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ONE rising star Itsuki Hirata can finally let out a huge sigh of relief after her match-up with Ham Seo Hee got the green light at ONE Fight Night 8: Superlek vs. Williams on Prime Video.
After the drama surrounding her missed weight and hydration tests for her supposed bout with the South Korean last year, ‘Android 18’ proved she learned from her mistakes by having no issues with the scales this time around.
In the build-up to the biggest fight of her budding career, which takes place this Friday, March 24, at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, Itsuki talked about adopting a different approach this time around.
While the 23-year-old’s constant grind inside the gym stayed the same, she made better choices when it came to her diet and nutrition.
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Itsuki told Nic Atkin in her ONE Fight Night 8 pre-event interview with SCMP MMA:
“I have the same opponent, so I didn’t change the detail of my training so much. But I changed my dieting program, from what I eat. That’s the biggest thing I changed.”
That lifestyle change certainly paid dividends after Itsuki Hirata easily made the 115-pound women’s atomweight limit.
Even her opponent Ham Seo Hee, who watched her weigh in, couldn’t hide her glee after the Japanese sensation hit her mark.
Now that the pressure of making weight is finally off her shoulders, Itsuki can complete her redemption arc by beating the second-ranked women’s atomweight fighter in the promotion.
“I have a little bit more confidence than the last one.”
Watch Itsuki Hirata’s full interview below:
A signature win against the veteran Ham Seo Hee, of course, will no doubt skyrocket Itsuki Hirata’s stock in the stacked division’s top 5.
It will be much easier said than done, but ‘Android 18’ is eager to showcase her growth both inside and outside the circle.
ONE Fight Night 8: Superlek vs. Williams on Prime Video will stream live in US primetime and will be free for all Amazon Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.
