Itsuki Hirata reveals her game plan against tough Ham Seo Hee

In her upcoming contest at ONE Fight Night 8, Itsuki Hirata feels like she has a point to prove.

On March 24 in Singapore, Itsuki Hirata will take on the biggest challenge of her career so far when she faces the veteran and No.2 ranked atomweight contender Ham Seo Hee.

The first point that she has to prove is that she can successfully make it to fight night. The two women were originally scheduled to compete at ONE 163 in November last year, but Hirata failed to make weight and did not pass her hydration test.

Due to her opponent’s previous failures to make weight, the South Korean veteran declined the fight at a catchweight, resulting in the match-up being rescheduled to March.

Once Hirata has made weight and passed hydration, it’s then up to her to prove herself inside the Circle against one of the division’s most seasoned competitors.

With a win likely to grant either woman a shot at Angela Lee’s world championship, Itsuki Hirata knows the stakes that are at play here and she intends to deliver a performance that is worthy of the occasion.

In an interview with ONE Championship, the rising Japanese contender said:

“I will fight for five minutes and three rounds, and I’ll keep attacking until the very end no matter what the situation is.”

---

Itsuki Hirata determined to make weight against Ham Seo Hee

In the build-up to ONE Fight Night on March 24, Itsuki Hirata has been very open about her own shortcomings and the pressure that she now feels.

At ONE 163, her failure to make weight and pass her hydration test resulted in her fight with Ham Seo Hee being pulled from the card and postponed to a later date.

In interviews ahead of their rescheduled fight, ‘Android 18’ has admitted that she is nervous about making weight this time around, but is determined to make a statement.

Speaking to ONE Championship, she said:

"I am full of anxiety [about returning and making the weight], but I believe in myself and see it through.”

Following Hirata’s weight miss, her opponent showed her no sympathy. The South Korean veteran knew that her opponent had a history of struggling to make the weight limit and as a result, she turned down a catchweight bout and commented on the situation:

“First of all, she’s not a fighter in my opinion because the basic thing that you should do as a professional fighter is to make weight and hydration. I want to finish my unfinished business with her. There were fans with different opinions about my decision to not accept the catchweight in our last fight, so I want to finish this fight with her.”

Live from the Singapore Indoor Stadium and brought to North America via Prime Video, ONE Fight Night 8 gives both women the chance to prove their point and solidify their position at the top of the rankings.