Jenelyn Olsim surprised a lot of people when she scored the upset win over No. 5-ranked strawweight Maira Mazar last Friday, but it’s how she did it that won over fans.
Olsim shattered fan expectations of a classic striker-versus-grappler match between the two strawweights as she showcased a complete arsenal, eventually submitting Mazar in their three-round bout at ONE: FISTS OF FURY III at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
As surprising as the result may have been for some, Olsim and Team Lakay were the least bit shocked.
“That was part of our gameplan. It’s something that we worked on alongside coach Mark [Sangiao]. We’ve repeatedly worked on that submission, so I expected to submit her,” Olsim said.
Olsim was so confident of her grappling skills that she was expecting a submission win as early as the opening stages.
Although it didn’t happen in round one, it gave her a chance to showcase her devastating striking, which was on full display. She floored Mazar twice in the first round before peppering her with lightning-quick strikes for the duration of the match.
With Mazar trying to force a takedown early in the third round, Olsim saw the chance to go for a submission —and she did exactly that, locking on a guillotine choke that forced the Evolve MMA representative to tap.
“I was expecting to get that submission as early as the first round, but she was too loose, so we went back and focused on our striking. Near the end of the second round, she managed to take me down, but we still managed to land a lot of strikes in the second round,” she said.
“In the third round, that was pretty much it. We mixed it up and then she attempted to go for another takedown because I was already dominating on the feet. When she shot for a takedown, I was pushed to the fence, and that’s where I pulled off the submission.”
It was a victory to remember for Olsim, a win that definitely got the attention of the other players in the strawweight division.
With that said, after all the delays and the countless hours she spent in training, Olsim deserves to enjoy the victory after a performance like this one.
“I am very satisfied with my performance because I was able to show everything I worked for. From my striking to my submissions, I was able to apply those things,” she said.
“There’s also an added satisfaction because we’ve been waiting for this match for a long time.”
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