It’s fair to question Denice “The Menace” Zamboanga’s level of motivation now that she’ll no longer walk into the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand, to compete for the ONE Atomweight MMA World Title this weekend.

But she’s still promising to compete with the same determination when she takes on short-notice replacement Noelle “Lil Monkey” Grandjean – who steps in for divisional queen Stamp Fairtex – in a three-round atomweight MMA bout at ONE 167: Tawanchai vs. Nattawut II this Saturday, June 8.

Twice Zamboanga has come close to her dreams of becoming the first-ever Filipina MMA World Champion, and twice those opportunities have been pushed back. The Filipina, however, assured her supporters that she remains locked in for this bout. 

“I'm incredibly motivated. This is my chance to prove that I'm ready for a title shot, regardless of the opponent,” she said. 

“Every fight is a step toward my ultimate goal, and I'm determined to show that I deserve to be in contention for the belt. My motivation is higher than ever, and I'm ready to give it my all in the cage.” 

The 26-year-old has been putting in extra work for this fight, and that’s enough to keep her on her toes. 

Against Stamp, her preparation was pretty much a no-brainer – she had to focus on the Thai’s elite striking while finding ways to close the distance and turn the fight into a grind. 

Now against Grandjean, she’ll have to prepare for the judoka’s takedowns and submissions, but she promises to come prepared for this entirely new challenge. 

“The shift in preparation has been significant. Training for Stamp meant focusing heavily on striking and Muay Thai techniques,” she said. 

“With Noelle, I’ve had to adjust my game plan to focus more on grappling and takedown defense. It's a different challenge, but I'm confident in my training and my ability to adapt.”

Aside from her adjustments physically, the most important part of this shift will be her mental preparation and, through meditation, Zamboanga believes she’s got it covered. 

“Managing emotions in this situation is crucial. I stay focused by reminding myself of my goals and the hard work I've put in,” she said. 

“Meditation and visualization techniques help me stay calm and centered. I trust my training and my team to guide me through any unexpected changes.”