Denice Zamboanga Now Set To Fight Noelle Grandjean In Atomweight MMA Bout At ONE 167
Even though her World Title matchup with Stamp Fairtex is no longer taking place, Denice “The Menace” Zamboanga will still compete in U.S. primetime on June 7 at ONE 167: Tawanchai vs. Nattawut II on Prime Video.
The Filipina standout was set to challenge the Thai megastar for the ONE Women’s Atomweight MMA World Title at Bangkok’s Impact Arena.
But with Stamp suffering a serious knee injury and undergoing surgery earlier this week, that contest has been canceled.
It’s not all bad news for Zamboanga, though, as she will instead take on the talented Noelle “Lil’ Monkey” Grandjean in an atomweight MMA tilt that promises plenty of action.
Currently ranked #2 in the stacked division, “The Menace” earned her shot at gold on the strength of back-to-back victories over Chinese star Lin Heqin and Brazilian scrapper Julie Mezabarba.
The 27-year-old is a well-rounded mixed martial artist with a penchant for finding the submission finish on the canvas – a style that should make for an intriguing battle against Grandjean and her elite judo skills.
The Thai-French competitor arrived at ONE Championship with an undefeated record and loads of well-deserved hype but has struggled to find consistency in the world’s largest martial arts organization, going 2-2 across four exciting bouts.
Despite her struggles against the upper echelon of the division, Grandjean has done more than enough to prove worthy of competing alongside the best of the best in ONE.
If she can pick up a late-notice victory over the highly regarded Zamboanga, she could rocket up the atomweight MMA ranks and soon find herself vying for gold.
“The Menace,” meanwhile, will certainly be feeling the pressure to deliver on June 7 and maintain her status as the division’s next World Title challenger.
