Torres tests mettle vs Ishige in ONE Macau card

MANILA, Philippines — Jomary Torres has one simple goal in her debut in ONE Championship, and that is to not become a footstool of her foe in the atomweight rankings.

The Filipina out of Catalan Fighting Systems will be taking on Rika Ishige of Thailand in the upcoming “Kings and Conquerors” card this August in Macau.

“It’s my first time to compete in ONE. Of course, I am aiming to get a big win. I’ve worked hard just to make it here. I won’t waste this opportunity,” she claimed.

But the road to victory for Torres won’t be a walk in the park as Ishige is a well-rounded martial artist.

A Muay Thai specialist, the 2-0 Ishige, born to a Japanese father, is also well-versed in aikido, tae kwon do and karate.

“We are keenly studying my opponent for this fight. She is a true martial artist. It’s part of her lifestyle. It’s in her blood,” Torres said of Ishige.

“I know what she is capable of doing inside the cage. She has a good Muay Thai base. Aside from that, she also has a good ground game.

But Torres said she remains unfazed, as she flaunts striking expertise, too.

“My foundation is Wushu. I have no problem if she wants to fight standing up. I am already expecting that she will trade strikes with me. I can strike very hard too,” Torres warned.

“I will work hard on myself. I like to concentrate my training on myself. It does not matter about the opponent. The important thing for success is self-confidence,” she added.

“The key to self-confidence is preparation, and I am well prepared for this fight. If I have good preparation, I can fight anybody,” she closed.

The 1-0 Torres is set to join Eric Kelly and Team Lakay prospect Joshua Pacio in the undercard of the showpiece set to be held at the Cotai Arena August 5.