“Let’s Do the Trilogy”: Jihin Radzuan Wants a Decider with Itsuki Hirata
Jihin Radzuan left Tokyo without the result she wanted, but her post-fight comments hint at what could come next.
Jihin Radzuan and Itsuki Hirata have now split their two meetings. Radzuan won their first bout at ONE X in March 2022 by split decision, but Hirata levelled the rivalry with a unanimous decision at ONE SAMURAI 4 on Saturday. Four years after Radzuan handed Hirata her first professional defeat, the Japanese fighter returned the favor on home soil.
In her post-fight interview with ONE Championship, Radzuan credited her striking but identified grappling and urgency as areas she needs to address before another meeting.
Hirata’s Grappling Brought the Rivalry Back to 1-1
Hirata’s work on the ground helped turn the rematch in her favor. ONE Championship reported that she secured takedowns and controlled stretches of the contest, allowing her to shape the fight even when Radzuan found success on the feet.
Radzuan admitted she had been too alert to the threat of grappling and had not escaped those positions quickly enough. She said she believed her cross hurt Hirata, but knew she needed to improve the grappling side.
“I think I should work more on the grappling part.”
Jihin Says Her Striking Was There, but She Needed More Urgency
Radzuan did not dismiss her performance entirely. She believed she had success with her punches and kicks, but said she needed to read Hirata’s intentions sooner and respond more decisively.
“On the striking side, I think I did a good job. The striking was there. I just should have been more aware of what she wanted to do, and I should have shown more urgency.”
That assessment gives a potential third fight a clear tactical question. Radzuan needs to preserve the striking she felt was working while making Hirata’s grappling harder to impose. If Hirata can repeatedly take the fight into positions where she controls the action, Radzuan may struggle to turn her stand-up success into a decision.
Radzuan nevertheless wants another chance. She said she does not usually like facing the same opponent repeatedly, but made an exception for Hirata.
“As a fighter, I don’t really like to fight the same opponent every single time, but let’s do it. Let’s do the trilogy.”
Their first two encounters have produced a win for each fighter, and Radzuan is ready to find out what a third would bring. No trilogy has been announced, but she has made her intentions clear. If the matchup comes together, she will need to turn the lessons from this defeat into a different result.
