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MANILA -- The highly anticipated ONE atomweight MMA world ritle bout between reigning divisional queen Stamp Fairtex and surging Filipina contender Denice “The Menace” Zamboanga has been scratched from ONE 167 on June 8.
In an unexpected turn of events, the charismatic Thai superstar revealed on Tuesday that she injured herself while preparing for Zamboanga after twisting her knee in a sparring session.
It was later revealed through an MRI that she has a torn meniscus, thus forcing her out of the fight with her good friend and former training partner.
While the news is definitely disappointing, no one is more heartbroken than Fairtex, who was looking forward to her return to the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand, where she made her ONE Championship debut.
“I’m sorry that I didn’t get on stage for everyone to cheer on,” Stamp said in a statement. “I worked hard and I was very focused for this fight. [But] accidents can happen all the time.”
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There’s still no timetable for the 26-year-old’s return, but for now she intends to rest up and heal. She also promises that she’ll be back better than ever after she’s done with surgery and therapy.
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“I promise that I’ll do my best [in] therapy and I’ll come back the best as well,” she added.
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With Fairtex off the card, this leaves Zamboanga without an opponent for ONE 167.
Still, the Filipina looks like she’ll remain on the stacked event, albeit with a different opponent. The promotion is now looking for a replacement for Fairtex.
Though the card lost the ONE atomweight MMA world title bout, it remains a stacked event.
Tawanchai PK Saenchai defends his ONE featherweight Muay Thai world title against “Smokin” Jo Nattawut in the co-main event. Also, ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon competes under kickboxing rules against Denis Puric in what’s expected to be a barnburner.