Drex Zamboanga has waited long enough.
After months of recovery and reflection, the 32-year-old resident of Quezon City is finally positioning himself for the moment that slipped away last year, his long-awaited promotional debut in BRAVE Combat Federation.
“T-Rex” believes 2026 will mark the start of a crucial chapter in his mixed martial arts career as he looks to fully capitalize on the multi-bout contract he signed with the Bahrain-based organization in 2025.
For Zamboanga, the upcoming months are about activity, opportunity, and making up for lost time.
“It is really time for me to get back into action,” he told Manila Standard. “I signed with BRAVE CF to compete, and I am excited to finally do that in 2026.”
Zamboanga was originally scheduled to report for duty at BRAVE CF 95 in May 2025 by going up against unbeaten Bahraini prospect and ranked lightweight contender Ramazan Gitinov.
The matchup carried high stakes, but plans were abruptly halted when Zamboanga suffered a lateral collateral ligament injury that forced him to withdraw just weeks before the fight.
What followed was a long and demanding rehabilitation process. Zamboanga committed to months of physical therapy and strengthening exercises, determined to return without limitations.
That persistence has paid off, as he has now been medically cleared to resume full training and, by extension, cleared to finally make his maiden BRAVE CF appearance.
“I feel good again,” Zamboanga shared. “I am healthy, my confidence is back, and I am already getting my groove in training. It feels great to move freely and push myself without worrying about the injury.”
Widely regarded as one of the Philippines’ top homegrown talents in the sport, Zamboanga brings a wealth of experience into BRAVE CF.
He owns a 14-6 professional record with 11 finishes and first made a name for himself in the local scene as the URCC bantamweight champion.
Zamboanga captured the vacant strap with a stoppage win over veteran Rex De Lara in September 2017 and followed it up with a successful defense against South Korea’s Seung Hyun Cho via doctor’s stoppage in April 2019.
He later transitioned to ONE Championship, where he compiled a 3-1 slate. Zamboanga earned victories over Detchadin Sorsirisuphathin, Rahul Raju, and Team Lakay’s Adonis Sevilleno before absorbing a narrow split decision loss to Chen Rui in June 2023.
Now aligned with BRAVE CF, the elder brother of reigning ONE Women’s Atomweight MMA World Champion Denice Zamboanga sees the promotion as the ideal platform to reignite his run at the international level.
“This is a fresh start for me,” Zamboanga said. “I want to stay active, perform well, and rebuild momentum in 2026. BRAVE CF gives me that chance, and I plan to make the most of it.”
