Filipino MMA fighters Denice Zamboanga and Eduard Folayang. ONE Championship/Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News MANILA -- ONE Interim Atomweight MMA World Champion Denice Zamboanga will be one of the countless Filipinos cheering on Eduard Folayang when the former two-time ONE Lightweight MMA World Champion returns to action this Sunday.

Folayang faces old rival Shinya Aoki one more time at ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang on March 23 at Saitama Super Arena in Japan, where the Filipino looks to even the score against the Japanese legend.

Zamboanga is hopeful that Folayang -- a fighter whom she idolizes -- will end the rivalry on a high note.

"Eduard Folayang is a true legend in Philippine MMA, and I have so much respect for everything he has accomplished. He's been an inspiration to so many of us, showing what the true Filipino fighting spirit is," she said. 

READ: Inspired Eduard Folayang vows to bring 'Landslide' at ONE 172

Aoki currently holds a 2-1 lead in their series, and Folayang wants nothing more than to even the score before the grappling wizard calls it a career.

Zamboanga is confident that Folayang can get the job done, especially as "Landslide" is highly motivated. This, after all, is the first time the Filipino icon will face Aoki under the Lions Nation MMA banner.

That team has been successful since its inception. She saw that firsthand at ONE 171: Qatar. There, Joshua Pacio unified the ONE Strawweight MMA World Title in his own rivalry match against Jarred "The Monkey God" Brooks. 

With that in mind, Zamboanga is confident that Folayang can do the same against Aoki. 

"I saw how much the Lions Nation team has evolved, especially after watching Joshua's fight against Jared Brooks, and that makes me even more excited to see Eduard in action," Zamboanga said. 

"He's facing a longtime rival, and I know how much this means to him." 

While she won't be in Japan to cheer Folayang on, Zamboanga will be cheering her heart out behind her TV screen — and offering the only thing she can do now for Folayang, which is to pray. 

After all, divine intervention worked well for his teammates — and she believes Folayang has done the necessary preparation to make this happen. 

"I'm rooting for him and praying for his victory,” Zamboanga said, "believing that his hard work and experience will pay off."

READ: After long road to ONE's mountaintop, Denice Zamboanga already eyeing next peak

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