Iniong opens ONE Championship stint on a high note

Gina Iniong ferociously grounds and pounds her foe after taking her down (Tristan Tamayo/sports.inquirer.net)

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

Fresh off her dominating 30th SEA Games kickboxing outing, Filipina Gina Iniong opened her ONE Championship campaign by crushing India’s Asha Roka via unanimous decision.

The SEAG kickboxing gold medalist carried on her momentum in ONE as she put on a striking clinic against the veteran from India.

Punishing Roka throughout the match, Iniong found several openings that wobbled the Indian as the second round started including a series of straights.

Also, late in the second round, Iniong took Roka to the ground and attempted a guillotine choke but was not able to fully capitalize as the time expired.

The dominant performance of the kickboxing stalwart was a statement match in ONE Championships, saying that she needs to have the break she deserves.

Racking her wins to 9 with 4 losses, the veteran Iniong said she still has a lot of room for improvement especially with her striking and her timing.