Jenelyn Olsim. Photo from ONE Championship
MANILA, Philippines—Not only is Jenelyn Olsim confident of beating Julie Mezabarba of Brazil in ONE 158 on Friday, the Team Lakay up-and-comer is also picked by top atomweight contender Stamp Fairtex to win.
Stamp, the former ONE atomweight Muay Thai and kickboxing champion, has Olsim emerging victorious due to her superior ground game.
“I predict that Jenelyn will win. In my opinion, Julie’s strength is striking and of course, she’s got weaknesses on the ground game. While Jenelyn’s strengths are the same as Julie’s, Julie’s weakness is that she doesn’t have enough skill on the ground,” said Stamp.
Stamp had seen Mezabarba’s abilities first-hand after the two fought in the ONE Championship Atomweight Grand Prix semifinals last year that saw the Thai star winning by unanimous decision.
“I think both of them are strikers so it’s equal, but Jenelyn will have the advantage because she also has the ground game,” said Stamp.
Olsim showcased that facet of her game in her ONE Championship main roster debut last year when she submitted Brazil’s Maira Mazar via guillotine choke.
The 25-year-old Olsim is fresh off a bronze medal finish in Vietnamese martial art vovinam at the Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi.
Both Olsim (5-3) and Mezabarba (9-3) haven’t fought since October 2021 when they lost in their respective ONE Grand Prix semis bouts.