ONE 167: Denice Zamboanga admits it was 'a bit awkward' to put friendship with Noelle Grandjean aside
Denice Zamboanga wasn't overly comfortable during the fight week before her clash with Noelle Grandjean.
At ONE 167, Zamboanga was supposed to challenge Stamp Fairtex for her women's atomweight MMA world title before the latter pulled out with a meniscus injury just three weeks before the show.
Instead, 'The Menace' faced another friend and former training partner in Grandjean, who looked to capitalize on the short-notice opportunity.
Denice Zamboanga's MMA skills proved superior to Grandjean's, as she emerged victorious by unanimous decision.
Following her third consecutive win, the Filipino contender did an interview with the South China Morning Post and had this to say about the emotional aspect of fighting her friend at ONE 167:
"The fight week was a bit awkward for both of us, but yeah, business is business. We needed to do our job."
The ONE 167 replay featuring Denice Zamboanga's unanimous decision win against Noelle Grandjean can be seen for free by North American and Canadian viewers with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.
Watch Zamboanga's interview with the South China Morning Post below:
What's next for Denice Zamboanga after defeating Noelle Grandjean at ONE 167?
Denice Zamboanga's performance at ONE 167 further solidified her as a worthy contender for Stamp Fairtex's atomweight MMA throne.
The question is, will the No.2-ranked contender's next fight be a title shot? The answer could change depending on when Stamp recovers from her torn meniscus. The Thai underwent a successful surgery on May 20 and is now doing her rounds of physical therapy to get back to full fitness.
ONE Championship hasn't ruled out the possibility of Stamp fighting strawweight queen Xiong Jing Nan on September 6 at ONE 168: Denver.
Therefore, it's unclear if the Thai megastar will have an opening to face Zamboanga later this year or prioritize a potential rescheduling of her bout with Xiong.
Nonetheless, Zamboanga shouldn't need another win before fighting Stamp unless she wants to stay active.
'The Menace' is undoubtedly a worthy contender for the ONE women's atomweight MMA throne, and it would be intriguing to see her face her former training partner and close friend for gold.