A veteran Filipina combat sports athlete will finally get her big break on the global stage of mixed martial arts.
Mariane Mariano has earned the chance to showcase her talent on the undercard of ONE Friday Fights 83, emanating live from the legendary Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand on October 18. There, she is penciled to go one-on-one with Japan’s Norika Ryu in a strawweight MMA matchup.
The 36-year-old native of Tuba, Benguet has been part of the scene since her time with the Philippine national wushu team, where she clinched two gold medals in the sanda event at the Southeast Asian Games.
It’s worth mentioning that she took home bronze in the same discipline at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, but this feat wasn’t included in the official medal tally since it was classified as a demonstration sport.
Apart from wushu sanda, Mariano has explored various martial arts, including combat sambo and Bokator.
In fact, she made her SEA Game return in 2023, attaining a bridesmaid finish in the 55-kilogram category of the aforementioned Cambodian martial art.
As a mixed martial artist, “Trigun” boasts an unblemished professional standing of 3-0, with two of her victories coming by way of submission.
Her most significant win to date was when she outpointed ONE Championship alumna Jomary Torres by unanimous decision in an April 2023 duel under the URCC banner.
In her debut under the bright lights, she lures a younger opponent with a solid track record in the Japanese circuit.
Ryu, 30, holds a 2-0 record in the all-encompassing sport, with both wins achieved in the legendary Shooto organization.
However, the Japanese heroine is coming off a two-year layoff and looks to make a statement at Mariano’s expense.
This matchup is crucial for Mariano, as opportunities of this caliber may not come around again.
Having her hand raised against Ryu would certainly place her in contention for a $100,000 contract and a chance to join the ONE main roster.
