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This Friday, at ONE Fight Night 8: Superlek vs. Williams on Prime Video, Japanese sensation Itsuki ‘Android 18” Hirata will take on veteran Ham “Hamzzang” Seo Hee in a highly anticipated MMA showdown that could propel her to the top of the atomweight division. 

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Set to go down in the Singapore Indoor Stadium, this high-stakes matchup is the biggest fight of Hirata’s still-young career. With six thrilling fights in ONE Championship, the 23-year-old has blazed her way to international acclaim, landing her in this potential World Title eliminator bout against the South Korean brawler. 

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Before she takes to the Circle on Friday night, we look at three of Hirata’s stellar performances in the world’s largest martial arts organization.

#1 Completely Dominates Rika Ishige 

In October 2019 at ONE: CENTURY PART I, “Android 18” displayed the full depth of her prodigious talent when she dominated Thai standout Rika Ishige from start to finish. 

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Feared for her world-class grappling and submission acumen, Hirata opened the bout with a thunderous right hand to put her foe on the canvas. From there, she punished Ishige with ground-and-pound, suffocating top control, and a bevy of submission attempts. 

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The finish came late in the second round after the Japanese star continued to land massive punches on the feet and the ground, eventually finding a brutal scissor choke to secure the spectacular submission victory.

#2 Brutalizes Nyrene Crowley 

Next, in February 2020, Hirata battled striking specialist Nyrene Crowley. After weathering an early storm from the New Zelander, “Android 18” proceeded to put on a terrifying takedown and grappling clinic, battering her foe with ruthless ground-and-pound through most of the second and third rounds. 

Eventually, Hirata worked her way to the mount position where she rained down blows on an exhausted Crowley to secure another unforgettable stoppage.

#3 Showcases Punching Power Against Lin Heqin

 In her most recent appearance, last August at ONE on Prime Video 1, the Japanese phenom took on the well-rounded Lin Heqin. After over 14 minutes of high-paced, back-and-forth action, “Android 18” seemed to be on her way to losing a decision. 

But in the final 30 seconds of the bout, Hirata dropped the Chinese athlete with a massive right hand and followed that up with vicious ground strikes as time expired.

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Souvik Roy

1,315 Articles

The coveted scrap between Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson in 2002 was when I realized the passion for combat sports within my family. My interest in combat sports began watching scripted pro wrestling shows. It was my father who directed me towards combat sports and it wasn’t until the late 2010s that I discovered the world of MMA and the UFC. Like many of you, I too, tuned in for the infamous Nurmagomedov vs. McGregor bout live on October 6, 2018. Being an ardent fan of the UFC (and Dustin ‘The Diamond’ Poirier), I was always looking to have conversations about the same with others. But to my disappointment, I hardly found any followers of the sports to interact with. So I took it upon myself to do my part in popularizing the thrill and the agony behind the purest form of unarmed combat. At EssentiallySports, I try to bring the readers closer to the athletes and focus my coverage on exploring the human side of these martial artists. I’m a musician during my time free from reporting MMA. I operate as the lead vocalist of a rock band that aims to make their mark among the audiences with their original alternative-hard rock songs. You can hit me up at-

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Debmallya Chakraborty

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