Why Itsuki Hirata picked New York City as her training base

Ahead of her next match this Friday, Itsuki Hirata has explained why she made the bold move to train and live in New York City.

The Japanese standout is scheduled to square off against South Korean slugger Ham Seo Hee at ONE Fight Night 8 on Prime Video in a bid to become a serious contender in the division. With the help of her American training partners and coaches in the US, she is excited to showcase the best version of herself yet.

However, making the bold move to live and train in New York wasn’t easy. The language barrier, for one, was one of the things Hirata struggled with before, but now, she seems to have adapted well to living and training away from home.

Speaking to ONE Championship ahead of her match, Hirata explained why she picked New York City out of all places as her training base. She said:

"I think New York is the best place for me to train because it offers opportunities in strength and conditioning, movements that are applicable to MMA, and the level of MMA and cage wrestling.

"In terms of physical training, the girls I train with here are all bigger than me, so I think it will help me prepare for fighting overseas with ONE against foreign fighters. I hope to be able to train and compete without difficulty."

Itsuki Hirata is heading toward her seventh atomweight bout when she faces MMA veteran Ham Seo Hee. Their fight was scheduled to take place a few months prior, but Hirata had difficulty making weight and passing the hydration test. Relying on a new nutritionist to keep her weight in check, the Japanese judoka is confident everything will go according to plan.

ONE Fight Night 8 will be broadcast live and for free to American fans who have an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.

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Fans react to Itsuki Hirata warming up at Evolve MMA Gym before fight night

Just days away from fighting one of the biggest names at ONE Championship, Itsuki Hirata shared footage of her latest warm-up session with her coach in Singapore.

The 23-year-old standout touched down in Singapore earlier this week, getting herself re-accustomed to fighting under the country’s blistering heat. With the help of her Muay Thai coach and mentor, Nestor Marte, she is bound to turn heads with the progress she’s made when she uses her striking against Ham Seo Hee.

Check out some of the fan reactions below:

“You need some shorter sparring partners 😅 looking focused and strong though 👏🏻✌🏻🥰”

“Beast mode! 💪💪💪 Can't wait to watch the fight Friday!”

“Goodluck on your fight!! 🔥💪”

Watch Itsuki Hirata's warm-up below: