Young Atomweight Stars: Everything you need to know about Itsuki Hirata vs. Jihin Radzuan at ONE X

ONE Championship’s 10-year anniversary showcase, aptly named ONE X, promises to be a night of high-octane performances right from the opening bell inside the Singapore Indoor Stadium this Saturday, March 26.

Every bout on the card pits two martial artists who are eager to win at all costs against each other. With that said, there will surely be plenty of contenders for the Fight of the Night. However, one match between two atomweight stars might have been overlooked given the sheer depth of the card.

Malaysian star Jihin ‘Shadow Cat’ Radzuan and undefeated judoka Itsuki ‘Android 18’ Hirata will square off inside the circle at ONE X: Part II in a bout that is poised to be an electric clash between two of the promotion's brightest stars.

Jihin is arguably Malaysia’s finest female martial arts star, while Hirata is Japan’s very own jewel of MMA. Both athletes are keen to break into the atomweight rankings and a triumph on the biggest card of the year could easily edge them closer towards their goal.

'Shadow Cat' enters this contest with momentum on her side. The 23-year-old from Johor Bahru picked up the biggest scalp on her resume in her most recent outing last month. She went toe-to-toe with former atomweight world title challenger Mei Yamaguchi in a battle that could have gone either way.

Thankfully for the Ultimate MMA Academy star, she was seen as the victor on the judges’ scorecard. Many thought otherwise, though. Because of that, Jihin wants to finish Hirata before the final bell to show why she should be touted as a future contender for the atomweight crown.

Aiming to hand the young star a third career defeat is Hirata, a judoka specialist with a perfect 5-0 record. The 22-year-old has ripped through all her tests on the global stage thus far, earning four finishes against some highly experienced rivals.

‘Android 18’ should expect a tough test against ‘Shadow Cat’. She has never been finished in her career and has promised to put on a show inside the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

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Where will the battle be won between these two stars at ONE X?

Jihin’s arsenal is pretty complete as an MMA fighter. She has shown that she can either trade heavy leather or work her way to good positions on the canvas on several occasions. Perhaps, the only factor that she needs to improve on is her finishing rate, something she certainly knows.

Hirata, meanwhile, is reliant on her judo skills. At times, far too much. But given that no athlete has found a way past her impressive ground game, she's more than happy to keep pushing the pace with the same game plan as long as it edges her closer towards a shot at the atomweight world title.

Both fighters will be cautious when engaging with one another, but ultimately the best path to victory will be on the canvas. Whoever scores the first takedown and manages to impose their will on their opposite number will leave the circle with their hand raised.

Will it be Jihin or Hirata? Fans can find out this Saturday, March 26.