ONE on Prime Video 1: 22-Year-Old Itsuki Hirata Thrilled to Unveil Full Arsenal Against Chinese Rival

Itsuki “Android 18” Hirata knows the stakes will be high when she makes her long-awaited return to the Circle to face “MMA Sister” Lin Heqin at ONE on Prime Video 1 on August 26.

And, after losing her ranked atomweight spot and suffering her first career loss in her last appearance, it is easy to see why.

“I’m a little bit nervous about how much I can show for this fight,” Hirata admitted.

However, the Japanese athlete is looking to get her career back on track with a victory against the Chinese fighter when they face off on the evening’s lead card.

With her bout being shown live on American primetime, the Japanese martial artist acknowledges that it could be the perfect stage for her to shine.

“I’m very excited to perform for them [the North American fans] because ONE has chosen me for the broadcast in the U.S.,” the 22-year-old shared.

“Of course, I can’t wait to showcase my skills to the fans globally because the broadcast on Prime Video will allow more people around the world to watch.”

Hirata’s flaws were exposed in her fight against Malaysian athlete Jihin “Shadow Cat” Radzuan at ONE X this past March.

Though she did get the upper hand in a couple of exchanges, the lack of adequate weapons to back up her ground game eventually led to her downfall.

Read More – Chinese Athlete Lin Heqin Fired Up to Add Another Loss to 22-Year-Old Itsuki Hirata’s Resume at ONE on Prime Video 1

Hirata took the loss hard. But instead of letting it drain her emotionally, the young phenom used it as a reason to widen her MMA arsenal.

Itsuki Hirata is motivated to return to the win column at ONE on Prime Video 1

She stepped outside her box and spent four weeks in New York, USA, honing her striking tools and ground game at Serra BJJ, Longo And Weidman MMA, and Ultimate Gym.

Those lessons have instilled a new belief in “Android 18,” and she hopes she can showcase her improvements on Friday.

“I’m training so hard that I can handle being hit by fatal shots while I’m working on developing my ground and striking skills every day. I think people will pay more attention to me because I lost once,” she offered.

“I’m solidifying my striking, so I think I’ll be different from what I’ve been in the past.”

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