“Fighting for the belt has always been the goal” - Noelle Grandjean out to steal Denice Zamboanga’s thunder

28-year-old Thai-French standout 'Lil' Monkey' Noelle Grandjean finds herself in an opportune situation. The atomweight MMA sensation has filled in as a last-minute replacement for the injured Stamp Fairtex to take on No. 2-ranked contender 'The Menace' Denice Zamboanga of the Philippines this weekend.

If Grandjean is victorious, she could find herself in the top five rankings and in a good position to lobby for a world title shot.

Speaking to ONE Championship in a recent interview, Grandjean talked about the opportunity to fight Zamboanga and her world title aspirations.

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'Lil' Monkey' said:

“It’s also sad to hear that Stamp is out. I was actually looking forward to that fight as well. But you know, accidents happen. I think it’s nice because it’s also actually the same story. I’m part Thai. We’re former teammates as well. It’s a bit of the same story, but different fighting styles.”

Stamp suffered a torn meniscus in training for ONE 167. She was supposed to defend her atomweight belt against Zamboanga.

Grandjean says she relishes the chance to compete with the best in the world. She added:

"I think I might be one of the athletes who has improved their game the most because I started [MMA] a bit late. 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."

Noelle Grandjean and Denice Zamboanga lock horns at ONE 167 on Prime Video

The 'Lil' Monkey' Noelle Grandjean versus 'The Menace' Denice Zamboanga fight goes down at ONE 167: Tawanchai vs. Nattawut II on Prime Video.

The event broadcasts live from the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand. Fans in the United States and Canada can catch all the action live and absolutely free with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription. The show airs on Friday, June 7, in U.S. primetime.

Stay tuned to Sportskeeda MMA for all the latest news and updates during fight week.