Itsuki Hirata on training at Serra BJJ Academy for her upcoming fight with Lin Heqin

ONE women's atomweight superstar Itsuki Hirata has spent a lot of time cross-training in different US gyms in preparation for her return to the Circle. Last time she was seen in action, the Japanese MMA sensation lost a close split-decision to Malaysia's Jihin Radzuan at ONE X.

Since her disappointing loss, 'Android 18' has been hell-bent on correcting her mistakes and improving her MMA game even more. A large part of her efforts to improve is traveling to the US to train with some of the best gyms in the sport. ONE of these gyms is Serra BJJ in New York, owned and run by MMA legend Matt Serra.

Matt Serra is a former world champion and his gym, Serra BJJ, has produced some of the best champions in the sport. Speaking to ONE Championship, Itsuki Hirata shared her thoughts on training in the world-renowned MMA facility:

"It’s pretty close to the actual fight. I definitely train a lot each day, and just focus on getting better in all areas. I met a lot of people, and made some great connections. It was an amazing experience and I had a lot of fun."

Hirata is currently preparing for an August 26 clash with China's Lin Heqin, who was last seen beating Bi Nguyen back in February. Hirata will have to reach deep into her MMA toolbox to beat the Chinese striking specialist.

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Itsuki Hirata interested in rematching Jihin Radzuan

After their hotly-contested bout at ONE X last March, Itsuki Hirata is hell-bent on running it back with Jihin Radzuan inside the Circle. The Japanese judoka seems obsessed with making things right and defeating Radzuan.

Speaking to ONE, Hirata was highly transparent about her performance and admitted that she failed to show her best self that night at ONE X. Hirata went 4-0 in her ONE career before hitting a roadblock with Radzuan. Needless to say, the loss struck a massive blow on the otherwise steady ascent of 'Android 18'.

Speaking about the fight with Radzuan, Hirata said:

“I definitely want a rematch with Jihin Radzuan, if not now, then somewhere down the road. I feel like I was not able to represent myself well in the first fight and what I’m really capable of. We have to settle our unfinished business, and in the next fight, I will surely win. It cannot end like this. We have to fight again.”

Although a rematch between the two might not happen in the next few years, an eventual second meeting is definitely a possibility. If and when this happens, it will be exciting to see how Hirata and Radzuan have evolved since their first encounter.