Roy Doliguez wants nothing less than ONE: TOTAL VICTORY in Jakarta

Filipino striker Roy “The Dominator” Doliquez (6-4) returns to action at ONE: TOTAL VICTORY in Jakarta, Indonesia, and looks to show the world that he is still in the frame as one of the premier strawweight competitors in the world.

The 35-year-old swapped a promising career as a professional boxer for the challenge of the cage, but a poor run of form has him desperate for success. In his promotional debut, Doliguez competed for the inaugural ONE Strawweight World Championship back in 2014, but fell to Muay Thai legend Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke via TKO.

Now, determined to turn his form around, he takes on Brazil’s Yago ‘Codorninha’ Bryan with renewed vigor, and a desire to give his family something to cheer for.

Doliguez was inspired to take up combat sports by his older brother Rey, who was an amateur boxer. Roy followed in his footsteps, winning titles as a youth boxer before opting, against his family’s wishes, to reject college in order to turn professional.

“When I started, it was really a struggle since I was earning close to nothing,” he admits. “I had to borrow money from my Manong (older brother) to buy laundry soap or socks.”

Despite the initial hardship, Doliguez was a great success in the squared circle. Nicknamed “The Filipino Bad Boy,” he competed internationally, winning the WBO Asia Pacific title overseas and becoming a three-time PBF Super Flyweight Champion in the Philippines, before tragedy struck in 2010. His older brother Rey was killed after a drunken row with a friend.

Doliguez and other family members took it upon themselves to look after his brother’s children. “His daughter was taken in by my eldest sister, his youngest stayed with their mother, while my nephew is now with my mother and I here at home,“ he said.

Also, with money being hard to come by in boxing’s middle tier, he took off to South Korea to recharge his batteries, before reinventing himself for professional competition in the cage.

He adopted a new nickname, “The Dominator,” and threw himself into the sport, where earning opportunities were more plentiful than he found in boxing. Just as he did as a pro boxer, Doliguez made a strong start to his cage career, amassing a 6-1 record before receiving the call to compete on Asia’s biggest stage with ONE.

Now, Doliguez is still seeking his first victory in the ONE cage, but he is determined to break his duck, pick-up his first win, and start moving back towards title contention again.

“I am aiming for a knockout,” he declares. “I love competing. I love training. This is my life. People ask me why I am still competing, and I tell them that I just like to do it. I will go on as long as I can, because I love martial arts.”