"She hasn't faced the same level of competition" – Jihin shares why she’s on a different level than Hirata

Jihin 'Shadow Cat' Radzuan steps into the circle once again at ONE X on Saturday, March 26, just six weeks after one of the biggest victories of her career. The Johor Bahru native takes on Itsuki 'Android 18' Hirata and is looking to add another victory to her already impressive resume.

In her last outing on the global stage, the atomweight star took out Mei Yamaguchi, edging her more senior rival out across all departments en route to a unanimous decision win.

Yamaguchi is a wizard on the canvas and is no easy opponent to beat. Rightfully so, the victory has given Radzuan huge belief that she can take out the unbeaten Hirata, a fighter who holds quite a similar arsenal to the Japanese veteran.

"It's definitely going to be an interesting fight. I prefer not to look down on her [Hirata], but I think she hasn't faced the same level of competition like I have. But, still, credit to her, she’s very good on the ground, and a win is still a win,” she said.

"I've had very little time to rest, but I don't see this opportunity as something that came too soon. I believe I deserve this chance, especially after my last win against Mei Yamaguchi."

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Jihin Radzuan plans to exploit Hirata’s flaws when trading leather

Hirata has dominated all of her rivals with her groundwork, a pivotal tool that has allowed her to gain a perfect streak of four finishes.

Radzuan is not fazed by any of it, though, and is confident that her Brazilian jiu-jitsu and wrestling skills can match up to her opposite number. More importantly, she is certain that her striking will leave some damage on ‘Android 18’.

“Thankfully, Hirata has a similar game plan as my last opponent, so I didn’t have to make any major adjustments. Defeating her is going to be hard, but I think I can take her out in the striking department. Me and my coach can see where her weaknesses are, and I will try to make the best of my chances,” Jihin told Sportskeeda.

Wrecking Hirata’s perfect run could prove to be tough, but the 23-year-old is confident that she can be the person to hand the Japanese upstart her first career loss.

Fans will find out who leaves this match as the victor at ONE X on Saturday, March 26.