Hirata Itsuki “Android 18” is determined to bounce back and get back to winning ways in primetime America this Friday, June 7, at ONE 167: Tawanchai vs. Nattawut II on Prime Video.
That night, the Japanese fan favorite will face off against Brazilian fighter Victoria “Vic” Sousa in a key atomweight mixed martial arts showdown, giving her a chance to remind fans of her championship-caliber talent.
The 24-year-old compiled a 5-1 record in her first six MMA bouts in ONE, but now finds herself in uncharted territory after two straight losses to two former ONE World Title challengers.
Following these defeats, Android 18 returned from America to Japan to change things around, where he is now trained by Coach Osawa Kenji at the Wajutsu Keishukai HEARTS.
The change of environment has revitalized Hirata, who promises to bring a new, more aggressive approach to the fight against Souza.
She spoke to onefc.com about the crucial match at Bangkok's sold-out Impact Arena: “It's a tough fight.
“I want to show my strength and determination to win no matter what. I won't wait, I'll attack first. That way I won't have to fight for 15 minutes.”
“The sooner it's over the better. We'll be on the offensive from the start so we don't have to fight for 15 minutes.”
In fact, when Hirata was recently defeated by Ayaka Miura and Ham Sohee, she was uncharacteristically hesitant and hesitant to pull the trigger.
If her shyness was due to a lack of self-confidence, she appears to have overcome those issues.
The Japanese star says he has the advantage against “Vic” whether the fight is on the stand or on the ground.
“I’m a little bit bigger so my reach is different and if I can hit it smartly I think I’ll have a chance in the stand-up.
“And in grappling, if I can take her down, I know I can land punches on the ground from above, so I'll keep my concentration for even a second.”
Hirata, an extremely talented judoka with dangerous submission skills, knows Souza is a skilled fighter.
But with his newfound confidence, Android 18 is determined to end his losing streak and beat the Brazilian at his own game.
“I’m confident I can finish, and I want to finish. I want to beat strong grappling fighters with my own grappling skills.”
“I'm not going to stick to one thing too much, I'm going to mix it up, but if I can get a submission and make my guy tap out, it'll feel great.”
Hirata discusses important lessons learned from losing streak
The losing streak was hard for Hirata Tatsuki to accept, but those losses have influenced her current mindset.
Hirata said that during practice, he was only thinking about winning each round rather than learning, and his hyper-competitive nature caused him to lose.
“Android 18” Description:
“Before, I didn't want to get beaten. I didn't want to lose or fail in practice. But after I lost, I realized that practice is a place to fail.”
“I lose a lot. I lose to female fighters and amateur fighters too. I used to be mean, but when I changed my mindset it became easier.”
Hirata believes that training with Coach Osawa has made a huge difference in his way of thinking.
Now, instead of focusing too much on success, I can accept that losses may occur and I am more relaxed and open-minded.
And ultimately, she believes a change of attitude can make her a more dangerous fighter.
“Thanks to Coach Osawa, I've become able to play in a relaxed manner, rather than just get nervous. My mindset is completely different from when I was only thinking about winning; I now think, 'It's okay if I lose, so I'll just do what I can.'”
