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ONE: NextGen delivered an action-packed fight card, with the bout between Ritu Phogat and Jenelyn Olsim being the standout. The ONE women's atomweight Grand Prix semi-finals saw 'The Indian Tigress' dominate Olsim on the way to a unanimous decision victory.
In a controversial moment, the fight saw Phogat throw an intentional headbutt in the second round while Olsim was on the ground. The move shocked her Filipino opponent, who thought the headbutt came as a result of her accidental hit on Phogat in the first round.
"I was shocked too when she headbutt me because I know that it was illegal and I saw that she did it on purpose," said Olsim during the post fight interview. "I think maybe it’s because of what happened in the 1st round but I really didn’t think that it was illegal to hit her in the 1st round because I was having an adrenaline rush and yeah that’s it. So maybe in the 1st round when I hit her, when we were grounded, I’m sorry for that. When I saw her headbutting me, oh my gosh! That was on purpose."
Phogat admitted that the headbutt was intentional and she did not know that it was against the rules in ONE Championship.
"I wasn’t aware that it wasn’t allowed. I really wasn’t aware of it but the minute the referee instructed me against it, I didn’t pursue it any further. I didn’t try it again, I respected the referee’s instructions," said Phogat.
It was Olsim's first loss after winning back-to-back fights against Bi Nguyen and Maira Mazar. The Team Lakay fighter was a last-minute substitute for Itsuki Hirata, who caught a bad fever prior to flying out to Singapore.
Ritu Phogat moves to the finals of the ONE Grand Prix
Phogat's recent matchup with Olsim was her fourth fight under the ONE Championship banner in 2021. After losing to Bi Nguyen, she went on to win her next three bouts, conquering Heqin Lin and Meng Bo before beating Olsim.
The win has put her on a collision course with Thai fighter Stamp Fairtex for the ONE women's atomweight Grand Prix finale. The winner of the bout will get a title shot against reigning champion Angela Lee.
