Olsim, Abelardo return to Circle in ONE: Bad Blood


Team Lakay's Jenelyn Olsim and Filipino-Kiwi Mark Abelardo are set for their respective return to the Circle in ONE: Bad Blood at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Feb. 11.

Mark Abelardo and Jenelyn Olsim (ONE)

The Igorot warrior will finally take on Malaysian foe Jihin Radzuan in an atomweight bout while Abelardo will cap off the lead card in a bantamweight match against Chinese opponent Chen Rui.

Olsim was supposed to clash with Radzuan in November last year but the Team Lakay stalwart had to step up as a replacement for Itsuki Hirata against Ritu Phogat in the semifinal of the women's atomweight grand prix late October.

Olsim, unfortunately, suffered a unanimous decision defeat against Phogat as the Indian rising star advanced to the final of the tournament.

But Phogat also lost to eventual grand prix champion Stamp Fairtex, who will face reigning MMA atomweight queen Angela Lee in ONE: X in March.

Abelardo, for his part, hopes to continue his winning ways after scoring a second-round knockout against Emilio Urrutia in March last year.

Prior to that, the Fil-Kiwi warrior absorbed two straight losses in 2020 against Troy Worthen and Fabricio Andrade.

It will be an all-out Brazilian war in the main event as reigning bantamweight champion Bibiano Fernandes will defend his title against top contender John Lineker.