ONE Championship: Itsuki Hirata vs Jihin Radzuan, Mei Yamaguchi vs Danielle Kelly added to ONE X line-up
- Asian martial arts promotion bolsters its 10th anniversary bonanza with several new bouts announced at Abema press conference in Japan
- Singapore event adds two atomweight MMA bouts, and submission grappling contest between Japanese veteran Yamaguchi and debuting BJJ star Kelly
The line-up for ONE Championship’s 10th-anniversary celebration keeps getting better.
The ONE X event, which will emanate from Singapore on March 26, already stands out as the biggest in the Asian martial arts promotion’s history, and at a Wednesday press conference in Japan with broadcaster Abema, several new matchups were confirmed.
Chief among the new additions are a pair of high-stakes atomweight contests, as Japan’s Itsuki Hirata takes on Malaysia’s Jihin Radzuan, and Asha Roka of India faces Alyse Anderson of the United States.
“I’m very excited. I’m looking forward to the fight,” Radzuan said, via video link from Malaysia. “She [Hirata] is very young and talented. She is undefeated. She’s a judoka – in every fight she always focuses on taking you down, doing the same things. So I think this fight there will be something different.”
Hirata (5-0), who was forced out of ONE’s recent atomweight grand prix with an injury, will be looking to build on the momentum of a decision win over Anderson (5-2), who has not fought since the loss. Hirata’s opponent Radzuan (7-2) is fresh off a decision victory over Japanese veteran Mei Yamaguchi.