Itsuki Hirata steps up to face her toughest career test yet in the form of veteran mixed martial artist Ham Seo Hee at ONE Fight Night 8 on Friday, March 24, but she is facing it with a brand new attitude. The Japanese star was on the receiving end of some harsh criticism last year after she missed weight in the lead-up to her initial bout with Ham, and it was made worse by the fact that it wasn’t the first time she had failed to hit the mark on the scales.

Hirata remained mum on social media, however, choosing instead to focus on training so that she could get it right the second time around.

Itsuki Hirata was confident about finally having the bout against Ham Seo Hee this time

Now almost four months later, the pair are finally set to cross paths inside the Circle when ONE returns to the Singapore Indoor Stadium. Speaking on her return, “Android 18” said, “It’s always tough [to be criticized]. I wanted to take a break for about a month, and I wanted to start the new year with a fresh mindset.

“I am full of anxiety [about returning and making the weight], but I believe in myself and [hope to] see it through.”

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Now based in New York, Hirata has sought the help of different gyms to increase her strength and conditioning. She has also put work into improving her abilities across wrestling and MMA. Because of that, the 23-year-old feels she’s in a much better position than she was before the first fight. Both mentally and physically.

Itsuki Hirata will look to implement her American techniques in the bout

Despite missing her hometown of Tokyo, Japan, the bigger picture motivates the ONE star. And the talented judoka firmly believes that the training sessions she undertook in her adopted city will help her put up a tough fight against Ham.

Speaking on her decision to relocate to the United States for training, she said, “I’m living in New York and renting a house here, so for now, it’s New York [that is home]. 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”.

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“I feel that, compared to America, Japan’s wrestling techniques are not as advanced. Since coming here, I’ve learned more wrestling-centered techniques that I think will be useful in MMA fights.”

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