SPORTS
BANGKOK, Thailand – Fresh from securing one of the biggest victories of her career, Igorot Muay Thai star Islay Erika Bomogao is now championing a cause beyond her own success—calling on ONE Championship to create its first-ever women's 105-pound Muay Thai division to give naturally smaller female fighters a fair chance to compete at the highest level.
Just days after earning a US$100,000 ONE Championship contract following her stunning 13-second third-round knockout of Thailand's Klinphaka Por Thaisong at ONE Friday Fights 164 on July 31, Bomogao made a heartfelt appeal to ONE Championship Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong to establish a division specifically for women weighing around 105 pounds (47.6 kilograms).
Proposal for smaller fighters
If approved, the proposal would create the promotion's first official women's weight class below atomweight, opening opportunities for athletes who naturally compete at or below 105 pounds to vie for world titles without moving up to face significantly larger opponents.
Bomogao made the appeal moments after cementing her status as one of ONE Championship's fastest-rising stars.
In her bout against Klinphaka Por Thaisong, the Igorot fighter overcame an early setback after absorbing a powerful roundhouse kick in the opening round. She adjusted her strategy in the second round before delivering a perfectly timed straight right hand just 13 seconds into the third round to score a spectacular knockout victory.
The win improved her professional record to 6-0, marked her fifth consecutive victory in ONE Championship, her third straight knockout, and earned her a third consecutive 350,000-baht Performance Bonus, along with the coveted US$100,000 contract that secured her place on the promotion's global roster.
Bomogao, who weighed in at 104.2 pounds for the fight, said she has no intention of significantly increasing her natural weight simply to qualify for a heavier division.
"105 pounds is perfect. I don't want to get bigger. I'm okay with this," she said.
Under ONE Championship's current rules, the women's atomweight division covers fighters weighing over 105 pounds up to 115 pounds, leaving no official category for athletes who naturally compete at or below the 105-pound limit.
For Bomogao, the proposal is about more than personal preference. She believes a dedicated 105-pound division would allow smaller athletes to compete on equal footing against opponents of similar size instead of being forced to face naturally bigger and stronger fighters.
She added that the division would benefit many female Muay Thai athletes, particularly in Southeast Asia, where numerous elite fighters naturally compete around the 105-pound mark, by giving them a realistic pathway to world championships without compromising their natural physique.
Ready for the next challenge
Now officially part of ONE Championship's international roster, Bomogao acknowledged that she has become one of the promotion's top targets.
"Now that I got the contract, I think I have a lot of targets on my back already. Whoever ONE Championship puts up against me, I will train hard and my team and I will bring it, as we always do," she said.
Potential challengers already being discussed include Japan's Misaki and Thailand's Duangdawnoi Looksaikongdin, although no official matchups have been announced.
Should ONE Championship approve Bomogao's proposal, it would create the organization's first women's 105-pound Muay Thai division, providing smaller competitors with a more level playing field and another route to a world title.
For the Igorot champion, the proposal carries a simple but powerful message:
"Small women like me can also be entertaining, and we can also hit hard."
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