Alyse Anderson vs. Asha Roka fight recap

Alyse Anderson stepped into the ONE Championship cage for the second time at ONE 157 on Friday.

She faced Asha ‘Knockout Queen’ Roka in an atomweight showdown. Intent on getting her first win under the ONE Championship banner, ‘Lil Savage’ had a tough task ahead of her. Asha Roka, boasting a 100 percent finish rate in her MMA career, was determined to get back into the win column after back-to-back losses to Stamp Fairtex and Gina Iniong.

As both fighters met in the middle of the cage, Anderson immediately worked to establish the jab. Less than a minute into the bout, Roka landed a massive right hand that dropped Anderson. Following her to the ground, Roka delivered ground and pound strikes in hopes of securing a finish. However, Anderson weathered the early storm and managed to gain control of Roka’s right arm, threatening an armbar.

Roka worked to fight her way out of the position, but as her arm started to come free, Anderson transitioned to the arm triangle. She secured the position and Roka had no choice but to tap out just 2:04 into the contest.

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Alyse Anderson fights in memory of the grandparents she recently lost

During the post-fight interview, Anderson stated that her opponent hit hard. The American also admitted that she held on to the arm for longer than she probably should have, as she did not feel Roka's tap:

“I was a little nervous... She hits a lot harder than I was expecting. Especially when it went to the ground and I ended up on my back. I felt the armbar was slipping and I knew if she pulled it out, the transition was going to be there. I felt her arm was a little bit in so I didn’t know, but I didn’t let go right away because I actually didn’t feel her tap. So, you know my coaches say never let go until the ref pulls you off, so I may have held onto it a little longer on accident.”

Alyse Anderson also said that her motivation going into the bout was her family, particularly her grandparents who had recently passed away:

“I lost my grandparents in 2019 and 2020 and I fought for them tonight. In memory of them and my family back home in Michigan. I know they’re watching me and really proud of me. Thank you ONE for this opportunity. I really hope it’s worthy of a bonus cause I worked my a** off for this moment.”

When questioned about who she would like to fight next, Alyse Anderson didn’t have a specific call out. However, she admitted that she needed to work on her striking and was willing to take on anyone that ONE put in front of her.

Watch the fight here: