Igorota fighter Islay Bomogao scores 13-second KO, lands US$100,000 ONE Championship deal

SPORTS

BANGKOK, Thailand — Igorota Muay Thai star Islay Erika Bomogao reached a career-defining milestone after scoring a stunning 13-second knockout victory over Thailand's Klinphaka Por Thaisong to earn a US$100,000 ONE Championship contract at ONE Friday Fights 164 held at the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium on July 31, 2026.

The emphatic victory officially secured the 25-year-old Baguio City native a spot in ONE Championship's atomweight Muay Thai division, joining the promotion's main roster alongside some of the world's top martial artists.

Rough start, spectacular finish

The bout did not begin in Bomogao's favor as Klinphaka used her height and reach advantage to control the distance with powerful kicks. The Thai fighter even scored a knockdown with a well-timed roundhouse kick in the opening round.

Bomogao, however, quickly regained her composure and gradually turned the tide in the second round by closing the distance and landing damaging elbow strikes from the clinch.

Just 13 seconds into the third round, Bomogao unleashed a perfectly timed straight right hand that landed flush on Klinphaka's jaw, sending the Thai fighter crashing to the canvas.

The referee immediately waved off the fight, awarding Bomogao a spectacular knockout victory. The win improved her unbeaten professional record to 5-0 and marked her third consecutive stoppage victory.

US$100,000 ONE Championship contract

Her dominant performance earned her a 350,000 Thai Baht Performance Bonus (more than P600,000) and, more importantly, the coveted US$100,000 ONE Championship contract—a prize reserved for the most outstanding performers in the ONE Friday Fights series.

The contract is not an outright cash award but an official signing to ONE Championship's main roster, giving Bomogao the opportunity to compete in the promotion's premier events against the world's elite atomweight Muay Thai fighters while significantly increasing her earning potential and international exposure.

Overcome with emotion during the post-fight interview, Bomogao thanked everyone who had supported her journey.

"I don't know what to say. I'm just really happy and thankful. Thank you so much to everyone who's been a part of my journey. I'm sorry, I don't want to cry on TV—this is so embarrassing," she said.

Representing Team Bagsik while carrying the Philippine flag and Cordilleran pride on the international stage, Bomogao once again proved that Filipino athletes can compete with—and defeat—the world's best.

Her latest triumph is not only the biggest breakthrough of her professional career but also another proud milestone for Philippine Muay Thai and the Cordilleran community she proudly represents.