ONE Championship: Itsuki Hirata working with a nutritionist, is confident her weight and hydration issues are in the past
- Hirata’s November fight with Ham Seo-hee was called off when she failed to pass a pre-fight hydration test three times
- Bout has been rescheduled for ONE Fight Night 8 on March 25, and Hirata has hired a nutritionist in effort to ensure there are no more issues
Itsuki Hirata is grateful to have another opportunity to fight Ham Seo-hee, and does not intend to let it slip through her fingers again.
The rising Japanese star had been set to meet the South Korean veteran at ONE Championship 163 in November, but was unable to pass a pre-fight hydration test during the allotted time frame, and therefore unable to make the 115-pound atomweight limit.
A catchweight bout was proposed to Ham, but the Korean veteran declined to accept the match-up.
“I wasn’t surprised [she declined to fight],” Hirata told the Post in her first interview since the bout fell through. “I didn’t feel any bad things toward her.”
Hirata intends to prove her doubters wrong, and has expanded her team to ensure she has the support to do so, most notably hiring a nutritionist.
“I’m really happy that ONE Championship made this fight again for us,” she said. “I know many fans wanted to see this match-up, that’s why this is happening.
