The popularity of women’s mixed martial arts has sky-rocketed in the past five years.
Spearheaded by Ronda Rousey, who transcended both MMA itself and sport as a whole, female fighting is now gaining the parity with its counterparts its long deserved, with fans across the globe embracing the unique set of personalities which have helped it gain a foothold on the scene.
Far from confined to the realms of the Americas and the behemoth that is the UFC, the movement has expanded and flourished across Asia, particularly within the burgeoning promotion that is ONE Championship.
Now the largest sports league on the continent, ONE has pushed its female stars to the forefront of its campaign and held them aloft as the faces of their league, pioneering new weight divisions in which they’re able to shine.
There are few better examples of that movement than Rika 'Tiny Doll' Ishige, a rising star in the promotion’s 105lb (48kg) Atomweight class.
Ishige will be looking to continue her win streak when she takes on Jomary Torres at ONE Championship: Kings and Conquerors at Cotai Arena in Macao on Saturday night, and her grasp of the bigger picture as she trailblazes for other female hopefuls is also of utmost importance.
"Martial arts is not about fighting. Its real aim is to empower both men and women," Ishige told Newshub.
"We’ve already seen what women can do inside the cage. It’s a high time to unleash our full potential in this sport."
Notching two eye-catching first-round wins to kickstart her professional career, Ishige has established herself as a submission specialist with dangerous striking ability.
Ishige is well aware of the responsibility she and fellow female stars such as Angela Lee, who is one of the figureheads of the promotion and the current Atomweight champion, carry.
"Female fighters in Asia have been given several avenues to showcase their skills and what they are capable of in a world-class organization such as ONE Championship.
"Angela, Ann and others paved the way for other female fighters like me. I am here to continue what they’ve started."
The 28-year-old is a martial arts purist, taking up Karate at a young age and scarcely looking back on her road to becoming Thailand's premier pugilist in a cage, be it male or female.
"Martial arts is my passion. I'm really happy when I share and learn new things about martial arts with others," says an exuberant Ishige.
"I'm surrounded by people who support me in training. It makes me stronger. I am ready for this upcoming fight."
Not content with simply breaking down gender barriers, Ishige is eager to dispel many of the negative stereotypes that still surround MMA, despite being the world’s fastest growing sport popularity-wise.
"Most people do not understand mixed martial arts. They think it has no rules, and that it’s barbaric. I want to show them it is not like that.
"It is a real sport, and me, I am a small girl, but I can fight in a world class organization. It is not brutal. It is about technique."
And it’s technique that the diminuitive Thai, a technician on the mat, has plenty of.
The pocket-sized Ishige is certainly true to her nickname, relying on a whirlwind offense of high-octane strikes and relentless submissions that no challenger to date has been able to escape.
The Bangkok-based fighter also carries with her the burden of weight and expectation of her Thailand, a nation for which combat sports is king and Ishige its new queen.
"At first, I didn’t feel any pressure of being the first female Thai fighter to step into an MMA cage because I believe in myself and in my ability. In my mind, I thought I could handle it.
"All of sudden, I started to attract attention. I can't pretend that everything is easy anymore.
"It’s a must-win fight for me right now. My family is going to watch. Not only that, the whole country will be watching. But for sure, I will do my best."
With a third consecutive win in her crosshairs this weekend, Ishige's sole focus in training camp is herself and her own undeniable abilities, that and proceeding to promote and uphold the integrity of the sport.
"I like to concentrate my training on myself. It does not matter about the opponent.
"The important thing for success is self-confidence. The key to self-confidence is preparation, and I am well prepared for this fight.
"This campaign is for everyone who doesn't understand the beauty of this sport."
Newshub.
