ONE Championship continues to load up the March 24 card in Singapore. ONE Fight Night 8 will now feature an important atomweight clash on the undercard. Second-ranked contender Seo Hee Ham will take on Japan’s Itsuki Hirata in a clash that has been months in the making, the promotion announced on Wednesday.
The two talented athletes were initially scheduled for a bout at ONE 163. However, Hirata missed weight and hydration for the event, and Ham refused to negotiate a catchweight match against the rising Japanese star. Five months later, they will settle their budding rivalry inside the Circle.
Hirata had a perfect start to her professional career, including an impressive decision win over Alyse Anderson. At ONE X, she faltered for the first time in her career with a split-decision loss to Jihin Radzuan. “Android 18” answered questions about her resiliency by rebounding in short order with a unanimous decision win over Lin Heqin.
Since returning to atomweight, Ham has been a force. The South Korean star is riding an eight-bout win streak into ONE Fight Night 8 and looks to firmly establish herself as the next title contender in the atomweight division by toppling Hirata. The veteran is still looking for the defining piece of her legacy, and one more win could put her on the doorstep for her shot.
The marquee matchup will be a great platform for Hirata to continue showing her development. The Japanese talent has shifted her training to the United States to improve her overall mixed martial arts game, and Ham is the perfect opponent to test how far she has come. The atomweight bout will be a dark horse for Fight of the Night in Singapore.
ONE Fight Night 8 airs live on Friday, March 24, from the Singapore Indoor Stadium. The action gets underway, on Prime Video, at 8 p.m. EST/5 p.m. PST. The event is free for all Amazon Prime members in the U.S. and Canada.
