Itsuki Hirata talks ONE Atomweight Grand Prix Semi-Finals

Itsuki Hirata defeated Alyse Anderson by unanimous decision at ONE: Empower. The tournament quarterfinals bout transpired at Singapore Indoor Stadium on September 3rd.

Hirata remains undefeated in her pro MMA career and overcame a certain degree of adversity to do so. She now moves onward to the ONE Atomweight Grand Prix semi-finals. Hirata’s acumen as a Judoka was on display with several tosses transpiring against Anderson.

Itsuki Hirata found herself in unfamiliar territory when she was put to the canvas in the third round from Anderson’s strikes. Hirata showcased the toughness and adaptability by turning her fortunes around in that final frame.

The overall work that Hirata put on throughout the contest was more than enough to notch her a well-earned win across all three judges’ scorecards.

The ONE Atomweight Grand Prix semi-finals now have a spot occupied by the warrior known as Android 18.

I spoke with Hirata in the post-fight presser and got some of her insights.

Ippons all day for Itsuki Hirata! 🥋 @_itsuki_h_ #ONEEmpower #WeAreONE #ONEChampionship pic.twitter.com/oRuHKE6MBU

— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) September 4, 2021

Itsuki Hirata

Getting put down in the third round and the utility of overcoming tough spots

“Actually, it wasn’t my first time getting punched in my face. It wasn’t really like a downer or anything. I just saw the ceiling and I wasn’t dizzy or I didn’t feel anything. So I was able to come back and put pressure on my athlete again. But the thing is probably from the semifinals, the next opponent most likely will be a good striker. Better than Alyse (Anderson). So I need to make sure I won’t get those big punches again in my next fight.

If there’s a preference on who her opponent is in the fan-voted semi-finals

“I don’t know the results yet but I’m pretty sure that the fans want to see me against Stamp. So yeah, let the fans choose Stamp (Fairtex) and I. Let’s have a good fight.”

Dylan Bowker

I've been enamored with combat sports for as long as I can remember. I've hosted MMA talk shows Lights Out and Pure Fight Radio with featured guests like Jens Pulver, Roy Nelson, Miesha Tate, Mark Coleman, and more. I've been an MMA broadcaster for XFFC as well as BTC and have done play by play commentary on live pay per view on GFL as well as FITE TV. I've provided written, audio, and video content covering some of the biggest MMA promotions like Rumble in the Cage, Unified MMA, and King of the Cage. I've worked as a sports entertainment personality for over five years and given play-by-play or featured promotions of KSW, ONE Championship, TKO, and Invicta FC. My work can be found in the USA Today Sports affiliate MMA Torch, Cageside Press, MMA Sucka, and Liberty Multimedia.

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