ONE Championship returns to United States for ONE 173, featuring Stamp vs. Zamboanga

ONE Championship is headed back to the United States for the third time.

(ONE Championship)

ONE Championship will officially make its highly-anticipated return to the United States later this year.

The promotion famously held its first event on U.S. soil in 2023 with ONE Fight Night 10, which took place at the 1stBank Center in Broomfield, Colorado and was headlined by a trilogy bout for the ONE flyweight MMA title between Demetrious Johnson and Adriano Moraes.

Demetrious Johnson and Adriano Moraes headlined ONE Championship's first United States show. / (ONE Championship)

ONE Championship returned to Colorado last year with a stacked ONE 168 card at Denver’s Ball Arena, and after ONE 169 was moved from Atlanta, GA to Bangkok, Thailand last year combat sports fans have been waiting for news of when ONE would be making a trip to the United States again.

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ONE 173: Denver

With many fans currently focused on the massive ONE 172 card set to take place in Japan on March 23, ONE Championship has confirmed with MMA Knockout that the promotion will officially return to the United States on August 1.

ONE Championship will return to Ball Arena in Denver, CO. / (Kvein J. Beaty/Denverite)

Officially billed as ONE 173: Denver, the event will see ONE Championship return to Ball Arena, home of the Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche, and Colorado Mammoth.

The announcement of ONE 173 is accompanied by news of the event’s first title bout, which will see
Stamp Fairtex and Denice Zamboanga meet in a unification bout for the promotion's women's atomweight MMA belt.

ONE Championship Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong. / (ONE Championship)

"I am thrilled to announce that ONE Championship will be back at Ball Arena this August with one of our biggest events of the year," ONE Chairman & CEO Chatri Sityodtong said via press release. "Stamp Fairtex and Denice Zamboanga, former training partners and now rivals, will step inside the circle to unify the Women’s Atomweight MMA World Championship in a fight the entire world is waiting for. And that is just the first of several blockbuster bouts we have planned for this stacked card.”

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Stamp vs. Zamboanga

Currently on a four-fight win streak, Zamboanga claimed the interim ONE women’s atomweight MMA belt with a stoppage-win against Alyona Rassohyna when the pair met at ONE Fight Night 27 in January.

Denice Zamboanga currently holds the interim ONE women's atomweight MMA belt. / (ONE Championship)

“This upcoming fight against Stamp Fairtex in the United States is a dream come true for me," Zamboanga said. "It’s not just a personal milestone but a significant moment for the Philippines. Representing my country on such a grand stage fills me with immense pride. I am ready to give my all and bring honor to my nation.”

The two women were previously scheduled to meet at ONE 167 before Stamp suffered a knee injury that’s kept her sidelined for an extended period, and now the 27-year-old is excited to put on a show for the Denver fans in what will be her first fight in nearly two years.

Stamp Fairtex will return to defend her title against Denice Zamboanga at ONE 173: Denver. / (ONE Championship)

“I’m so happy to be competing in the U.S. again," Stamp said ahead of her return. "I was supposed to face Denice last year, but unfortunately, I got injured. Now, we finally get to fight for the belt. I was blown away by the support I received from all of my U.S. fans at ONE Fight Night 10, and I can’t wait to put on a show for them again this August at ONE 173.”

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Presale tickets for ONE 173: Denver will be available starting at 10:00 a.m. MT (12:00 p.m. ET) on Friday, March 7, and fans interested in purchasing those tickets can register here.

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