Ayaka Miura believes stars have aligned for her to capture ONE gold: "This time it's going to be perfect timing”

The Japanese submission artist, Ayaka ‘Zombie’ Miura of Japan, is convinced that fate has positioned her perfectly to capture ONE Championship gold when she challenges for the ONE women's atomweight MMA world title later this year.

The 34-year-old judo black belt will compete on home soil at Tokyo's Ariake Arena on November 16, representing a rare opportunity for the Tribe Tokyo MMA representative to perform in front of her Japanese fans.

When asked about competing in Tokyo and her confidence in capturing gold, Miura told the South China Morning Post MMA:

"Majority of my fights happened overseas and I've only had a chance to compete in Japan like one time against Itsuki Hirata. This time it's going to be perfect timing, everything's perfect, everything matches."

Her relentless pursuit of redemption has defined Miura's journey.

After falling short against reigning ONE women’s strawweight MMA world champion ‘The Panda’ Xiong Jing Nan for the crown at ONE: Heavy Hitters in 2022, she moved down to atomweight and compiled a perfect record, submitting a myriad of foes with her signature scarf-hold Americana, also known as ‘The Ayaka Lock’.

The former bone-setting clinic worker has spent most of her ONE Championship career competing internationally, making her upcoming bout in Tokyo even more meaningful.

ONE 173: Superbon vs. Noiri will go down live at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan on Sunday, November 16. Fans in North America can check out watch.onefc.com for more information on how to catch the event live.

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Ayaka Miura on Denice Zamboanga’s improvement ahead of world title clash

‘Zombie’ Ayaka Miura has nothing but kind words for Filipina MMA star ‘The Menace’ Denice Zamboanga ahead of their ONE 173: Superbon vs. Noiri clash.

The Japanese star told ONE Championship:

“At first, I thought she was mainly a grappler, but in recent fights her striking has really improved. Now I see her as a complete all-rounder. She also looks physically very strong.”

Check back with Sportskeeda MMA for more news on Ayaka Miura.