Mei Yamaguchi has been a staple of the ONE Championship atomweight division for years, and the veteran mixed martial artist will return as a short-notice replacement against Jihin Radzuan on Friday, February 11, at ONE: Bad Blood.
With the growth of the atomweight division over the past year, Yamaguchi is ready to make a final push toward the top. That road begins at ONE: Bad Blood.
But the Japanese grappler enters knowing she will not be at 100% given the short notice against her Malaysian opponent.
“Even though I was also training, it wasn’t like a pre-fight camp, so I’ll give it my all, but I’m sure there will be some pretty tough moments. I accepted the match knowing that. I think it’s good to have a match like that because it’s interesting to watch,” said Yamaguchi.
Radzuan has noted that Yamaguchi was an influence of hers and that she has wanted to test herself against the former DEEP Jewels World Champion. Yamaguchi is pleased with the honor but plans to be ready to show new skills in the matchup.
“That makes me incredibly happy. Well, I’m glad that she says that, and I’m glad that she makes me her target in so many ways. However, I think I have to make sure that I can evolve even more than that,” said the Japanese star.
The “Shadow Cat” will test her world-class wushu background against Yamaguchi and hope to help usher out the old guard in the process.
Although “V.V.” expects to utilize her grappling against the Ultimate MMA Academy representative, Yamaguchi is aware that Radzuan is dangerous off of her back as well.
“She seems to have a strong body, and I have an impression that she can attack any opponent from the bottom, and I think it’s great that she’s not afraid to attack from the bottom in MMA,” stated Yamaguchi.
“That’s a plus point for Jihin, isn’t it? She’s rough in a lot of situations, so I think that’s what I’m going to attack her with. I think she is a well-balanced fighter overall. Her roughness is sometimes a plus and sometimes a minus. I think it’s where she has to take advantage of it. I think I have to attack the moment it becomes a minus.”
“It’s her attacks from below. I think she has some physical strength, so I want to make sure I don’t get swept away by her bold moves and control them accurately.”
Yamaguchi gave praise to the unrelenting style of Radzuan. The former title challenger was impressed by how she always moves forward, without fear, and presses the action.
But she expects to use that to her advantage to get the win.
“She is an opponent who moves with a lot of momentum, but I think the decisive factor for me is to go for the submission with as much momentum as she has,” said Yamaguchi.
Although Yamaguchi is ready for whatever may come against the “Shadow Cat,” she is aware that her career is winding down.
“V.V.” wants to continue battling the upper echelon of the division but wants to emphasize closing her career in style. She is all about putting on a show for her fans as the window begins to close.
“I want to win again in a good way and fight against ranked fighters and others I haven’t fought yet. I just want to have an interesting fight, entertain the audience, and have a fight that leaves a memorable impression,” said the Japanese star.
“I want people to think that martial arts are fun. I know that people are going through a lot during the Corona period, but I hope that watching martial arts will cheer them up. I think that’s what I can do. So I want to keep that in mind when I fight.”
“I want to have interesting fights so that when people think of ONE, they think of Mei Yamaguchi.”
Yamaguchi will get the chance to come in on short notice, stun Radzuan, and continue to build on her legacy at ONE: Bad Blood.
ONE: Bad Blood airs live and free on Friday, February 11. The lead card will air on ONE’s official Facebook page at 5:00 a.m. EST/2:00 a.m. PST before the main card begins on Bleacher Report’s YouTube channel at 7:30 a.m. EST/4:30 a.m. PST.
