At just 24-years of age, Jenelyn Olsim already possesses the mindset of a veteran mixed martial artist. While it’s no secret that her strong suit is undoubtedly in the striking department—having come from a background in Muay Thai—the Team Lakay standout continues to add new folds to her game.
Recently, the results have followed suit, as she was able to secure a submission finish, the second of her young career, at the expense of 11-fight veteran Maíra Mazar in late March.
“I learned that I’m actually good [on the] ground. I can apply some things that I learned from the gym, I can really apply my ground skills,” Olsim said.
The victory over Mazar was Olsim’s main roster debut with ONE Championship, after a short stint in ONE Warrior Series, and her fourth win in six fights. The Baguio City native looks to continue to show improvements when she meets Bi Nguyen at ONE: BATTLEGROUND III, a tape-delayed event from the Singapore Indoor Stadium which airs this Friday night, 27 August.
When breaking down the Team Lakay scouting report on Nguyen, Olsim praised her opponent’s fighting spirit and athletic makeup but would not concede any technical advantages. She cited Nguyen’s ability to fight to the bitter end, never giving up, but insisted that she would be the superior mixed martial artist due to her well-rounded approach.
“As far as I can see from reviewing her fights, she’s not used to going to the ground. She most likely [will fight] in the stand-up game. So I think her weak part is her ground game,” Olsim said. “I have watched her previous fights and she dominates with her striking technique. I think she’s most comfortable with her boxing.”
Despite her extensive background in Muay Thai, Olsim is intent on taking the path of least resistance. In this case, that means tying up Nguyen and sending the fight to the ground before hunting for a submission.
That’s not to say Olsim isn’t planning to engage with Nguyen on the feet in order to get there.
“I’m also comfortable with my striking skills, so maybe we’ll be [fighting] more with our striking,” Olsim said. “The fans will be expecting a technical game in this fight… expect action.”
Olsim added that improving her cardio has been a major goal for her in training camp. With the improvements she’s made, she intends to put forward her most exciting performance to date, leaving the Circle with another victory. While she has the utmost respect for her opponent, Olsim is ready to put that to the side for 15 minutes or less on Friday night.
“I actually admire Bi Nguyen, personally. I like her fighting spirit and the spirit in her that she never gives up easily,” Olsim said, complimenting her future adversary. “But I think I’m ready for this. I have been fighting for seven years now and I want to test my skills and my limits. So bring it on!”
Early last week, it was announced that the winner of this bout will move on to face debuting American Grace Cleveland at ONE Championship’s historic all-women’s fight card, ONE: EMPOWER, on 3 September. That bout will serve as an alternate for the highly anticipated ONE Women’s Atomweight World Grand Prix.
