This is the night for the Graceful, Jenelyn Olsim, who will attempt to make it to the finals of the ONE Championship Grand Prix.
The Team Lakay’s newest gem gets a crack to a possible world title fight earlier than she had expected if she makes past Ritu Phogat as a replacement opponent in the women’s strawweight world grand prix semifinals.
Olsim will also fight two weeks earlier of her supposed match and co-main event in ONE Championship’s NextGen at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
Phogat was supposed to face Japanese Itsuki Hirata in tonight’s co-main event of the ONE: NextGen, but the latter pulled out for an undisclosed medical issue.
Olsim, on the other hand was set to fight on ONE: NextGen II on November 12 against Jihim Radzuan but the current number 5 strawweight contender was instead made as a replacement opponent to Ritu.
Olsim (5-2) last fought in August where she beat American-Vietnamese Bi Nguyen by unanimous decision.
The semifinal encounter is expected to be an all-out war as Olsim has been looking forward to meet Phogat over Ms. Hirata in the semifinals if ever she was named a replacement.
“I also want to face Ritu. She is a good wrestler and popular. I want to test my wrestling,” said Olsim in a recent press conference which was actually for NextGen II.
The main event of tonight’s ONE presentation is the other women’s atomweight world grand prix semifinal match between Thailand’s Stamp and Brazil’s Julie Mezabarba.
The winners of the tournament semifinal bouts will meet in the world grand prix championship final, which is planned to take place before the year ends.
Another Filipino seeing action tonight is strawweight Jeremy Miado in a rematch with China’s Miao Li Tao.
Olsim left with Lito Adiwang and Team Lakay top man Mark Sangiao last Sunday for their pre-taped fight – ONE Next Gen II and III set to be aired on November 12 and 26.
“It is just me, Lito and Jenny. Only one is allowed due to the restrictions,” said the top Lakay after the team’s regular training at the Baguio athletic bowl earlier.
“We will definitely have to undergo a lot of tests before we get to the ring and another before we leave for home and another quarantine before heading back home,” added Sangiao.
Olsim was earlier slated to the Malaysian grappler Radzuan, a replacement for Grace Cleveland for an alternate bout in the Grand Prix, but the latter has an undisclosed medical condition forcing her out of the fight.
Radzuan has previously lost to Filipino fighters, Zamboanga and team Lakay’s Gina Iniong and hopes t break the jinx by not falling to the member of the Philippine Muay Thai team member.
Olsim debuted for Team Lakay last March 19 and she submitted in the 41 second mark of the third round Maira Mazar.
Her last fight was Aug. 6, Caitlyn Mcewen where she lost via submission, armbar, in the 59th second mark of the first round.
Adiwang, on the hand, will have his fight aired on November 26 as the headline of the NextGen III event where he faces Jarred Brooks who he was supposed to meet last April but the match was postponed when the Benguet boy caught Covid 19.
Adiwang (13-3) lost to Minowa in October last year via split decision, a match that has been considered controversial after the Thunder Kid and the referee failed to see the Japanese tapping out. It was only during a replay that the third ranked Minowa is seen tapping out as Adiwang tried to submit him.
Adiwang bounced back with the win last September by beating China’s Hexi Getu via unanimous decision.
Adiwang is fifth in the strawweight division where stable mate Joshua Pacio is the champion in ONE Championship’s rankings which was released last October 15.
