Team Lakay's Olsim forced out of February bout by injury

MANILA, Philippines, February 6 ------ Team Lakay's Jenelyn Olsim will have to wait before making her return to the ONE Circle after she suffered an injury that forced her out of the fight card in ONE: Bad Blood set next week.

Olsim was set to face Jihin Radzuan in Singapore on February 11, but unfortunately injured herself during training. The atomweight contender was hoping to bounce back against Radzuan after she fell against Ritu Phogat in the ONE Women's Atomweight World Grand Prix Semifinals last October. "I was really looking forward to going back to fighting and I had been preparing really hard for this," Olsim said. "I was so focused that I really wanted to win, but I won't be able to perform at my best with my current condition. It's upsetting, but it's what needs to be done," she added.

Olsim took the fight on short notice, with only three weeks of preparation. The Filipina was initially slated to face Radzuan as early as October last year as an alternate bout in the Women's Atomweight World Grand Prix before she moved up to face Phogat to replace Japan's Itsuki Hirata who fell ill.

She hopes that third time's the charm, though, as Olsim still has her sights set on Radzuan once she recovers from the injury. "This hanging match with her is making me more excited to face her for real. I can say that I'm 100-percent focused and I can't wait to be back to train for her," she said. Japan's Mei Yamaguchi comes in as a late replacement for Olsim.

Fil-Kiwi Mark Abelardo is also on the ONE: Bad Blood card to face off against China's Chen Rui in a bantamweight contest. In the main event, Bibiano Fernandes defends his ONE Bantamweight World Championship against top contender John Lineker.

Source: philstar.com