Jenelyn Olsim is set to compete for the first time in 2022 at ONE Championship: Bad Blood. The event is set for February 22 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
Coming from a tough loss against Ritu Phogat, the Filipino fighter has sharpened her mental strength ahead of her next bout against Jihin Radzuan.
The two fighters were initially slated to step inside the MMA cage back in October 2021 as an alternate bout in the ONE Championship Women's Atomweight Grand Prix.
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The fight was postponed as Olsim was summoned to step in to replace Itsuki Hirata and fight Phogat on very short notice. The Team Lakay fighter took on the challenge and lost via unanimous decision.
Looking back at the fight, Olsim reviewed her mistakes and saw that she needed to improve her mental focus during matches moving forward. In an interview with ONE Championship, she said:
"My fight with Ritu taught me to be more focused, that I need to have that presence of mind and to execute the game plan in actuality. On the training aspect, nothing has changed. All I have to do now is to execute."
A more focused Jenelyn Olsim will fight Jihin Radzuan at ONE Championship: Bad Blood
Jenelyn Olsim tasted her third loss in eight professional MMA bouts last time out. Her recent defeat against Ritu Phogat exposed her weaknesses and she has worked on improving her mental focus while approaching her next fights.
"I can say that I really learned a lot from that loss, but that loss has made me way more driven and more aggressive. Like what coach Mark [Sangiao] always says, it's either we win or we learn."
Jihin Radzuan will be Olsim's next opponent. The Malaysian fighter has only lost twice in eight professional MMA bouts. Half of her victories were earned from the eyes of the judges, while she also boasts two submissions and one knockout win.
Olsim now has a month to prepare for her next match and she made a bold promise to showcase her improved skills.
"Expect a highly-technical battle and a more aggressive Jenelyn in this match."
Olsim will have the chance to put her development on display come February 22.