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Japanese standout Itsuki Hirata has grown a significant following on social media in recent years, but the fast-rising star admitted that she needed to take a break from the hustle and bustle of the internet as she began preparations for her next fight:
“I wanted to take a break for about a month, and I wanted to start the new year with a fresh mindset,” Hirata revealed in a recent interview with ONE Championship.
The Serra-Longo product is just days away from a long-awaited return to the Circle, and her toughest test to date thus far. On Friday night, ‘Android 18’ will square off with No. 2 ranked atomweight contender Ham Seo Hee in what could very well be an atomweight title eliminator. The high-stakes matchup will be part of the promotion’s stacked ONE Fight Night 8 on Prime Video lineup.
Hirata is an impressive 5-1 under the ONE Championship banner, earning four straight wins before suffering her first setback inside the Circle. ‘Android 18’ fell to Jihin Radzuan at the promotion’s 10th-anniversary showcase ONE X in March 2022. Realizing that she needed to further develop her striking game, Hirata relocated to the United States, working with MMA icons Mat Serra and Ray Longo in New York.
The change immediately paid dividends as Itsuki Hirata bounced back with a big win over ‘MMA Sister’ Lin Heqin at ONE on Prime Video 1 in August.
Itsuki Hirata hopes to repay her supporters with a win on Friday night
At just 23 years old, Itsuki Hirata has earned scores of support from fans, fighters, and trainers around the world. With almost 215,000 followers on Instagram, ‘Android 18’ hopes that she can reward the support of the fans that have stuck by her side through thick and thin this Friday night:
“I've had a lot of people supporting me lately. With the increase in support, I want to be able to repay those people.”
Hirata has seen some challenging moments in her still-developing mixed martial arts career. Her loss over Jihin Radzuan made her take a very close look at well-roundedness. After addressing those concerns and bouncing back with a big win in her last appearance, ‘Android 18’ ran into another problem after missing weight for a bout scheduled to take place at ONE 163.
Hirata was scheduled to scrap with Ham Seo Hee but failed weight and hydration tests which left ‘Hamzzang’ with a choice of either accepting the fight at a catchweight or canceling the fight altogether.
Ham delivered a scathing interview regarding Itsuki Hirata’s hydration failure which clearly struck a chord with Hirata based on recent comments she made regarding this month’s incredibly important weight cut.
It’s clear that fans are 100% behind Itsuki Hirata. They want to see her succeed and eventually capture a ONE world title, but that simply can’t happen if she ignores deficiencies in her game and her discipline when cutting weight. So far, it looks like ‘Android 18’ has addressed both and is taking those struggles very seriously, but we’ll find out for certain in a matter of days as ONE Fight Night 8 quickly approaches.
Their match and the rest of ONE Fight Night 8 will be broadcast live and for free on Prime Video to North American fans with an Amazon subscription on March 24.
