“I could compete against Angela Lee” - Itsuki Hirata wants to prove her worth in match against Ham Seo Hee

'Android 18' Itsuki Hirata will be competing in a vital match for the future of her career when she meets 'Hamzzang' Ham Seo Hee at ONE 163 on November 19. The Japanese judoka might be next in line for a shot at the atomweight queen 'Unstoppable' Angela Lee if she beats the South Korean.

'Hamzzang' is currently the No.2-ranked fighter in the division and has remained unbeaten since 2017. Ham is currently on an eight-fight win streak. The 23-year-old Hirata will be looking to break through the rankings and get a potential world title opportunity with a victory over Ham.

On the prospect of facing Angela Lee next, the Japanese fighter explained that it has pushed and motivated her more. In an interview with ONE Championship, she stated:

"It’s the first time I heard that at that press conference, I’m so amazed. I didn’t feel any pressure. I have been more motivated since then. I want to show everyone, I could compete against Angela Lee."

'Android 18' is 6-1 in her MMA career since making her professional debut in 2019. On November 19, Itsuki Hirata will be looking to earn a victory and move one step closer to earning the illustrious ONE women's atomweight world championship.

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Itsuki Hirata would be looking to strike with Angela Lee

If the 23-year-old judo-based fighter finds herself in a match for the atomweight throne, she plans to use her striking. This is because the grappling ability of 'Unstoppable' is of a very high level.

While speaking to Tim Wheaton of MMA Sucka, Hirata explained the game plan for fighting Angela Lee. She stated that she would need to improve her cardio and then focus on her striking:

"I can’t imagine how the 5 min 5 rounds fight will be. It’s almost a total of 30 mins fight. I need much more hard training, for 5 round game for sure. I think Angela has good grappling skills so I would like to use my striking skills then."

However, for the ONE 163 showdown against Ham Seo Hee on November 19, Itsuki Hirata will be looking to use her grappling superiority:

"My opponent is a striker so I will be much more focused on wrestling training. That’s the key."