Islay Erika Bomogao knows that all eyes will be upon her when she makes her long-awaited debut at ONE Friday Fights 86.  

Bomogao takes on Japanese striker Fuu in a 100-pound catchweight Muay Thai bout Friday, Nov. 8 inside Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.  

Coming from a country where Muay Thai isn’t as popular as other combat sports like MMA and boxing, the 24-year-old has a huge responsibility to the sport she’s grown to love.  

But more so than that, she wants to break barriers for women in a country that still thinks women aren’t on par with men in the striking arts.  

“I feel happy, and I feel like I have the responsibility in this fight to inspire other people. My goal as always is when I compete, I compete not just for myself. I want to inspire people,” she said.   

“I want to inspire young women, kids, so we can finally break the stigma that martial arts, especially Muay Thai, is just a man's sport,” she added.   

“I want to show that any sport is a woman’s [sport] in the same way that any sport is a man’s sport as well.”  

To show that, she promises to stand out by showcasing her own brand of Muay Thai.  

Bomogao described herself as a cerebral fighter who likes to move, utilize her agility and speed, and time her strikes by finding angles.  

“I’d say my strength would be that I’m not your typical Muay Thai striker. I’m not gonna stand in the pocket and trade strikes with my opponent,” she said.    

“I feel like I’m agile, I like to move a lot. I like doing some tricks as well. I like to have fun in the ring instead of standing and banging with my opponent. I like to think I’m a cerebral fighter,” she continued.   

“I think about the strikes I throw, I just don’t throw punches casually. I have a few tricks up my sleeve as well – I have back kicks, I have hook kicks, and I want to show off all that.”  

For Bomogao, she plans to introduce a new variation of “The Art of Eight Limbs.”  

“[I’m going to show] a different Muay Thai style, a Filipino style of Muay Thai. We’re a country of happy people, and I want to encapsulate that with how I fight,” she said.   

“I want to showcase a Muay Thai that’s relaxed, that’s cerebral, but at the same time having fun.”