Itsuki Hirata gets to work at Evolve MMA upon arrival in Singapore

Itsuki Hirata didn’t waste any time when she arrived in Singapore.

Hirata is only days away from her return to the Circle. The Japanese-born fighter has been matched up against Ham Seo Hee, who is 2-0 in the promotion after back-to-back wins against Denice Zamboanga. ‘Android 18’ looks to snatch Ham’s momentum and potentially secure an atomweight title shot.

As soon as Hirata landed in Singapore, she made her way to Evolve MMA and began hitting mitts. ONE Championship posted a video of Hirata training on their Japanese Instagram account, with the caption saying:

“Itsuki Hirata battles Ham Seo Hee at #ONEFightNight8 On the ground in Singapore, straight to practice! 😎🔥”

Watch Itsuki Hirata prepare for Ham Seo Hee at Evolve MMA below:

Hirata last fought in August 2022, defeating Lin Heqin by unanimous decision to extend her promotional record to 5-1. The 23-year-old was scheduled to fight Ham in November 2022, but she missed weight and failed hydration, leading to the bout being rescheduled. ‘Android 18’ hopes to silence the doubters and prove she can make the atomweight limit at ONE Fight Night 8 on Prime Video.

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Itsuki Hirata isn’t fully confident in her striking against Ham Seo Hee

Ham Seo Hee holds a professional MMA record of 25-8, which includes a RIZIN atomweight championship. ‘Hamzzang’ is a dangerous fighter who could be the one to dethrone reigning atomweight world champion Angela Lee.

Although Itsuki Hirata has solidified herself as a legitimate title contender, the 23-year-old has only seven fights, leaving her with room to evolve. During an interview with ONE Championship, Hirata had this to say about her upcoming matchup against Ham:

“I think despite having a lot of training in striking, I do not have much confidence in my chin or striking. I believe that having the courage to move forward and not back down when I get hit is more important. If I back down, I believe I will receive twice the power of the strike from Ham.”

Ham vs. Hirata goes down on March 24 inside the Singapore Indoor Stadium. The event features two world championship fights - Superlek Kiatmoo9 vs. Rodtang Jitmuangnon for the flyweight kickboxing title and Allycia Hellen Rodrigues vs. Janet Todd for the women’s atomweight Muay Thai title. ONE Fight Night 8 can be seen live and for free by North American Prime Video subscribers.