Watch: Itsuki Hirata made a statement in her ONE debut

On June 15, 2019, Itsuki Hirata made her ONE Championship debut at ONE: Legendary Quest. Hirata was signed after winning the Japanese reality TV series and MMA competition Fighting War Agent.

In the series, Hirata ran through her competition, winning all three rounds via submission, two of which came in the very first round. The victories earned 'Android 18' a contract with ONE Championship. Six months later, Hirata made her promotional debut against Angelie Sabanal.

It took Hirata less than three minutes to secure a submission win over Sabanal by way of an Americana. ONE Championship posted a clip from Hirata's impressive debut on their official Instagram page, saying:

"ON THIS DAY in 2019 19-year-old Japanese phenom Itsuki Hirata made her ONE debut and scored a STATEMENT finish!"

Within the last three years, Hirata has gone from a relative unknown in mixed martial arts to one of Japan's biggest breakout stars of the last few years.

Her rise to MMA prominence was rather unconventional. After a brief stint on the amateur scene, 'Android 18' found herself on a reality TV series competing for a spot on the ONE Championship roster.

While speaking to MixedMartialArts.com, Hirata said this about the televised tournament experience:

"To put it simply, it was like Pokemon. It was tournament-style but, if you won, your next opponent was decided by lottery. I had three matches in the tournament. The number of matches I fought was less than the other fighters around me but, I fought at a good tempo and didn’t see my bad points, so I did not become negative."

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Itsuki Hirata says that Shinya Aoki has been a role model throughout her MMA career

Hirata's impressive run in ONE Championship thus far is partially the work of Asian MMA legend Shinya Aoki. 'Android 18' is inspired by Aoki's demenaor and attitude towards making his own path in the sport.

"He may be more like a teacher or a parent than an older brother. I respect the way he pursues himself without worrying about the cameras. When I look at other fighters, they try to say the good things, but Mr. Aoki does not do that," she said. "I think some fighters try to behave nicely when the camera is on, but for me, I want to be me and want to show my true colors. So that is why Mr. Aoki is one of my role models."

Hirata's last appearance in the ONE circle was at the promotion's 10th-anniversary event, ONE X, in March. In her short time with the organization, Hirata has amassed a record of 5-1, with four of her wins coming by way of stoppages.

There's no official word on when Itsuki Hirata will make her way back to the cage, but it's safe to say fans are ready for the return of 'Android 18'.