Though some Team Lakay fans did not take too kindly to the pre-fight words of Bi Nguyen, Jenelyn Olsim offered nothing but praise for the Vietnamese-American athlete.
Early this week, the 31-year-old former Survivor contestant shared that she is looking to “drag Olsim into deep waters and then drown her” come ONE: Battleground III which airs on Friday night.
Olsim then responded by saying that she admires Nguyen — especially her fighting spirit.
“I actually admire Bi Nguyen, personally. I like her fighting spirit and the spirit in her that she never gives up easily,” Olsim said.
“But I think I’m ready for this. I have been fighting for seven years now and I want to test my skills and my limits. So bring it on!”
When breaking down the Team Lakay scouting report on Nguyen, Olsim praised her opponent’s fighting spirit and athletic makeup but would not concede any technical advantages. She cited Nguyen’s ability to fight to the bitter end, never giving up. Still, she insisted that she would emerge the superior mixed martial artist due to her well-rounded approach.
“As far as I can see from reviewing her fights, she’s not used to going to the ground. She most likely [will fight] in the stand-up game. So I think her weak part is her ground game,” Olsim said.
“I have watched her previous fights and she dominates with her striking technique. I think she’s most comfortable with her boxing.”
Despite her aforementioned extensive background in Muay Thai, Olsim is intent on taking the path of least resistance. In this case, that means tying up Nguyen and sending the fight to the ground before hunting for a submission.
That’s not to say Olsim isn’t planning to engage with Nguyen on the feet in order to get there.
“I’m also comfortable with my striking skills, so maybe we’ll be [fighting] more with our striking,” Olsim said.
“The fans will be expecting a technical game in this fight. Expect action!”
