Itsuki Hirata vs. Alyse Anderson
The first fight of the ONE women’s atomweight world grand prix quarterfinals is a prospect versus prospect battle.
In terms of fight miles, both Itsuki Hirata and Alyse Anderson are very young in their MMA careers. The question heading into this fight is whether Japan’s Hirata will be able to handle a larger opponent in Anderson. Ahead of the fight, Hirata told Cageside Press that she had been working with larger training partners. At 4-0 thus far, this is the toughest test yet for “Strong Heart Fighter,” who interestingly enough told us that MMA might not be in her long term plans.
That said, the 22-year old could end up champion prior to her 23rd birthday if all goes well in the grand prix. And she’s determined to become a world champ before she exits the sport.
Anderson, with a 5-1 record, is a fighter who previously competed for Invicta FC. Empower marks the first time she’s traveled abroad for a fight. It’s also the first time she’s been training as a full-time fighter, having left a career as an emergency medical technician after signing on with ONE Championship. How the travel impacts her will be something to keep an eye on, but she told us previously that thanks to the shifts she worked as an EMT, she’s accustomed to performing at strange hours.
Then there’s the ring rust factor: Anderson has not competed since 2019, making Friday her first fight of the pandemic era.
