Rising star Victoria Souza registered the biggest win of her budding career at ONE 167 last June when she submitted a certified fan-favorite in Itsuki Hirata. Despite coming in as an underdog, 'Vick' silenced the crowd when she finished the Japanese star in under two minutes with a nasty guillotine choke.
Speaking to ONE Championship, Souza admitted that she went into the bout expecting a grinding 15-minute war against a tough adversary.
However, Hirata committed the fatal mistake of leaving her neck wide open after a sloppy takedown just one minute into the match.
The opportunity was simply too good to pass up, and the Brazilian latched onto it like no tomorrow. She said:
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"I had trained to go three rounds defending takedowns and striking, but the guillotine opportunity came up, and I realized I was well-positioned," Souza said.
While 'Android 18' initially defended Souza's tight grip, the 27-year-old was able to adjust accordingly. The squeeze was so overwhelming that Hirata didn't even get a chance to tap and was left unconscious. Souza continued:
"I was already moving to her side. But when I saw I was attached, I went back and pulled guard to adjust the submission."
Rewatch Victoria Souza's massive victory, here:
Victoria Souza can move closer to the top 5 if she beats Alyse Anderson
A pivotal showdown in the stacked atomweight MMA division is about to go down at ONE 168: Denver.
Victoria Souza will lock horns with another formidable challenger in the form of American Alyse Anderson on Sept. 6 at the Ball Arena.
Adding a big name like 'Lil Savage' to her resume will no doubt be another massive feather in the cap of the promising Ataque Duplo and Chute Boxe Floripa affiliate.
Tickets for ONE 168: Denver are available via Ticketmaster.