Even though her world title matchup with reigning world champion Stamp Fairtex is no longer taking place, Filipino top mixed martial arts title contender Denice Zamboanga will still compete in U.S. primetime on June 7 at ONE 167.
The Filipina standout was supposed to challenge the Thai megastar for the ONE women’s atomweight MMA world title at Bangkok’s Impact Arena.
But with Stamp suffering a serious knee injury and undergoing surgery recently, that contest has been canceled.
It’s not all bad news for Zamboanga, though, as she will instead take on the talented Noelle Grandjean in an atomweight MMA contest that promises plenty of action.
Currently ranked number two in the stacked division, Zamboanga earned her shot at gold on the strength of back-to-back victories over Chinese star Lin Heain and Brazilian scrapper Julie Mezabarba.
The 27-year-old Filipina fighter is a well-rounded fighter with a penchant for finding the submission finish on the canvas – a style that should make for an intriguing battle against Grandjean and her elite judo skills.
The Thai-French competitor arrived at ONE Championship with an undefeated record and loads of well-deserved hype but has struggled to find consistency in the world’s largest martial arts organization, going 2-2 across four exciting bouts.
Despite her struggles against the upper echelon of the division, Grandjean has done more than enough to prove worthy of competing alongside the best of the best in ONE.
If she can pick up a late-notice victory over the highly regarded Zamboanga, she could rocket up the atomweight MMA ranks and soon find herself vying for gold. – ONE release
