“My weakness is striking” - Itsuki Hirata admits working on stand-up game heading into ONE 163

At ONE 163, Itsuki Hirata returns to the circle in the biggest fight of her career to date. Taking on Ham Seo Hee, a win on November 19 would potentially see Hirata get a women’s atomweight world championship shot.

The 23-year-old has been a standout prospect in the ONE women’s atomweight division since her debut in 2019. Winning six of her seven bouts inside the circle, she now faces the No.2-ranked atomweight contender in a fight with massive stakes.

With a potential fight with the ONE women’s atomweight world champion Angela Lee on the horizon, Hirata has been working to improve her overall game ahead of the biggest tests of her career.

Acknowledging her own flaws, the judo specialist spoke about what she has been working on ahead of ONE 163 in an interview with ONE Championship:

“My weakness is striking. Compared to the last fight, I think that my opponent’s arms are shorter than my last opponent, so we will be closer to each other. I have worked a lot on countermeasures for close combat.”

Itsuki Hirata earned a contract with ONE Championship by winning the third season of the Japanese reality television series and MMA competition Fighting Agent War in 2018.

She rebounded from a split-decision loss to Jihin Radzuan with victory in her last fight, a unanimous decision win over Lin Heqin at ONE on Prime Video 1.

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Itsuki Hirata shows off stronger physique after working with fitness coach

ONE Championship atomweight Itsuki Hirata has been working hard in the gym ahead of her upcoming fight at ONE 163. Hirata will look to continue the momentum she gained at ONE on Prime Video 1.

In preparation for her previous fight, the judo specialist spent time training at US gyms like Serra BJJ and Longo-Weidman MMA. Despite both gyms being known for their grappling prowess, Hirata returned having spent time working on her striking and physique.

In a recent photo posted on her Instagram page, Itsuki Hirata showed off the improvements she has made to her body alongside her US-based conditioning coach @bmofit4life:

"Training has changed my body a lot! It's not just training. Thank you for the balance of the meal! I'll be right back to be stronger!"

Hirata has been very successful since debuting in ONE Championship in 2019, going 6-1 in her pro career. If she is to take her game to the next level, she knows that it isn’t just about her technique, she needs to become a full professional athlete. With her new conditioning coach, the improvements are clear to see already.