Late substitute Grandjean vows to make most of ONE opportunity vs Zamboanga

MANILA, Philippines -- Noelle Grandjean is not letting a huge opportunity go to waste.

The French mixed martial arts fighter will face Denice Zamboanga at the ONE 167: Tawanchai vs. Nattawut II next month.

Grandjean replaced ONE atomweight MMA world champion Stamp Fairtex, who was supposed to take on the Filipina fighter Zamboanga for the title, just last week.

Despite the quick preparation time, “Lil Monkey” said she will be going for broke against “The Menace.”

“I’m just thinking that a lot of people would love to have this opportunity and I just can’t let this opportunity slide. The universe wants this to happen so I just have to do it,” she said.

“Beating the No. 2 will be big for me, 100%,” she added.

Grandjean is coming off a unanimous decision loss against Japan’s Chihiro Sawada on May 3.

Now, more than a month later, she will try to go back to the win column.

“I’d like to have fun again,” she said. “In my last fight, I didn’t really get to express myself as I wanted. I had some doubts about my career after that and even before the fight. Then I got a call from ONE, so I think the universe wants me to get back in.”

Stamp withdrew from the event after suffering a torn meniscus in her training.

Zamboanga’s title shot, then, was pushed back.

“We will not give up on this dream. We will still continue working hard to get the chance to fight for the championship again,” Zamboanga posted on Instagram last week.

A post shared by DENICE MMA (@denicezamboanga)

“God has purpose in everything. Just keep on trusting Him.”