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One of the most awaited matchups in the women’s atomweight division is about to go down this Friday, as Ham Seo Hee and Itsuki Hirata will finally lay it all on the line at ONE Fight Night 8: Superlek vs. Williams on Prime Video.
On March 24, inside the promotion’s home base at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, No.2-ranked Ham will look to continue her unbeaten streak inside the circle and solidify her case as the next rightful challenger at 115 pounds.
After making a name for herself through various organizations all over the world, ‘Hamzzang’ joined the Singapore-based promotion in 2021.
Safe to say, the 36-year-old is even better than advertised. Ham racked off back-to-back wins over the ultra-tough Denice Zamboanga. After a tight split-decision win in her promotional debut, the Team Mad representative completely outclassed the Filipino fighter in the rematch.
Meanwhile, Hirata is on a quest for vindication after a failed weight and hydration test led to the postponement of their initial match last year.
With her previous troubles now a thing of the past, ‘Android 18’ will look to end the South Korean’s eight-fight win streak and barge her way to the division’s top five.
The 23-year-old first burst onto the scene with five straight victories, all in impressive fashion. Now, she takes on the biggest challenge of her blossoming career.
Itsuki Hirata showcased her ever-evolving skills in her last bout, outpointing Lin Heqin with a convincing unanimous decision win.
A decisive victory against a respected veteran like Ham Seo Hee will no doubt catapult her career to new heights.
With that in mind, Sportskeeda MMA’s ONE Championship team did their due diligence and came up with their predictions for this exciting matchup.
ONE Fight Night 8: Superlek vs. Williams on Prime Video will stream live in US primetime and is free for all Amazon Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.
Ben Imperial: Ham Seo Hee by unanimous decision
Itsuki Hirata has been impressive since her MMA debut in ONE Championship, but thus far, she has not defeated anyone in the top five of the atomweight division. Her toughest test so far has been former ranked fighter Jihin Radzuan, and she was outclassed by the Malaysian star both on the ground and on the feet.
Meanwhile, we haven't seen much from Ham Seo Hee in ONE Championship as both her fights have come against the same fighter - Denice Zamboanga. Unlike Hirata though, Ham passed her tests and has proven why she's a legend in women's martial arts in Asia.
It's an exciting matchup, as both stand to gain a lot from this fight. Itsuki Hirata needs to conquer a ranked fighter to boost her stock, while Ham Seo Hee needs to show the world what she can do against a fighter with the star power that Hirata has at her age.
I think 'Android 18' will have the advantage in wrestling, but taking Ham to the ground will not guarantee her a win, as the South Korean veteran can certainly hold her own in the grappling department. If the fight stays on the feet, Ham should have the advantage as Hirata admits that it's not the strongest part of her game just yet. I would love for Hirata to take this fight, but I think Ham will get the unanimous decision win.
Vince Richards: Ham Seo Hee by unanimous decision
This fight is indeed an inter-generational battle between two of the best grapplers of their era. Itsuki Hirata is a high-pressure judoka who doesn’t have any problems grinding her opponents down any way she wants.
Ham Seo Hee, meanwhile, is one of the smartest fighters on the planet and can easily adjust to any type of opponent she’s faced with.
It’s almost a certainty that these two fighters will cancel each other out in the grappling department. If that happens, though, then Ham has the vast experience to make this a striking battle.
The South Korean veteran can easily punish anyone on the feet and I see this fight going Ham’s way if she takes away Hirata’s grappling.
I’m not sure if a knockout is going to happen, but I can see Ham taking this one with her striking and takedown defense.
Ted Razon: Ham Seo Hee by split decision
Apart from the two world title fights, the Ituski Hirata vs. Ham Seo Hee clash is truly one of the most enthralling bouts on this card.
Hirata certainly has more to prove after the controversies of their initial booking last year.
With that said, ‘Android 18’ will likely come out as the aggressor and try to impose her grappling expertise early on.
The Japanese star is also eager to showcase the improvements she has made overseas, so I predict her initiating a striking battle as well.
However, I don’t see anything Hirata can do that Ham cannot. The South Korean’s striking is still miles ahead of the 23-year-old's, and I see her having her way on the feet.
Itsuki Hirata has a chance if she can turn this into a grappling match, but ‘Hamzaang’ is as well-rounded as they come and will be prepared if push comes to shove.
After three rounds of back-and-forth action, I see Ham Seo Hee getting her hand raised in a closely contested match, akin to her promotional debut win against Denice Zamboanga.
