fighter – with their newborn child.
“After much prayer and reflection, I have made the difficult decision to vacate my ONE women’s atomweight world championship,” Zamboanga said.
“This was not an easy choice, but I believe it is the right one for this season of my life and for the athletes in my division who continue to chase their dreams.”
Zamboanga has not fought since January 2025, when she stopped Alyona Rassohyna to win the interim atomweight MMA title at ONE Fight Night 27 in Bangkok.
She had been set to unify the belts with Stamp Fairtex in the summer of 2025, but the fight fell through after Stamp relinquished her title following another setback in her recovery from knee surgery.
Zamboanga was then elevated to undisputed champion.
Stamp Fairtex and Denice Zamboanga pose together with their ONE Championship belts after Zamboanga’s interim title win at ONE Fight Night 27.
The Filipina was scheduled to defend the title against Ayaka Miura at ONE 173 in Tokyo last November, but withdrew several months out from the fight for what ONE described at the time as “medical reasons”.
No further update had been given on her status until her announcement, which appears to shed light on the circumstances surrounding her long absence from the Circle.
It is unclear when Zamboanga gave birth.
Her reign will now end without a single title defence, continuing a stop-start period for one of ONE Championship’s deepest but most frustratingly stalled divisions.
But Zamboanga insisted she is not retiring from MMA.
“While I am stepping away from the title, I am not stepping away from the sport I love,” she said. “Fighting has shaped who I am, and the warrior in me will always remain.
“Right now, my heart and focus are devoted to the greatest blessing God has entrusted to me. This season is teaching me that there are victories beyond championship belts, and I am embracing every moment of it with gratitude.”
Denice Zamboanga has her hand raised after beating Alyona Rassohyna to win the ONE interim atomweight MMA world title at ONE Fight Night 27.
Zamboanga thanked her team, fans, family, husband Biagtan, ONE chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong, ONE Championship and her sponsors for their support.
“This is not the end of my story. It’s simply a new chapter,” she added.
“When the time is right, I will return. Stronger. Wiser. Hungrier. And ready to chase greatness once again.
“Until then, I’ll be enjoying this precious season of motherhood and trusting God’s plan every step of the way.”
The atomweight MMA belt has been defended just once since October 2019, when Angela Lee submitted then-strawweight queen Xiong Jing Nan in the fifth round of their epic rematch at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo.
Lee then became pregnant in 2020 and did not return until March 2022, when she submitted Stamp in the second round at ONE X after the Thai star had won the atomweight grand prix to earn her title shot.
Lee later vacated the belt in September 2023, nine months after the death of her 18-year-old sister Victoria Lee, bringing an emotional end to her historic title reign.
Stamp then beat Ham Seo Hee by third-round TKO to win the vacant belt at ONE Fight Night 14 in Singapore, becoming the first three-sport world champion in ONE history.
But the Thai star never defended the MMA title. She underwent surgery on a torn meniscus in May 2024, was forced out of two planned defences against Zamboanga, and has still not returned to MMA.
Stamp did make her combat sports comeback in kickboxing last November, losing a unanimous decision to Kana Morimoto at ONE 173 in Tokyo, and is set for a Muay Thai return against Cynthia Flores at The Inner Circle this week at Lumpinee Stadium.
An emotional Denice Zamboanga receives the ONE interim atomweight MMA world title after her TKO win over Alyona Rassohyna.
Miura eventually returned at ONE Samurai 1 in April, facing Chihiro Sawada in an all-Japan atomweight MMA bout at Ariake Arena. No interim title was on the line, but Sawada submitted Miura in the first round and was granted a world title shot by Chatri in the ring.
Sawada now appears the leading candidate to fight for the vacant belt, though it remains unclear who will stand opposite her.
Miura could force herself back into the conversation quickly if she beats Victoria Souza at ONE Fight Night 45 next month in Bangkok. The Japanese veteran had been on a five-fight winning streak before her loss to Sawada and had already been booked once for a world title shot against Zamboanga.
Jihin Radzuan may also have a say. The Malaysian contender faces Anastasia Nikolakakos on the same card, with both women trying to push themselves into a suddenly wide-open title picture.
Nikolakakos made an immediate impact on debut earlier this year, knocking out Souza with one second remaining in the first round.
For now, the atomweight MMA division is back where it has so often been in recent years – full of contenders and intrigue, but still waiting for a champion who can give the title picture some long-delayed stability.