“I Did Expect Her to Come Out With a Little Bit More Fire” – Ham Anticipated Tougher Fight Against Hirata, Pleased With Win

Ham “Hamzzang” Seo Hee earned her biggest win in ONE Championship to date when she overcame Itsuki “Android 18” Hirata at ONE Fight Night 8 this past Friday, March 24. The South Korean’s fight IQ and all-around arsenal proved to be levels above the Japanese judoka sensation in the much-anticipated matchup, allowing her to control the pace from bell to bell.

After coming out second best in the stand-up exchanges, “Android 18” went to her reliable takedown game. But even that proved fruitless against Ham, who continuously brought the action back to the feet and outstruck her foe all the way to a unanimous decision win.

Itsuki Hirata’s reputation had got Ham Seo Hee nervous initially

Speaking after the bout, the 36-year-old admitted that she had been concerned Hirata would make weight, given that she missed it last year. Once she did, however, Ham felt relieved and ready to put on a show.

She said, “I feel really good [with the win]. Originally, there was a bit of negative sentiment. But after Itsuki Hirata made weight, I was very happy. Actually, I was very happy for her, and I was very proud of her. It was a good match. I’m happy that it’s over, and I’m happy that I won.”

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“Itsuki Hirata is a very, very famous person and a very famous fighter. And a lot of attention was directed toward me. And that made me nervous a little bit.”

Ham Seo Hee had predicted Itsuki Hirata to offer a bit more resistance

Despite her kind words for Hirata, “Hamzzang” made it clear that she expected a tougher contest inside the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Friday night. She added, “A lot of things were said, and a lot of fire was shot in my direction from Itsuki Hirata.” 

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“So I did expect her to come out with a little bit more fire. A little bit more energy. But as you saw – I understood that it’s very difficult to get a very exciting fight. Just from myself. Just from my own efforts.”