ONE Championship’s first Tongan representative, Isi Fitikefu, knows he’s coming up against a tough opponent in his next outing, and he is excited to show people what he can do.

“Doxz” is set to square off against Hiroyuki “Japanese Beast” Tetsuka in a welterweight MMA battle at ONE 168: Denver live on U.S. primetime inside Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado, on Friday, September 6.

Isi Fitikefu embraces underdog status ahead of high-stakes showdown with Tetsuka

Having scored his first win in ONE in his last outing, Fitikefu shared how excited he is to be able to showcase his talents in North America against a fighter of Tetsuka’s caliber in a recent interview with the promotion.

“I’ve always got plenty of fire. It’s just a fight like this gets me going because he’s on a five-fight win streak. I’m the underdog. I just want to bring the fight to him,” he said.

He further added, “I don’t know where a win puts me in the title picture, but I’m just taking one fight at a time, winning each fight. If this fight puts me up into title contention, then let it be. But I’m not looking past him.”

Tetsuka is firmly established in the world’s largest martial arts organization, given that he’s been on its roster since 2019. He has won six of his seven fights and gone 5-0 in his last five, with all finishing before the final bell.

Fitikefu promises a War with Tetsuka in Denver

“Japanese Beast” has shown that he can take on anyone anywhere in the Circle. In his latest outing, he picked up a second-round submission win over Brazil’s Valmir Da Silva for his third straight finish via submission.

However, Fitikefu has formidable skills that could test the streaking Japanese star. At ONE Fight Night 9 in April last year, the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Smeaton Grange athlete submitted Da Silva one round earlier than Tetsuka.

With the reigning ONE Lightweight and Welterweight MMA World Champion Christian Lee set to return at ONE 169: Atlanta later this year, the division is wide open for potential contenders.

Fitikefu knows that his stock in the division could rise if he defeats Tetsuka in Denver. As such, he vows to produce an epic “war” with his rival. “I want to put on a good fight, and if it becomes a war, I’m ready for war. I’m ready to die in there if I have to. I’m not looking ahead. I’m not leaving it in there – all or nothing,” he said.