TEAM Lakay stalwarts Joshua Pacio and Jenelyn Olsim are trying to stay in shape during the health crisis while waiting for a call from One Championship on their turn to the octagon.
The 25-year-old Pacio has been inactive for more than a year since retaining his strawweight world title via split decision against Alex Silva at the Mall of Asia Arena just before the outbreak of the pandemic.
Olsim, 23, meanwhile, was fortunate enough to make her One Championship debut last month in Singapore where she scored a third-round victory via submission over world No. 5 Brazilian Maira Mazar.
“We continue training to maintain or improve on our skills,” Pacio told the online Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum recently. “If we don’t train, we’ll get rusty.”
“I’m very grateful that I could train everyday, anytime we’ll get a call to fight again,” said Olsim, a member of the national Muay Thai team that clinched a silver medal in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games.
Olsim hopes she gets to fight any of the top four in the strawweight category to go up the rankings and eventually vie for the world title.
“I want to go after the belt,” Olsim, a native of Bokod in Benguet, told the session presented by San Miguel Corp., Milo, Amelie Hotel Manila, Braska Restaurant, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.
“I’m chasing my dream and I’m in the right team [Team Lakay],” added Olsim, who admitted to doing odd jobs to support her studies before finding her way to mixed martial arts.
China’s Xiong Jing Nan is the current world champion in Olsim’s division.
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