5 Things You Might Not Know About Itsuki Hirata

This has the look of a potential life-altering fork in the road for Itsuki Hirata.

The 23-year-old judoka will match wits and skills with South Korean star Seo Hee Ham in a possible One Championship atomweight title eliminator when they confront each other in a featured ONE 163 attraction on Saturday at Singapore Indoor Stadium in Kallang, Singapore. Hirata climbs into the cage having posted a 5-1 record inside the Chatri Sityodtong-fronted organization. She last fought at ONE on Prime Video 1, where she rebounded from a split decision defeat to Jihin Radzuan with a three-round unanimous verdict over Heqin Lin on Aug. 26.

As Hirata makes final preparations for her showdown with Ham at 115 pounds, here are five things you might not know about her:

1. She takes unconventional routes.

Hirata earned her One Championship contract by winning Season 3 of the “Fighting Agent War” reality series in 2018. She submitted Bo Hyun Park with a second-round armbar in the tournament quarterfinals, eliminated Mio Tsumura with a first-round rear-naked choke in the semis and took out Mizuki Furuse with a first-round keylock in the final.

2. A fast start boosted her stock.

“Android 18” made her professional debut at the age of 19 when she dispatched Angelie Sabanal with a keylock in the first round of their ONE “Legendary Quest” on June 15, 2019. Hirata went on to win her first five bouts, four of them by knockout, technical knockout or submission.

3. She broke a pattern of exclusivity.

Only one of Hirata’s seven career bouts has taken place outside the auspices of One Championship. She wiped out Miku Nakamura with punches in the second round of their confrontation under the Shooto banner in February 2021.

4. Excellence has become a pursuit.

A protégé of former two-division Deep champion Kazunori Yokota, Hirata has sought training all over the world. In addition to her time at the K-Clann gym, she has sharpened her skills at the famed Krazy Bee camp founded by the late Norifumi Yamamoto and at LAW MMA—an offshoot of the Serra-Longo Fight Team run by Ray Longo and former Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight titleholder Chris Weidman.

5. She inks up the passport.

Hirata has already competed in four different countries across her seven career appearances. She has fought three times in Singapore, twice in her native Japan, once in Indonesia and once in China.