Jenelyn Olsim fell short of salvaging a crucial victory on Friday, September 29 to set the tone for Lions Nation MMA’s debut campaign on the global stage.
She absorbed a third-round submission loss at the hands of Jihin Radzuan in a 120.8-pound catchweight contest on the undercard of ONE Friday Fights 35, which took place at the legendary Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
Radzuan proved to be a tough customer for Olsim, especially considering she has been refining her craft at the Fairtex Training Center in Pattaya, Thailand
The drama kicked off straight away as both women opted to stand and bang in the opening frame. Olsim found her mark, connecting with a series of hooks while drilling knees to the midsection.
Having difficulties keeping up with Olsim in the stand-up trade, Radzuan changed levels and enjoyed a moment of dominance on the ground.
From there, the Malaysian sought various submission opportunities, including attempting a rear-naked choke and a triangle choke. Nevertheless, Olsim miraculously staved off all her opponent’s advances and managed to make it through the round.
However, the dynamics shifted significantly during the second round. During this period, Radzuan began to assert herself, repeatedly taking down the Filipina and pummeling her with relentless ground and pound.
Photo from ONEFC.com
Olsim struggled to defend against Radzuan’s aggressive attacks, going to the extent of grabbing the ropes and earning a yellow card from the referee.
Moving into the third round, Radzuan ultimately seized control of Olsim and the victory. “Shadow Cat” kept “The Graceful Igorot” on the defensive and then transitioned to latch on a painful armbar, forcing the tap at the 1:34 mark.
It was a bitter pill to swallow for Olsim as she sustained her second consecutive defeat, downgrading her professional record to a 6-5.
On the other hand, Radzuan returned to the winner’s circle with her sensational performance against Olsim to improve to a 9-3 slate.
The crusade is far from over for Lions Nation MMA as Eduard Folayang represents the newly-formed stable at ONE Fight Night 14, figuring in a rematch against Amir Khan at ONE Fight Night 14.
This bout is set to be held at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Saturday morning, September 30.
