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.

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

"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'

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:

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