Rika Ishige’s Biggest Wins In ONE Championship

From the moment she arrived in ONE Championship, Rika “Tinydoll” Ishige has been a firm fan favorite.

The 29-year-old Thai star quickly made a name for herself with her eye-catching walkouts, infectious smile, and willingness to take the action to her opponents every time she steps into the ONE Championship cage.

Ishige will make her promotional return at ONE: KINGDOM OF HEROES, which emanates from the Impact Arena in her native Bangkok, Thailand, this Saturday, 6 October.

Before she faces Myanmar’s Bozhena Antoniyar in an atomweight showdown, let’s relive the Thai’s three victories in The Home Of Martial Arts.

A Flawless Debut

In March 2017, Ishige made her professional mixed martial arts debut on home soil at ONE: WARRIOR KINGDOM. She took on Malaysia’s Audreylaura Boniface at the Impact Arena, and made a strong first impression.

Although she was taken down early in the contest, “Tinydoll” showed great composure to reverse the position, and threatened with two successive armbar attempts that Boniface did well to escape from. 

Undeterred, Ishige kept the pressure on. She switched from submissions to striking, as she maintained the full mount position. The Thai rained down elbows and punches to force the stoppage with merely 28 seconds left in the opening stanza.

It was a magnificent start to her career, and she was motivated to build momentum almost immediately.

A Submission To Remember

Fresh off her impressive debut, Ishige returned to action against Indonesian wushu warrior Nita Dea just two months later at ONE: DYNASTY OF HEROES in Singapore.

The Thai hero repeated the feat with another first-round stoppage victory, but she had to battle through adversity once again to earn the win.

“Tinydoll” stood toe-to-toe with her opponent, but was rocked by strikes in the early exchanges. But when the contest went to the mat, the Thai atomweight took over.

Ishige used her grappling superiority to great effect, as she escaped from the bottom position to eventually take Dea’s back and lock up a tight armbar.

Despite finding herself in a predicament that would have prompted many athletes to tap, Dea remarkably battled through, even after Ishige extended the Indonesian’s elbow.

That forced the Thai to switch targets, and she worked her way into position to apply a tight rear-naked choke, which ultimately forced the tap halfway into the frame.

A Resounding Comeback

Last December, all eyes were on “Tinydoll.”

The Thai experienced her first blemish four months earlier, and everyone was waiting to see how she would respond.

She met Philippine Sikaran Champion Rome “The Rebel” Trinidad at ONE: WARRIORS OF THE WORLD in Bangkok, where she claimed a resounding victory.

“Tinydoll” was keen to display her stand-up early in the bout, as she utilized her low kicks to counter the Filipina’s straight punches in the first round.

However, in the second stanza, Ishige showcased a more well-rounded skill set. After an initial striking exchange, she changed levels and secured a takedown. Then, she went to work on the canvas, where she scored with solid strikes and threatened with submission attempts.

Eventually, after the bout returned to the feet, she initiated the clinch and maneuvered herself into position to lock up a rear-naked choke. “The Rebel” had no choice but to tap, thus giving the Thai a sensational win in front of her home crowd.