Noel Grandjean reveals sparring session with Stamp Fairtex, reflects on One Fight Night 20 and more
In just under two years at ONE Championship, atomweight contender Noel “Little Monkey” Grandjean has left a lasting impression on the world of combat sports. The former judo champion has been slowly climbing the ladder since transitioning to mixed martial arts and found herself on the cusp of a title opportunity earlier this month with a thrilling victory at One Fight Night 20 on the International Women’s Day card.
In an exclusive interview with Sportsmanor, French-Thai fighter Noel Grandjean reflects on his victory and also shares his thoughts on his previous opponents.
“To be honest when I dropped him, I thought he was going to give up. The second I dropped him in the first round, I thought he was going to give up. But he was really tough. He kept fighting.” Grandjean said, after a three-round battle against Souza, which saw the 27-year-old fighter drop the Brazilian on his way to a unanimous decision win in the first round.
Grandjean, who has never been on a judge’s scorecard in his ONE career, also spoke about his increased confidence and how he is slowly finding his footing in all divisions of mixed martial arts.
Watch the full interview here.
Initially training out of Tiger Muay Thai, Noel Grandjean, who also goes by the name “Little Monkey” has now moved to Southside MMA, where he now trains full-time under a different team. He also said he will introduce a new head coach soon, hoping to sharpen his MMA skills under experienced leadership.
Noelle Grandjean talks about a sparring session with Stamp Fairtex
If you don’t already know, Noelle Grandjean and Stamp Fairtex have a bit of history. The atomweight contender began his MMA career at the Fairtex Training Center and trained with the reigning champion. However, that was before his meteoric rise to the ONE Championship.
Speaking about a possible match-up against Stamp Fairtex, Grandjean said he is confident in the fight against the reigning champion and believes his grappling ability backed by his judo background could prove too much for Fairtex, who relies heavily on his striking. .
He even recalled a sparring round with the current champion where he revealed how he was able to take down Fairtex with ease, and hopes for a similar result if they ever share the ring.
“I love stamps, honestly. He is a great athlete. Let’s see if he keeps the belt because we are both Thai athletes.”
Noel Grandjean takes him on to fight against Stamp Fairtex@ONE Championship pic.twitter.com/6GTrfPkpSa
— Sportsmanor ONE (@Sportsmanor_one) March 21, 2024
“I started my pro-career at Fairtex. we were good I love stamps, honestly. He is a great athlete. Let’s see if he keeps the belt because we’re both Thai athletes, so I don’t know if fighting someone who’s fighting under the same flag as me is the best outcome, but maybe it’s good. Thai people will love it.”
“I actually sparred with him once, it was really early in my MMA career and I took him straight down. He’s from striking, and I’m from judo, that’s it.”
That’s not all. Noel Grandjean envisions a title shot very soon, and while he shared a bit about his next opponent (confirmed), an official announcement is imminent.