Isi Fitikefu is heading to his next matchup full of confidence despite a dangerous opponent waiting for him.

At ONE 168: Denver this Friday, September 6, “Doxz” will face Hiroyuki “Japanese Beast” Tetsuka in a welterweight MMA bout. Their match happens inside Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado, and will be broadcast live on U.S. primetime.

Isi Fitikefu promises a sharp performance against Tetsuka’

Speaking to ONE in an interview, the Tongan-Australian fighter said Tetsuka will have to be ready for the unexpected when they meet this weekend.

“He’s going to be surprised at how sharp I am. He loves to swing, but I feel like I’m a bit more of a sharpshooter. I’m going to catch him down the middle. If he wants to grapple me, he can try. But I’m not like these other guys that stay on their backs. I don’t stay on my back. I’m a scrambler,” he said.

Fitikefu is coming off his first win in the world’s largest martial arts organization, defeating Brazil’s Valmir Da Silva with a first-round submission at ONE Fight Night 9 in April last year. Interestingly, the Brazilian also fell to Tetsuka this past April at ONE Fight Night 21, but “Japanese Beast” did it in the second round.

Tetsuka’s dominance vs. Fitikefu’s determination

Tetsuka’s win was his fifth straight win – all finishes – and his sixth in seven outings in ONE. He has certainly proven to be a major force in the welterweight ranks and another win could inevitably vault him into the World Title conversation.

Of course, Isi Fitikefu also has designs on the division’s top prize and will be determined to pick up the win. Before his promotional debut loss to the Kyrgyz powerhouse Ruslan Emilbek Uulu at ONE on Prime Video 4 in November 2022, “Doxz” was an undefeated fighter with seven wins to his credit. Now that he has found his form in ONE, he will be looking to keep the momentum going against Tetsuka.

While he recognizes the skills of his Japanese foe, the 31-year-old believes that their fight will not go the distance and will end in his favor decisively. “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 in your blood. For some reason, I can feel that I’m going to get the job done,” he said.