NOELLE “Lil Monkey” Grandjean knows it’s going to be a tall task getting ready for No. 2-ranked atomweight MMA contender Denice “The Menace” Zamboanga in less than three weeks, but she's adamant she’s up for it.
Grandjean stepped up as Stamp Fairtex’s replacement and will now collide with Zamboanga in a three-round atomweight MMA bout at ONE 167: Tawanchai vs. Nattawut II at the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand, on June 8.
As Stamp was forced to withdraw from her title defense due to a torn meniscus she suffered just last week, French-Thai Grandjean saw a golden opportunity to make a name for herself.
Of course, testing her mettle against the well-rounded Filipina who’s stood atop the atomweight division for years was too good to pass up.
“I’m just thinking that a lot of people would love to have this opportunity and I just can’t let this opportunity slide. The universe wants this to happen so I just have to do it,” she said.
“It’s my job to also secure the fight for ONE Championship and its fans and hopefully take the win back to Thailand.”
Replacement fight, career night
For the 26-year-old, this fight may very well be the turning point in her career, especially coming off a loss to Chihiro Sawada, whom she had no answers against en route to a three-round shutout.
Looking back at the loss, Grandjean acknowledged there was neither joy nor excitement in her movements. That can't happen again this time opposite Zamboanga.
“I’d like to have fun again. My last fight, I didn’t really express myself as I wanted. I had some doubts about my career after that and even before the fight,” she said.
“Then I got a call from ONE, so I think the universe wants me to get back in. I’d like to have fun in there. I know the fans will be there, the Thai crowd, so I just want to perform well and put on a great show with Denice.”
While Grandjean isn't about to make any guarantees, she promises to go all-out against Zamboanga, eyeing the big boost to her career that will come if she topples the division’s elite Filipina.
“It could go anyway honestly. I don’t really know what’s gonna happen. It’s a big surprise,” she said. “Beating [the No. 2 contender] will be big for me, 100 percent.”
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