Fresh off a blistering first-round finish – and with a US$10,000 bonus in hand – Islay Erika Bomogao didn’t hesitate to respond to a callout from Japanese kickboxer Misaki Morita.
“If she wants to fight me she better go to Muay Thai,” the 24-year-old Filipino told the Bangkok Post after her third straight win under the ONE banner at Lumpinee Stadium last weekend.
“It’s always up to ONE Championship. If they give me Misaki then I’ll humbly accept and train for a fight – in Muay Thai.”
Misaki, the reigning Shootboxing atomweight champion, issued the challenge after her successful debut against China’s Ran Longshu earlier in the night. But Bomogao – who fights out of Team Bagsik – was quick to draw a line.
“Misaki was really good, really aggressive,” she said. “I do have some background in grappling – I used to be a local grappling champion in our province with Team Lakay – so Shootboxing is nice too, but I’m a Muay Thai girlie.”
Bomogao made the most of her long-awaited clash with Spain’s Nerea Rubio, which was originally postponed due to the Bangkok earthquake in April. The delay, she said, turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
“Me and my team looked at it as an opportunity to work more and further hone my skills,” she said. “It was really a blessing because I got to prepare more.”
She also spent time at Phuket’s famed Tiger Muay Thai gym ahead of the rescheduled bout – a move she credited with sharpening her confidence and aggression.
“I got to train with Kru Bird. I learned a lot and I hope to get back. I’m definitely more confident. It was a really nice experience.”That training paid off in the form of a statement win – and a much-needed display of the killer instinct that ONE Championship CEO Chatri Sityodtong has openly demanded from athletes.
“The killer instinct is really something I’ve been working on,” Bomogao said. “I reviewed my past two matches and saw some opportunities I could have finished my opponents. I should have stepped forward, but I stepped back – so this time I wanted to correct those mistakes.”
With three wins and a bonus to her name, Bomogao has her sights set on a full-time contract with ONE – but she’s in no rush.
“Any time ONE Championship plans to give me the contract – yes,” she said. “I don’t want to pressure myself, I want to be patient. If it’s for me, they’ll give it. If not yet, it’s OK – I can wait.”
And as ONE’s smaller weight classes continue to grow in popularity, Bomogao is out to prove a new women’s division beneath atomweight could steal the spotlight.
“We can be exciting, we can be electrifying – and we can bring in views too,” she said. “And we’re cute.”
“If she wants to fight me she better go to Muay Thai,” the 24-year-old Filipino told the Bangkok Post after her third straight win under the ONE banner at Lumpinee Stadium last weekend.
“It’s always up to ONE Championship. If they give me Misaki then I’ll humbly accept and train for a fight – in Muay Thai.”
Misaki, the reigning Shootboxing atomweight champion, issued the challenge after her successful debut against China’s Ran Longshu earlier in the night. But Bomogao – who fights out of Team Bagsik – was quick to draw a line.
“Misaki was really good, really aggressive,” she said. “I do have some background in grappling – I used to be a local grappling champion in our province with Team Lakay – so Shootboxing is nice too, but I’m a Muay Thai girlie.”
Bomogao made the most of her long-awaited clash with Spain’s Nerea Rubio, which was originally postponed due to the Bangkok earthquake in April. The delay, she said, turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
“Me and my team looked at it as an opportunity to work more and further hone my skills,” she said. “It was really a blessing because I got to prepare more.”
She also spent time at Phuket’s famed Tiger Muay Thai gym ahead of the rescheduled bout – a move she credited with sharpening her confidence and aggression.
“I got to train with Kru Bird. I learned a lot and I hope to get back. I’m definitely more confident. It was a really nice experience.”That training paid off in the form of a statement win – and a much-needed display of the killer instinct that ONE Championship CEO Chatri Sityodtong has openly demanded from athletes.
“The killer instinct is really something I’ve been working on,” Bomogao said. “I reviewed my past two matches and saw some opportunities I could have finished my opponents. I should have stepped forward, but I stepped back – so this time I wanted to correct those mistakes.”
With three wins and a bonus to her name, Bomogao has her sights set on a full-time contract with ONE – but she’s in no rush.
“Any time ONE Championship plans to give me the contract – yes,” she said. “I don’t want to pressure myself, I want to be patient. If it’s for me, they’ll give it. If not yet, it’s OK – I can wait.”
And as ONE’s smaller weight classes continue to grow in popularity, Bomogao is out to prove a new women’s division beneath atomweight could steal the spotlight.
“We can be exciting, we can be electrifying – and we can bring in views too,” she said. “And we’re cute.”
