Itsuki Hirata is thankful ONE Championship is giving her another chance

Japanese atomweight standout Itsuki Hirata will get another shot against No. 2 ranked contender Ham Seo Hee at ONE Fight Night 8 on March 24.

Hirata was previously scheduled to face ‘Hamzzang’ at ONE 163 in November, but she failed her weigh-in and hydration test, forcing the bout to be canceled. It was a huge missed opportunity for Hirata, who was on the cusp of a ONE world title shot against reigning atomweight queen Angela Lee.

Upon receiving the news that she would once again be given the opportunity to compete against Ham Seo Hee, Itsuki Hirata was nothing short of grateful for the second chance she was given by the promotion:

“When I got an offer for this fight, I was full of appreciation for everything... I really appreciate ONE Championship giving me a chance again.”

Hirata will go into the bout on an impressive 6-1 run inside ONE Championship thus far. After scoring four straight wins inside the circle between 2019 and 2021, ‘Android 18’ suffered her first setback against Jihin Radzuan at the promotion’s 10th-anniversary showcase ONE X. Though it was via split decision, the general consensus had Radzuan clearly winning the bout.

Hirata bounced back with an impressive win over ‘MMA Sister’ Lin Heqin at ONE on Prime Video 1 in August.

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Itsuki Hirata returned to New York in preparation for her bout with Ham Seo Hee

Following her loss to Jihin Radzuan, Itsuki Hirata began a journey to improve her striking and overall skills in the United States as she went to work with 10th Planet in San Diego and Serra-Longo in New York. The focus on enhancing her stand-up skills in the United States paid dividends in her unanimous decision win over Lin Heqin in August.

Ahead of her potential ONE world title eliminator at ONE Fight Night 8 in March, ‘Android 18’ headed back to New York to continue honing her skills for what will be the toughest test of her mixed martial arts career:

"I came back to New York City two months ago and have been training every day for this fight. I've been sharpening my grappling and striking techniques here."

Will Itsuki Hirata score the biggest win of her combat sports career on March 24 or will the striking and experience of Ham Seo Hee be too much for ‘Android 18’ to overcome? Share your predictions in the comments section below.