WSOF-GC vice-president for operations Jason Lilly (middle) flanked by Jujeath Bad Girl" Naogawa (left) and Jennelyn Olsim at Novotel Araneta Center. (Photo by NORLENE BUNDALIAN)
By KARL LAPNITEN
BAGUIO CITY — Two top Cordilleran lady mixed martial artist are in for the toughest fights of their career by far when they see cage combat action in the Philippine debut of World Series of Fighting-Global Championship (WSOF-GC) this July 30 in Manila.
Following her announcement of retiring from boxing last month, former World Boxing Association champion Jujeath “Badgirl” Nagaowa will don the MMA gloves once more after a year and a half long hiatus from the cage.
La Trinidad, Benguet-based Nagaowa has resumed training last month to prepare for Malaysian fighter Audrey Laura Boniface in the WSOF-GC main card at the Araneta Colliseum.
Both fighters have an identical 2-0 win-loss record in their professional MMA careers and have both extensive martial art background.
Nagoawa has compiled over 31 professional boxing fights in the last decade which highlighted a win over the WBA International light flyweight on June 2015.
The 4-foot-11 fighter started dabbling in MMA in 2014 winning two fights under the ONE Championship banner, both ending in technical knockouts (TKOs) under the second round.
Camping at the Highland Boxing Stable, the 28-year-old athlete however has recently been frequently cross training in various MMA gyms in Baguio and La Trinidad to further up hone her skills.
Nagaowa’s opponent, 27-year-old Boniface, is a well-rounded athlete having a black belt in Taekwondo and has bagged several medals in jiu-jitsu including in the Pan Asian BJJ Tournament.
Boniface, a medical doctor by profession, trains at the Borneo Tribal
Squad in Sabah where he is mentored by ONE Championship fighters Ann Osman and AJ ‘Pyro’ Lias Mansor.
Meanwhile, after stringing consecutive victories in the amateur circuit, Baguio fighter Jennelyn Olsim will debut in the professional league against a tough Brazilian in the supporting card.
Olsim last saw action in March when she outclassed Australian Claire Fryer to take a majority decision win in an amateur bout under the Underground Battles (UGB).
This July, Olsim will face veteran Nayara Hemily Cascardo of Rio Extreme Fight in three five-minute rounds.
Fighting at flyweight, the Baguio fighter’s medals in local grappling circuits is a testament to her proven ground skills. Her training with multiple Muay Thai world champion Brent Velasco at Tribal Submission-Team Torogi will also come handy against Cascardo who is a Muay Thai-based fighter.
Stacking a 3-3-1 win-loss-no contest record, the 21-year-old Brazilian will be fighting MMA outside her country for the first time.
Cordillera region is known host of top MMA athletes in the Asia-Pacific region producing the likes of UFC veterans Mark Eddiva, Roldan Sangchaan; as well as ONE Championship superstars Eduard Folayang, Eric Kelly, and Kevin Belingon.
The WSOF event will be headlined by a heavyweight title fight between titleholder Evgeny Erokhin and challenger Richard Odoms.
Event starts at 5PM (PHT) with tickets ranging from P300 to P4,000. –
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