Ayaka Miura admits potential showdown with fellow Japanese star Itsuki Hirata does not excite her: “I’m not interested at all”

Japanese mixed martial arts fighter Ayaka Miura said that for her next fight she would rather face other opponents than having a showdown against compatriot Itsuki Hirata.

‘Zombie’ made this known during the post-fight press conference following her victory at ONE Fight Night 16 on Prime Video on November 3 in Bangkok, saying:

“I never thought about Itsuki Hirata, and I’m not interested in it at all.”

Ayaka Miura, 33, did not elaborate on why she is not interested in competing against ‘Android 18', who has had her struggles in making weight and winning of late.

Instead of Hirata, Miura said a rematch with reigning ONE women’s strawweight MMA world champion Xiong Jing Nan is something she is up for. The Tribe Tokyo MMA athlete challenged ‘The Panda’ for the title in January last year but fell short in her bid, losing by unanimous decision.

At ONE Fight Night 16, Ayaka Miura submitted Meng Bo of China in the opening round of their featured strawweight MMA clash by way of her trademark ‘Ayaka Lock'. She took control of her opponent’s shoulders and bent Meng’s elbow in the opposite direction, forcing a tap-out.

The win stopped a three-fight losing streak for Miura, who could not help but be emotional after the victory, shedding tears as she celebrated with her corner.

It also marked her return to mixed martial arts after competing in submission grappling against now ONE atomweight grappling world champion Danielle Kelly of the United States in February this year. She lost that contest by decision.

Now back on the winning track, judo specialist Ayaka Miura is looking forward to further showcasing her skills against the best in the ONE strawweight MMA division and growth as a fighter.

The replay of ONE Fight Night 16 is available anytime on demand for Amazon Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.