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On Friday night, fast-rising Japanese standout Itsuki Hirata made her return to the circle for a high-stakes atomweight showdown with No. 2 ranked contender Ham Seo Hee.
There was no love lost between Hirata and Ham going into their ONE Fight Night 8 showdown at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. The pair were originally scheduled to scrap at ONE 163 in November, but Hirata failed weight and hydration tests. The bout was then called off after Ham refused to accept a catchweight bout. Ham would go on to call Hirata unprofessional and unapologetic for missing weight, adding a heap of animosity between the two heading into their highly anticipated showdown on Friday night.
Both women came out hesitant in the first round, with Ham putting on the pressure early. Two minutes in, Hirata moved in quickly for her first takedown attempt, but Ham was able to easily sprawl and work her way back up. Hirata once again attempted to shoot in, but without properly setting up the takedowns, Ham had no trouble staying on her feet. Hirata attempted two more takedown attempts before the end of the first round, but both were unsuccessful.
Itsuki Hirata was issued a warning by referee Herb Dean due to inactivity before coming out for the second round. Hirata continued to attempt takedowns with little success. Desperate to get things to the ground, Hirata moved in for a takedown attempt and quickly pulled guard. Ham managed to get back on her feet, but Hirata clung on to her opponent, fishing for a single leg against the fence and eventually scoring a takedown over the halfway point. Ham was able to get back to her feet and create separation before the end of the round.
Going into the third and final round, Itsuki Hirata was likely down on the scorecards but offered little offense, generating a yellow card from Herb Dean in the opening minute of the round. Shortly after receiving the warning, Hirata was able to press Ham to the cage wall and worked for a takedown. She managed to get Ham on the canvas but never gained a significant amount of control before the final bell sounded.
Official Result: Ham Seo Hee def. Itsuki Hirata via unanimous decision.
