Expect rapid-fire action when Jenelyn Olsim and Ritu “The Indian Tigress” Phogat take centerstage this Friday.
Both women hope to impress by going for the finish in their ONE Women’s Atomweight World Grand Prix semifinal clash in the co-main event of ONE: NEXTGEN at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
“I believe in the saying, ‘Don’t leave it to the judges,’” Olsim said after she entered the tournament when Itsuki “Android 18” Hirata pulled out due to undisclosed medical reasons.
“I will give everything I have. I will do everything to finish the game – it’s either a submission or knockout.”
Like Olsim, Phogat looks to end the night early and make a clear cut argument for herself as the favorite to win the entire tournament.
“I concur with what Jenelyn said. I want to make it a clear win for myself and not leave it to the hands of the judges,” Phogat said.
“All I’m focused on right now is to wrap up this match as soon as I can.”
Impressive has been her run so far, especially after weathering the storm that was Meng Bo in the quarterfinals, where she survived an early onslaught before eking out a hard-earned but well-deserved decision win.
Not only did she display her wrestling that night, her chin and hands were also on display, and that’s something that people should expect to see from her moving forward.
“People are underestimating my striking because wrestling has been one of my strongest weapons, and I continue to leverage this to my opponents. If it’s working, it’s working,” Phogat said.
“But striking is definitely an area that I’m improving on, and it’s something you’ll see in the next matches.”
Olsim’s face naturally lit up upon hearing that, as she believes she holds a huge advantage over Phogat on the feet.
“I don’t underestimate Ritu, but I know I can outstrike her when it comes to that. Her biggest strength is wrestling, so I’m not going to allow her to pin me down.”
Watch ONE: NEXTGEN live on One Sports or One Sports+ at 8:30 p.m. Philippine Standard Time (PHT) on Friday, October 29. It also airs on ONE’s YouTube channel and the ONE Super App.