Itsuki Hirata visits friend Xiong Jing Nan in Singapore ahead of ONE on Prime Video 1

Itsuki Hirata and Xiong Jing Nan shared a quick hug as the two top fighters ran into each other in Singapore. 'Android 18' will be fighting at ONE on Prime Video 1, while the ONE women's strawweight world champion will be headlining ONE on Prime Video 2 later this year.

ONE Championship Japan shared on Instagram the meeting and hug between the two fighters:

"HELLO CHAMP."

In the video, the two MMA fighters excitedly laugh and hug upon seeing each other. China's Xiong also posted some heart emojis in the comments section of the clip.

'Android 18' Itsuki Hirata will be competing later this week as she looks to get back on the winning track when she faces Chinese striker Lin Heqin. With a win in this matchup, the Japanese-born Hirata will hope to climb the atomweight ladder.

The highly anticipated matchup will go down at ONE on Prime Video 1: Moraes vs. Johnson II, which broadcasts live from the Singapore Indoor Stadium and airs on US primetime via Amazon Prime Video on August 26.

The next fight for 'The Panda' Xiong Jing Nan was recently announced to be a defense of her strawweight throne against Angela Lee, who will look to become a double-champ. 'Unstoppable' Lee currently holds the ONE women's atomweight world championship and on September 30 at ONE on Prime Video 2, she will look to add more ONE gold to her collection.

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Itsuki Hirata wants to display her improvements

Japanese judoka Itsuki Hirata was unbeaten in ONE Championship, holding an impressive win streak. That was until her most recent fight where Jihin Radzuan defeated her via split decision.

The 23-year-old fighter is eager to get back in the ONE circle, get another win on her record, and showcase her MMA improvements. In an interview with ONE, she said:

“I’ve been hyped to share the circle with [Lin] because I know this matchup had been almost set up before. I’m solidifying my striking, so I think I’ll be different from what I’ve been in the past. I’m training so hard that I can handle being hit by [powerful] shots, while I’m working on developing my ground and striking skills every day.”

For this fight, Itsuki Hirata has been preparing Stateside at the Serra-Longo gym. The Japanese fighter has game-planned effectively for her next opponent. Hirata explained:

“She is an all-round fighter who knows her best distance, techniques, and combinations, and I think she is confident in her striking because she has competed in kickboxing bouts in ONE. However, if you look at her match with [Indian wrestling star] Ritu [Phogat], she was dominated on the ground and lost by points. I think this is the difference between her level of kickboxing and MMA. I know her weakness is her ground skills.”

Itsuki Hirata has spent most of her life competing in judo and will look to show off her martial arts skills when she faces China's Lin Heqin at ONE on Prime Video 1.