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Japanese phenom Itsuki Hirata is owning up to her past mistakes and is determined to get going anew at ONE Fight Night 8 on Prime Video next month.
'Android 18' is set to face off against veteran South Korean fighter Ham 'Hamzzang' Seo Hee in a recast atomweight showdown originally scheduled to take place last November.
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Their supposed first fight fell through after Itsuki Hirata missed weight and hydration. The rising star’s camp tried to negotiate to make it a catchweight bout but Ham was not a willing party, forcing it to be shelved.
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Booked to redeem herself in ONE’s March 8 event in Singapore, Itsuki Hirata thanked Ham for waiting and giving their match another go, as well as her supporters for sticking by her. She told ONE Championship in an interview:
“For Ham Seo Hee, thanks for waiting. For people who always supported me, I'm sorry that I’ve made mistakes many times but I will get the victory for you all. Thank you.”
Itsuki Hirata, 23, is one of the rising stars in the ONE atomweight division, currently sporting a promotional record of 5-1. She made her ONE debut in June 2019 and was among the featured fighters at the ONE Women’s Atomweight World Grand Prix.
35-year-old Ham, for her part, is coming off back-to-back victories over Filipino fighter Denice Zamboanga. Like Hirata, she was also a World Grand Prix semi-finalist.
ONE Fight Night 8 will take place at the Singapore Indoor Stadium and will be aired live and for free to all Prime Video subscribers in North America.
“A major part of the history of Japanese MMA” - Itsuki Hirata proud of her place among her nation’s all-time greats
Itsuki Hirata is proud to be a part of the rich history of Japanese mixed martial arts by plying her wares in ONE Championship.
In just a short time, 'Android 18' has piled up the wins to become one of the promotion’s fast-rising stars, shoring up her country’s representation in ONE along with legends Shinya Aoki and Yoshihiro 'Sexyama' Akiyama.
Itsuki Hirata said in an interview with the promotion last year:
“I feel like I am already a major part of the history of Japanese MMA. There’s no other fighter right now walking the same path as me. I feel like I am a unique and special kind of fighter. There’s a lot of people following my career, and that’s why I do my best day in and day out to be the fighter that people expect me to be. I just want to entertain the fans.”
She currently sports a 5-1 record but hit a bump in November last year when she missed weight and hydration for her scheduled matchup with South Korean legend Ham Seo Hee, forcing the contest to be scrapped.
The two, however, are penciled in for a showdown on March 24 at ONE Fight Night 8 on Prime Video. Before joining ONE and focusing on mixed martial arts, judoka Hirata was a fixture in many wrestling tournaments across Japan.
