Reigning ONE atomweight MMA world champion Stamp Fairtex was very impressed with Noelle Grandjean's performance against second-ranked contender Denice Zamboanga at ONE 167.
Originally, Stamp was set to put her 26 pounds of gold on the line against 'The Menance' inside the sold-out Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand.
However, an injury during fight camp forced the atomweight queen out of the bout, paving the way for Grandjean to step in and put her skills to the test against the streaking Filipina.
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With only two weeks to prepare and coming off a strong effort against undefeated standout Chihiro Sawada a month before, 'Lil Monkey' gave it everything she had, but still came up short against Zamboanaga.
Still, Stamp was nonetheless impressed with Grandjean's willingness to step in and give 'The Menace' a tough fight on the biggest global stage of martial arts.
"Noelle only had two weeks to prepare and had just fought a few weeks before the fight. I admire her very much, and in this fight, Noelle did well,” Stamp told ABS-CBN News.
Denice Zamboanga calls for interim title fight following ONE 167 win
With her win over Noelle Grandjean, Denice Zamboanga expected her win streak to three in a row and moved to an impressive 11-2 overall — the exact same record as Stamp Fairtex in mixed martial arts competition.
The victory only served to solidify Zamboanga's spot as the next woman in line to challenge for the atomweight MMA crown.
Unfortunately, with Stamp sidelined after undergoing surgery, there is no anticipated date for that fight. In the meantime, 'The Menace' is more than willing to put her ranking on the line, or better yet, compete for an interim atomweight title while Stamp heals up.
“I think I deserve to fight for an interim belt because I’ve been waiting for this so long,' she told the South China Morning Post. "I was ready five years ago and was supposed to fight the champion. I think I deserve an interim belt.”
Do you want to see Denice Zamboanga fight for an interim title before her inevitable showdown with Stamp?
If you missed any of the action, ONE Championship fans in the United States and Canada can watch the ONE 167 replay on demand via Amazon Prime Video.