Natalie Gonzales Hills makes her ONE debut (Photo : Natalie Hills Facebook page)
Mixed martial arts has grown immensely over the past few years, and with such growth in popularity almost bordering on mainstream, ONE Championship has proven its strategy to develop talent at the grassroots level -- and that strategy is finally paying off.
In the past four years that ONE Championship has been in operation, hundreds of MMA gyms across Asia have opened up for business in hopes of producing the next mixed martial arts star. Modern day heroes, Asian fighters like Shinya Aoki, Brandon "The Truth" Vera among many others have risen to fame on this side of the world.
Just the same, many young prospects have been developed and are ready to claim the fruits of their hard work. One such fighter is an Australian female who goes by the nickname "Kilapino", alluding to her Filipino heritage.
She is Natalie Gonzales Hills, a strawweight from New South Wales with a 2-2 professional MMA record.
Hills was born in the small rural town of San Antonio located in Cavite City, Philippines to an English father and a Filipino mother. She left the Philippines before turning a year old and was raised in the United Kingdom, but she always looked back to the land of her birth.
The nickname says it all.
"On the run up to my first pro fight, I got asked what my fight nickname would be," said Hills. "I had all these ideas but nothing fitted. My boyfriend suggested 'Kilapino' (a mash-up of killer and Filipino) and it stuck."
"Soon everyone at the gym would joke around and call me 'The Kilapino' and my fighting style was aggressive so it worked," she added.
Hills' record suggests that she not only has the aggressive style heavily rooted in Muay Thai and Wrestling, but with both of her wins coming by submission, she also has the grappling aspect on point.
Footage of Hills' previous bouts can be found online, and from that one can gauge the kind of talent this young woman has. The lady is strong and agile, quick with her striking and with the kind of grit that can take her far in this sport.
MMA, Hills says, gave her a boost in self-esteem and a way to protect herself.
"I was having a rough time at university and started boxing to improve my confidence," said Hills. "I was fed up with the binge drinking culture and had been victim to a racial attack by a gang in my first year of study so took solace in the gym."
Today, women are empowered to take self-defense into their own hands. After years of preparation, Hills, who found her way into this sport, is now equipped with the confidence and the actual physical ability to protect herself and those around her -- embracing the true essence of martial arts.
But protection is not the only thing Hills is after. In this sport, Hills is also out to wreak havoc and reach the pinnacle of MMA.
"I tried out the other classes at Trojan Free Fighters (gym) including MMA and soon was hooked, training every day. I had studied karate as a kid so picked up kickboxing the easiest," said Hills.
Hills became so enamored with martial arts, that she made the huge decision to leave the United Kingdom after her studies to pursue a professional martial arts career full time.
"By the time my degree was finished, I had decided to leave the UK to train Muay Thai in Thailand," she said.
"I won both my bouts there and continued travelling and training throughout Asia. I had an opportunity to fight on the first all-women's MMA card in Australia and won my Brace debut. Since then I have only fought MMA but still have a love for Muay Thai."
Many martial artists from all across the world choose to live and train in Asia, particularly in Thailand, where Muay Thai culture is rampant.
Now, Hills finds herself in the heart of Asia, competing on the sports' biggest stage.
"I'm really excited to be fighting internationally and to debut on ONE Championship is huge!" said Hills, beaming with confidence.
She's lost her two most recent bouts, but realizes that this opportunity is one she can't pass on.
"I want to put on a great performance and get back on the winning track. There is a lot going through my mind but I'm really trying to stay focused, keep my composure and fight my fight."
On November 13, at the Singapore Indoor Stadium in Singapore, Hills makes her ONE Championship promotional debut against the highly-regarded Angela "Unstoppable" Lee. This makes Hills' first fight for the organization against arguably the best female fighter in the ranks.
But this hasn't fazed the 27-year old Filipina-Australian, not one bit.
"I do not research my opponent once a fight has been confirmed and leave the detective work and game plan to my coaches. I know [Angela Lee] is talented and hungry but I have those qualities too so I do not worry but look forward to the challenge."
