FILE–Team Lakay’s Jenelyn Olsim. ONE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—Filipino Jenelyn Olsim failed to advance to the final of the ONE Championship Atomweight Grand Prix after a unanimous decision loss to India’s Ritu Phogat in ONE: Next Gen Friday at Singapore Indoor Stadium.
Phogat, who is moving on the championship round, used her superior wrestling to stuff Olsim’s striking and effectively stop the Team Lakay protege’s game plan.
Olsim took the fight in four days’ notice as an alternate.
The Team Lakay fighter, in a bout of desperation, was warned for an illegal strike after she landed an illegal upkick while Phogat was on her knees near the end of the first round.
Phogat then slammed Olsim at the start of the second effectively moving to a dominant position and staying there throughout the rest of the round.
The Evolve MMA star then controlled the third using her grappling with Olsim trying and failing to lock in a triangle choke near the end of the match.
Olsim (5-3) replaced Japanese star Itsuki Hirata, who pulled out of the tournament due to non-COVID illness, and suffered her first loss of 2021.
Phogat (7-1), meanwhile, chalked up her third straight win. She will face the winner between Stamp Fairtex and Julie Mezarbaba in the finals.