Team Lakay's rookie Jenelyn Olsim solidified her status as one of the few fighters to watch out for in the women's strawweight division of ONE Championship after beating No. 5 contender Maira Mazar of Brazil.
Olsim had a successful debut in the Circle after scoring a third-round submission win over Mazar in ONE: Fists of Fury III at the Singapore Indoor Stadium last March 19 to improve at a 4-2 mixed martial arts record.
"This motivated me a lot and I actually surprised my own self when I bagged the victory," Olsim wrote on her Facebook page Monday, March 22. "It was a validation that I'm fully ready for global matches. I and my whole team were very elated."
Olsim added that the win has "established a solid statement" that she's not about to be underestimated in the division.
After reviewing the bout, the 23-year-old Igorot warrior vowed to fix her flaws and improve her wrestling and footwork as well.
Olsim proved to be a well-rounded fighter after going toe-to-toe with Mazar, a grappling specialist who trains out of Singapore's Evolve MMA.
Aside from accurate striking, Olsim, a muay thai silver medalist in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games, displayed an improved ground game by submitting Mazar in the third round.
The Team Lakay stalwart caught Mazar off guard with a swift guillotine choke from standing position that forced referee Olivier Coste to stop the match at the 41-second mark of the last frame.
Olsim also hauled points in the first and second rounds with a solid right hook and front kick knockdown, respectively.
"For now, I want to keep challenging myself way more and be able to climb the rank up and level off with the other girls and hopefully win the belt in Strawweight. It will be one step at a time," said Olsim.