‘I Want To Win With My Punches’ – Jihin Radzuan Eyes A More Decisive Victory Over Itsuki Hirata At ONE SAMURAI 4
Jihin “Shadow Cat” Radzuan knows exactly what it takes to beat Itsuki “Android 18” Hirata. The 28-year-old has done it once before, and now, she intends to write an even more memorable second chapter right in her Japanese foe’s backyard.
The Malaysian star will face the popular judoka in a pivotal atomweight MMA rematch at ONE SAMURAI 4, which emanates live from Tokyo’s Ariake Arena on Saturday, October 17.
Fighting in front of Hirata’s home crowd has “Shadow Cat” excited, and she is counting down the days for multiple reasons.
Jihin said:
“What I am excited about the most is that I’m fighting in Japan for the first time. I’ve fought in Singapore, I’ve fought in Kuala Lumpur, and I’ve fought in Thailand. So, I’m very excited. And, to make it better, I’m fighting a Japanese athlete in Japan.”
The Johor Bahru native’s blueprint for “Android 18” was drawn up at ONE X in March 2022, when the then-undefeated Hirata walked into the Singapore Indoor Stadium as the clear favorite.
In the three-round battle, Jihin slipped out of the judo attacks that had made her adversary so dangerous and punished her with sharp, well-timed strikes. Ultimately, she left Singapore with a split-decision win and handed the Tokyo resident the first loss of her career.
Jihin would love to make it 2-0 and close the book on this rivalry for good, with bigger targets waiting beyond it. That does not mean she fails to understand why Hirata wanted to run it back, though.
The “Shadow Cat” explained:
“When I fought Itsuki, it was her first defeat. She wasn’t happy about it. She was very sad about it. Like, I remember seeing a highlight on Instagram where she was crying after the fight and everything.
“But for me, I don’t think there is any added satisfaction to win against Itsuki again. But the real satisfaction [I will get with a win] is that I will be able to prove to myself and everyone that I deserve to be fighting for the belt.”
Beyond settling the feud, victory would give Jihin her 11th professional career win and a timely bounce-back from the split-decision loss to Canadian contender Anastasia “Anniemale” Nikolakakos at ONE Fight Night 45 in July.
As she looks ahead, the Malaysian MMA fighter has a clear idea of how she wants the night to end.
She added:
“I cannot tell you how I’m going to win, but I want to win with my punches – with a knockout. I will look for that. But whatever happens, happens. My mind is really set on the W, so we’ll see how it goes.”
Jihin Sees A Different Hirata
With her mind set on the result, Jihin Radzuan has done her homework on the woman standing in her way.
In her view, Itsuki Hirata has never quite been the same fighter since that night in Singapore, and the numbers back up a stretch of lost form: she won just three of her next seven outings.
After going back through the tape, from the undefeated run to the setbacks that followed, the Johor Bahru native has a clear read on what changed:
“She doubts herself too much. Because if you see when she was undefeated, she was very aggressive. She was always the one that was going forward, the one that was looking for takedowns.
“But since then, she has been kind of hesitant when she’s holding someone in a position, and even her striking has been sloppy.”
None of that means Jihin is taking “Android 18” lightly.
In fact, the “Shadow Cat” herself has had her fair share of tests on the global stage and previously experienced a difficult stretch, so she knows how quickly a fighter can rediscover their best form.
Recently, she has made some major strides in that area. Last November, Jihin moved from Thailand back home to Malaysia, and whenever she enters training camp, she makes the trek from Johor Bahru to Singapore six days a week to work with Matthew Pellino at Foxgloves Fight Gym.
By relocating back to her hometown, spending time with her loved ones, and getting quality training with her trusted head coach, Jihin’s mentality and skill set have continued to sharpen.
The proof is in the pudding. In February, she finished Gabi Fujimoto via third-round TKO, and then she went the distance in an extremely competitive matchup with the undefeated Nikolakakos in July.
Ultimately, the Malaysian wants to continue picking up impressive wins over top talent and break back into the ONE Women’s Atomweight MMA World Title conversation. And now, in the right environment and with her mindset stronger than ever, she is confident that she’s heading in the right direction.
Jihin concluded:
“I’ve seen a lot of improvement in myself recently, and I think it’s because I’m now closer to home, closer to my cats, closer to my family, and the feeling is just different. The vibe is different.
“You can get training everywhere, though it will be different [in each gym]. But if you are far from the things that you love, it does get a bit hard.”
