“It’s very classic and different from MMA or ONE” - Itsuki Hirata on the differences between MMA and Judo

Itsuki Hirata lived a life full of martial arts but it wasn’t until she became a professional that she realized how rigid her upbringing was.

Though she was raised in a tight structure, Hirata will get to express her creative self once again ONE 163 against South Korean star Ham Seo this Saturday, November 19, at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

The women’s atomweight standout recalled how different her life was during her younger days as a judoka compared to being a mixed martial artist.

In an interview with MMA Sucka, Hirata said that Judo tied her down to so many rules that it sometimes prevented her from just being herself.

Itsuki Hirata said:

“When I was training Judo, there were quite strict rules and culture -- no makeup, no tattoos, no nails. Also, if I won the fight and then screamed out, my coach scolded me. Because even though I won, I still needed to show my respect to the opponent so I cannot be too happy. Of course, no entrance music too. It’s very classic and different from MMA or ONE.”

Hirata found inspiration through her brother Naoki and she started practicing judo when she was only six years old. The Japanese star eventually transitioned into MMA when she graduated high school and trained under the watchful eye of former ONE featherweight world title contender Kazunori Yokota.

Hirata has since impressed in her ONE Championship career, going 5-1 including three straight finishes in her first three matches in the organization.

Her next match, however, might just be the most difficult one.

Ham is the No. 2-ranked women’s atomweight contender and has held titles from Rizin, Road FC, and Jewels.

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Itsuki Hirata plans to use her grappling against Ham

Itsuki Hirata’s strengths lie in her judo foundation and she plans to use just that in her fight against Ham.

‘Android 18’ trained in New York in preparation for her match against ‘Hamzzang’ and she’s ready to use her improved arsenal come fight night.

In the same interview with MMA Sucka, Hirata said:

“My opponent is a striker so I will put much more focus on wrestling training. That’s the key point.”