Isi ”Doxz” Fitikefu thinks he can be the man to halt  Hiroyuki “Japanese Beast” Tetsuka in his journey through ONE’s welterweight division. Fitikefu is set to face the Japanese star at ONE 168 in Denver on September 6 and seems pumped for the occasion. He has already achieved his first ONE win in the last match and now the Australian-Tongan rising star is confident that he can build his record by defeating Tetsuka.

“Doxz” understands the stakes of this fight and knows that a win over his streaking Japanese opponent could open up huge possibilities.

Isi Fitikefu shows his determination in the fight against Hiroyuki Tetsuka

While speaking to ONE Championship, Fitikefu explained his stance and said, “I’ve been watching [Tetsuka]. He’s been winning a lot. Seeing someone fight like that motivates me because I’m an underdog.  I  like this matchup. It’s challenging. I get to test myself against the best, so I’m just keen to get in there. Even though I haven’t been active since last April due to a few injuries, I’ve been working hard, leveling up my skills and everything.  I’m ready to test myself against this person. I’m ready to get the win.” 

Tetsuka certainly has what it takes to pose problems for anyone in the division. Over his last five fights, he has claimed 2 knockouts and 3 submissions. However, Fitikefu is excited to engage his opponent in any range and does not plan on backing down. He even explained that his opponent might be surprised at his sharp skills and his penchant to always get back on his feet. He said, “I feel like it’s going to be a TKO or a knockout before the third [round]. I can feel it. I’ve been training hard, and it’s a feeling that you can feel in your veins and your blood. For some reason, I can feel that I’m going to get the job done.” 

Fans can look forward to a barnburner of a fight between two fighters who are confident in their own skills no matter where the fight goes. Even though Isi Fitikefu is a laid-back person, he is pretty pumped for this fight since he is going up against an elite rival like  Hiroyuki Tetsuka.

What does a win in this fight mean?

The welterweight division is getting a bit of movement starting with Fitikefu and Tetsuka’s matchup. Two-division World Champion Christian “The Warrior” Lee is set to return at ONE 169: Atlanta to defend his lightweight strap. He has been vocal in his desire to be an active chcampion, and will be eagerly awaiting a challenger for his ONE Welterweight MMA World Championship. 

Apart from the winner of Fitikefu and Tetsuka, other contenders like Roberto “Robocop” Soldic and Zebaztian “The Bandit” Kadestam are also looking for their chance to test themselves against “The Warrior” in the very near future. 

During an interview with ONE Championship Tetsuka bared that he is confident that he can continue his run of finishes against Fitikefu and establish himself as a legitimate threat for the division’s top prize. He said, “There are many ways [to win], I could land a counter and knock him out, or take him down and pound him out. He’s only lost by decision once and has never been finished.”

Both are ready to fight fire with fire and the Tongan star even said that if it comes down to war, he is even ready for that. Since the title implications are huge, both fighters are very serious about this next matchup. Who do you think is going to win?