Noelle Grandjean still gamely took the opportunity to step in for the injured ONE Atomweight MMA World Champion Stamp Fairtex against Denice “The Menace” Zamboanga at ONE 167.
To say that Noelle “Lil’ Monkey” Grandjean has had a busy year is an understatement.
Despite having competed twice over the last two months, Grandjean still gamely took the opportunity to step in for the injured ONE Atomweight MMA World Champion Stamp Fairtex against Denice “The Menace” Zamboanga at ONE 167: Tawanchai vs. Nattawut II inside the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand.
She knows the implication of scoring a victory over the #2-ranked atomweight contender, and it’s an opportunity she has no plans of wasting.
“If I win this fight, I would like to have some time off and breathe. I have been in survival mode for quite a bit. After that, of course, fighting for the belt has always been the goal,” she said.
“Denice is a top contender. If I get a win against Denice, it will definitely propel me to the belt. It’s a big opportunity, so I took it.”
The Thai-French Judoka opened her year with a win over Victoria Souza in March but dropped a shutout decision to the red-hot Chihiro Sawada in May.
It’s good to stay active, but she knows that competing on almost a monthly basis against some of the best fighters in the world has its downsides.
But as she intends to prove that she belongs among the division’s elite, she also plans to cash in first before taking a well deserved breather.
“Honestly, I just think it’s a big opportunity, and I know a lot of people would love to be in my place. So I just realized I need to take this opportunity,” she said.
“Also, this opportunity also came at a moment when I was having doubts about my career, and this was when I got the call. I was thinking this is where the universe wants me to go, and there’s no time for doubts and questioning. I think it’s going to be a fun fight.”