Improved grappling saved Team Lakay’s Jenelyn Olsim latest fight, edging out Brazilian Julie Mezabarba via split decision in the undercard of ONE Champioship 158 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
The 25-year-old Olsim was successful in most of her takedowns in all three five-minute rounds while Mezabarba’s headlock attempts did not cause trouble to the female Filipino mixed martial arts fighter.
Fresh from her successful campaign in the 31st Southeast Asian Games where she won a bronze medal in vovinam, Olsim also capitalized in her striking and managed to match the Brazilian’s superb striking skills.
Mezabarba landed clean shots at close range that’s why Team Lakay coach Mark Sangiao was overheard advising Olsim not to let her guard down during exchange of strikes.
But the fighting pride of Bokod, Benguet made sure she was the more aggressive and dominant fighter inside the circle, as she also tagged Mezabarba with pinpoint punches aside from the leg kicks all throughout the bout.
Olsim improved her professional MMA record to six wins and three losses while Mezabarba dropped to nine wins, four losses, and one draw.
The Cordillera fighter was supposed to fight Jihin Radzuan of Malaysia in the undercard of ONE: Bad Blood in February 2022, but she had to pull out from the fight due to injury while training.
When she recovered, Olsim devoted her time training for the 2022 SEA Games where she and fellow athletes from Team Lakay represented the Philippines in vovinam for the first time. Vovinam martial arts originated in Vietnam. – Harley F. Palangchao
