Frustrated Denice Zamboanga ‘still happy’ despite failing to finish Noelle Grandjean

Second-ranked ONE Championship women's atomweight MMA contender 'The Menace' Denice Zamboanga of the Philippines was looking for a finish against former training partner 'Lil' Monkey' Noelle Grandjean at ONE 167: Tawanchai vs. Nattawut II on Prime Video last weekend.

Unfortunately, the 27-year-old Quezon City resident was unable to close the show inside the distance. Although Zamboanga locked Grandjean in a rear-naked choke early, the Thai-French star battled back and made it a competitive fight in front of a sold-out crowd at Bangkok's Impact Arena.

Despite not being able to complete the submission, Zamboanga admitted she was both frustrated and relieved.

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Speaking to the South China Morning Post in a recent interview, Zamboanga said:

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"It was kind of frustrating because I was expecting to finish her at the first round, I caught up a choke, but the fight goes on. But yea, I’m still happy that I won by unanimous decision."

She added:

"The fight week was a bit awkward for both of us, but yea, business is business."

In the end, 'The Menace' took home a unanimous decision victory for her efforts and stamped her claim as the no.2-ranked fighter in the division.

Fans in the United States and Canada can catch a replay of ONE 167: Tawanchai vs. Nattawut II on-demand via Amazon Prime Video.

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"It’s a bit hard" - Denice Zamboanga admits Noelle Grandjean wasn't 'an easy fight'

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Despite making her victory seem effortless, 'The Menace' Denice Zamboanga will be the first one to admit that it was far from a walk in the park against 'Lil' Monkey' Noelle Grandjean.

Zamboanga took home the victory on the judges' scorecards but says Grandjean gave her a good test when it was all said and done.

She told Sportskeeda MMA in an exclusive interview:

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"It’s a bit hard because my opponent wasn’t an easy fight for me. But yeah, the game plan and all was different."

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