Ritu Phogat gets new opponent in ONE Women’s Atomweight Grand Prix semifinals

Bengaluru, October 26: Indian wrestling star Ritu Phogat is set to face late replacement Team Lakay's Jenelyn Olsim in the ONE Women's Atomweight World Grand Prix after Itsuki Hirata was forced to pull out of the bout due to an undisclosed medical issue.

Olsim, who recently defeated Bi "Killer Bee" Nguyen at ONE: BATTLEGROUND III in August of this year, steps in for the semifinal clash at ONE: NEXTGEN this Friday (October 29).

While she wished "Android 18" Hirata to get well soon, the #5-ranked women's strawweight contender Olsim expressed her delight to be part of the historic atomweight GP on social media.

"To God be the Glory..!! I'm overjoyed to be a part of the historic atomweight grand prix as an alternate bout for @_itsuki_h_ , get well soon !!," the Filipina star wrote in an Instagram post.

"I've been working and competing for the chance to be a part of this event, and I'm grateful to God that I was chosen as an alternate. Thank you for your support, everyone."

A victory against Phogat would cement her status as the division's breakthrough athlete of the year. But defeating the Indian megastar is easier said than done.

"The Indian Tigress" Phogat has combined her world-class wrestling and newly acquired striking skill set at Evolve MMA to earn six wins on the global stage in slightly under two years.

Also, her previous fight against Meng Bo showcased that Phogat is more than capable of trading leather if it is necessary.

Olsim, on the other hand, is a striker, and she too has displayed that she is more than willing to outgrapple any atomweight contender on the canvas.

Both athletes are craving a shot at the iconic silver belt and a spot in the final against Stamp Fairtex or Julie Mezabarba. Expect fireworks when they clash in the co-main event at ONE: NEXTGEN this Friday.

Meanwhile, ONE: Nextgen also saw an alteration to the headliner as reigning ONE Light Heavyweight Kickboxing World Champion Roman Kryklia was forced to withdraw from the card also due to an undisclosed medical issue.

The Ukrainian striking specialist was scheduled to face longtime foe Iraj Azizpour in the main event of the night. As a result of Kryklia pulling out, Azizpour will take on Anderson "Braddock" Silva in a ONE Super Series heavyweight kickboxing bout.

And due to the title fight being replaced, the night's main event will now be the other atomweight GP semifinal between Stamp and Mezabarba.

Here is a look at the updated ONE: NEXTGEN Card:

• Atomweight World GP Semifinal: Stamp Fairtex vs. Julie Mezabarba

• Atomweight World GP Semifinal: Ritu Phogat vs. Itsuki Hirata

• Heavyweight Kickboxing: Anderson Silva vs. Iraj Azizpour

• Heavyweight - Mixed Martial Arts: Kirill Grishenko vs. Dustin Joynson

• Strawweight - Mixed Martial Arts: Miao Li Tao vs. Jeremy Miado

• Light Heavyweight - Kickboxing: Beybulat Isaev vs. Bogdan Stoica

Catch all the action from ONE: NEXTGEN live on Disney+ Hotstar or Star Sports Select 2 at 6 PM India Standard Time (IST) on Friday (October 29). Don't forget to download the ONE Super App for the latest news on your favorite martial artists.

Source: Media Release