ANOTHER Team Lakay member is set to make her ONE Championship main roster debut as women’s strawweight Jenelyn Olsim takes the Circle at “ONE: Fists of Fury III” on Friday in Singapore.
A product of the ONE Warrior Series, Ms. Olsim (3-2) looks to get her jacked-up mixed martial arts push to a good start in her three-round collision with Brazilian Maira Mazar (7-3), the number five-ranked fighter in the division.
Ms. Olsim is the latest female fighter to represent Baguio-based Team Lakay in ONE, joining atomweights Gina Iniong and April Osenio.
She said that being part of a respected team much is expected of her, something she vowed to live up to.
“It’s my first time on the big stage, and I feel both excited and nervous. I’ve worked with Team Lakay for a while now, and since joining the team, everything has changed for me,” Ms. Olsim said in the lead-up to her main roster debut.
“Getting a belt isn’t on my mind right now, but definitely something I want in the future. For now, I just want to be the best I can be. I’m working on that,” she added.
For the fight, Ms. Olsim is grateful for the support and lessons her teammates like veteran and former lightweight champion Eduard Folayang and reigning strawweight world champ Joshua Pacio as well as coach Mark Sangiao were giving her.
“I’m very fortunate to be working with a team that will help me perform at my best on that big stage. I’ve learned a lot from everyone, not just in sharpening my technique, but also the kind of work ethic required to make it to the top. There’s a level of professionalism in training with Team Lakay, and a champion’s mind-set,” said Ms. Olsim, who last fought in August of 2019 at ONE Warrior Series 7.
Adding, “In Team Lakay, champions are not born, they are made. I’ve seen how iron sharpens iron, and how we can work together to improve our skills. It’s a privilege for me to train under my very experienced brothers and learn from them. They’ve reached the top already, so there’s a lot I can learn.”
Waiting for Ms. Olsim, is Ms. Mazar, who is out to win back-to-back fights after a triumph in her last fight in November.
Headlining Fists of Fury III, the last installment of the fight series, is the lightweight kickboxing world championship between reigning champion Regian Eersel of Suriname and challenger Mustapha Haida of Italy.
Co-headlining is the atomweight muay thai battle of Australian Alma Juniku and American Janet Todd, who incidentally is the ONE women’s kickboxing champion.
Also seeing action is former strawweight champion Alex Silva of Brazil versus Hiroba Minowa of Japan.
ONE: Fists of Fury III will be shown on One Sports and One Sports+ at 8:30 p.m. and on March 21 at 12 a.m. on TV5. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo