Jomary Torres Stops Rika Ishige’s Meteoric Rise In Macao

Rika “Tinydoll” Ishige has had more of the fanfare, but Jomary “The Zamboanginian Fighter” Torres is also a highly-touted prospect. Their atomweight bout at ONE: KINGS & CONQUERORS on Saturday, 5 August, would decide which of these undefeated athletes would live up to the hype first.

Both had their moments, including a dominant first round from the 28-year-old Thai Ishige, but it was “The Zamboanginian Fighter” who would have her hand raised, scoring a submission victory in a punishing second stanza.

Ishige started the first round with a familiar smile, while the 21-year-old Filipino was relaxed in her movement and looked to figure out the timing of her adversary. The early going saw “Tinydoll” counter Torres’ hard kicks with takedowns, utilizing good top control and efficient movement on the ground.

However, it was clear the explosiveness of Torres was always going to be a factor, as she muscled her way out of bad positions.

The Thai’s ground game looked much more refined as she spent the majority of the opening stanza on top, looking for passes and submissions. She looked comfortable when controlling the pace on the canvas, but it seemed her opponent only needed a split second to power out of any awkward spot she was put in. Ishige breathed heavily as she walked to her corner at the end of the first, something she has never had to do before.

Despite being one round down, Catalan Fighting System’s Torres was enthused by some of the success she had in the first stanza, and came out swinging hard. The tide turned when she caught one of the Thai’s kicks and dumped her to the mat after landing a barrage of hard shots.

Although “Tinydoll” managed to scramble back to her feet, she could not escape the offense of her opponent, and was dropped by a hard right hand following another labored body kick. The Filipino swarmed with ferocious ground and pound as Ishige tried to cover up, before finally using the position to lock in a match-ending rear-naked choke. 

This was a landmark win for Torres, who moves to 2-0, and will now be able to draw upon a lot of the hype “Tinydoll” possessed prior to the bout. With power and durability, Torres will be a force to be reckoned with in the division moving forward.

Ishige suffers defeat for the first time, but showed her skill in the first round — skill which, on another day, may have gotten her the win. Her star should not fade too much, as she continues to gain experience and entertain.