If Rika Ishige were in a room full of people, she would incontestably stand out because she is the epitome of a true Asian beauty.
Thailand-based Ishige is a certified eye candy that can grace on the cover of a top fashion magazine, sashay down the catwalk with the latest apparel, or endorse high-end beauty products in a television advertisement.
However, Ishige is more than a pretty face because deep within, she is an authentic martial artist.
The 28-year-old is of Thai and Japanese heritage and comes from a family of martial artists.
Her late father was a judo practitioner, and her older sister, who is now a medical doctor, trained in taekwondo.
Heavily influenced by her father, Ishige began her martial arts training at the age of nine with aikido, karate and taekwondo.
"I started martial arts at a young age," she revealed. "It was to challenge myself. I did karate, taekwondo and aikido together."
As is often the case, life got in the way of training, and Ishige had to put martial arts on hold while she was studying.
Although she was not able to give her time to training, she did maintain her interest as the growing sport of mixed martial arts (MMA) began to be televised and became available on the internet.
Fascinated by the showmanship and the sport's competitive nature, she found the time to resume her martial arts training.
Unfortunately, karate and aikido were not enough to satisfy her growing hunger to learn. Simply put, she wanted something more.
Ishige went on to hone her skills as a martial artist by incorporating different combat disciplines and eventually transitioning to the multi-faceted field of MMA.
Known by the moniker "Tinydoll" due to her svelte physique, Ishige is set to make her third outing under the ONE Championship banner as she will square off with Filipino newcomer Jomary Torres at ONE: Kings & Conquerers, which takes place at the glamorous Cotai Arena of the Venetian Macao in Macau on Aug 5.
"It is my honour to be a part of one of the biggest MMA promotions and in a world event like ONE Championship. Not everybody gets this chance. I will do my best for my family and also for my country," Ishige said.
By strapping on a four-ounce MMA gloves, Ishige sees it as an honour and privilege to represent Thailand in ONE Championship.
"At first, I didn't feel any pressure of being the first female Thai fighter to step into an MMA cage because I believe in myself and in my ability. In my mind, I thought I could handle it. All of a sudden, I started to attract attention. I can't pretend that everything is easy anymore," she said.
"It's a must-win fight for me right now. My family is going to watch. Not only that, the whole country will be watching. But for sure, I will do my best."
Ishige does not expect any problems continuing her venture into the constantly-growing world of MMA as she believes that she is fully equipped with the task at hand.
"Martial arts is my passion. I'm really happy when I share and learn new things about martial arts with others. I'm surrounded by people who support me in training. It makes me stronger. I am ready for this upcoming fight," she said.
Although her sights are set on pulling off her third-straight victory as a prizefighter, Ishige is likewise standing up for women's empowerment by breaking down gender barriers.
Ishige stressed that her third professional MMA stint should also serve as a springboard for women to understand they can truly do anything if they put their minds and hearts into it.
"Martial arts is not only for men. In Thailand, there are many Thai women who have competed in different martial arts like Muay Thai, taekwondo, karate and many more. If you look at me, I am the living proof that women can do it," she said.
"Whether you are a child, old, short, or tall, everyone is welcome in the martial arts community."
"Most people do not understand mixed martial arts. They think it has no rules, and barbaric," Ishige said.
"I want to show them it is not like that. It is a real sport, and me, I am a small girl, but I can fight in a world-class organisation. It is not brutal. It is about technique."