The Filipino combat sports community has even more reason to tune into the sport of Muay Thai, with Islay Erika Bomogao serving as the face of the entire run due to her recent run of success.
The 25-year-old entered ONE Friday Fights 64 last Friday, July 31, on a four-fight winning streak, where she faced fellow rising star Klinphaka Por Thaisong in the atomweight ranks.
Their encounter lasted until 13 seconds into the final frame, as Bomogao caught the Thai standout with a crushing right hook for the knockout win.
As a reward for the finish, ONE Championship chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong awarded her THB 350,000 (about PHP 638,000). Not only that, but the Team Bagsik star also received a USD 100,000 (about PHP 6.1 million) contract to become a tenured ONE fighter.
It’s a fitting reward for Bomogao, as she’s been tearing it up in the promotion’s Friday Fights circuit — with her showing against Klinphaka being her third consecutive knockout victory.
From Friday Fights Stardom to Tenured Roster
Becoming a tenured ONE fighter is certainly an accomplishment worth celebrating, since not many athletes her age have reached the heights she has.
However, this is the part of the story where someone must play the realist and acknowledge that the work has only begun for Bomogao.
The young Filipina surely has hopes of becoming a ONE world champion, and that will be no easy task as the current atomweight Muay Thai champion, Allycia Hellen Rodrigues, remains the most dangerous striker thanks to her own brand of Muay Thai.
The Atomweight Gauntlet Ahead
Along the way, Bomogao must also get past the likes of Marie McManamon, Shir Cohen, Martina Dominczak, possibly even atomweight kickboxing queen Phetjeeja, since she also competes in Muay Thai.
She might even face 16-year-old Canadian phenom Olivia Bahsous when the time comes.
But all of that is still in the future, and Bomogao can afford to take a break and celebrate a bit — all before she returns to doing the work that she hopes will lead her to 26 pounds of ONE Championship gold.
