MANILA, Philippines — Jomary Torres was a newcomer in ONE Championship on Saturday night.
But the way she carried herself from the backstage and her return to it was far from one.
Torres, who many fight fans wrote off against Thailand’s Rika Ishige, walked to the cage sporting a smile across her face — a far cry from the shy version of herself during the pre-fight presser, where she could barely share her insights on her foe and fight.
The Zamboanga native, seemingly unleashed, went on to dictate the tempo after the opening bell. Repeatedly, she evaded the well-rounded Ishige. Repeatedly she tagged the pretty face of her foe. Repeatedly, she looked for an opening and hit her target.
Until the referee decided it’s over at the 1:58th mark of the second frame.
“Medyo ‘di siya nakangiti takot siya eh,” Torres offered when asked about first win in the Asian circuit.
And for a rookie fighter, the 21-year-old sure as hell knows when to pounce on her prey — an attribute novices in the sport rarely flash.
“Noong naramdaman kong takot na siya, pinush ko na nawala na smile niya,” Torres shared.
But despite that victory at the Cotai Arena that put her on everyone’s radar, the soft-spoken fighter out of Catalan Fighting Systems noted that the win also took her by surprise.
“‘'Di ko expect na mananalo ako ngayong gabi,” Torres offered. “It was kind of 50-50, but I’m happy I was able to walk away with the win.”
And she should be, as the victory puts other atomweights on notice. Torres is also the first fighter to put a blemish on the highly-touted Ishige’s record. And oh, she was the only bright spot in Philippines' three-man contingent that saw action in the showpiece.
Asked about her “transformation,” Torres gamely explained: “Iba kasi ‘yung sa cage na kasi eh—bakbakan talaga. Tapos may mga tao na sumusuporta.
“Dito naman (sa interviews), mahina ako,” she closed with a light chuckle.