"I should be in line" - Hiroyuki Tetsuka confident a sixth consecutive finish over Isi Fitikefu will land him shot at ONE gold

Hiroyuki Tetsuka's route to the ONE welterweight MMA world championship continues next month, and there will be no better stage for him to book his ticket to a five-round war.

The Japanese slugger trades leather with Isi Fitikefu at ONE 168: Denver, which broadcasts live from Ball Arena on September 6.

There, 'Japanese Beast' seeks to earn his sixth consecutive finish – one that will finally bring an end to his wait for a shot at Christian Lee's 26 pounds of gold. Or so he hopes.

In an interview with ONE Championship, Hiroyuki Tetsuka shared:

"If I get six consecutive finishes, I believe I should be in line for a title shot. Of course, I understand that the promotion makes these decisions, but I certainly hope for it."

The Yamada Dojo-TGFC athlete's remarkable run started after he absorbed his fourth career loss to the hands of Murad Ramazanov in October 2020.

His streak of knockouts and submissions came against Agilan Thani, Edson Marques, Jin Tae Ho, Abraao Amorim, and Valmir Da Silva.

While eyes are on Lee's crown, Tetsuka will have to stay patient as the divisional king is locked in to defend his lightweight gold at ONE 169: Atlanta on November 8.

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Isi Fitikefu confident he'll halt Hiroyuki Tetsuka's stellar run

Isi Fitikefu hopes to make the most of the momentous occasion to compete in North America for the first time.

The 31-year-old, in a separate interview with the promotion, had this to say on his chances against Hiroyuki Tetsuka:

"I feel like it's going to be a TKO or a knockout before the third [round]. I can feel it. I've been training hard, and it's a feeling that you can feel in your veins and in your blood. For some reason, I can feel that I'm going to get the job done."

ONE 168: Denver will be available to active Amazon Prime Video subscribers in North America live on Friday, September 6. Those interested in purchasing tickets can follow this link.