‘Ready To Submit Her’ – Bianca Basilio Is Focused On The Finish Against Nanami Ichikawa
Brazilian star Bianca Basilio is determined to get back on track when she meets Japanese standout Nanami Ichikawa at ONE Fight Night 22: Sundell vs. Diachkova on Prime Video.
That 132-pound submission grappling catchweight matchup will air live in U.S. primetime on May 3 from Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, and it will mark Basilio’s third appearance in the world’s largest martial arts organization.
A multiple-time IBJJF World Champion and ADCC World Champion, Basilio is one of the world’s most decorated BJJ competitors. She made her ONE debut in November 2022, submitting Milena Sakumoto in less than a minute to emphatically announce her presence.
The 28-year-old then dropped a hard-fought decision to American BJJ black belt Tammi Musumeci, and she’s hungry to rebound with another finish.
Basilio told onefc.com:
“I don’t know Ichikawa, but I know she will be prepared for the fight, just as I will be ready to submit her. It’s a fight that has no points, it’s a submission-only, so I’ll prepare to finish the fight that way. I believe that when you enter a battle, you have to be ready, and I will be.”
On paper, Ichikawa is the significantly less accomplished competitor. Still, Basilio won’t underestimate her opposition, well aware of her foe’s high-level guard-passing game.
While she believes Ichikawa could present some interesting challenges, the Brazilian is ultimately confident that she’ll leave Bangkok as the winner after an entertaining battle:
“I watched some of her fights and saw that she plays more by passing guard than by doing guard. So, it’s going to be a very good war, because I like to do guard, but I also pass guard. I work well on takedowns, and that’s why I believe it will be a good fight. But I’m going to submit her in the fight.”
Of course, the Almeida Jiu-Jitsu product trusts in her meticulous preparation and countless hours spent in the training room.
But beyond her physical attributes, Basilio thinks she has an intangible edge over Ichikawa – the same edge that’s carried her to more than 100 black belt wins and victories at a number of the most prestigious events in BJJ.
She said:
“I believe that my biggest advantage, besides being technically and physically prepared, is that I have a very good mentality. This is one of my differences. I have a very good mentality to take on this fight. And I believe that when you have the right mindset, nothing can stop you.”
Basilio Targets Another Performance Bonus
As she winds down her training camp for her clash with Nanami Ichikawa on May 3, Bianca Basilio is laser-focused not just on securing her second ONE Championship win – but on achieving the submission.
If everything goes to plan, she could be in for a short day of work:
“I hope to finish the fight as quickly as possible. In my last fight, I finished in 47 seconds, and that could happen even faster in this fight. I’m going to do my best and show my jiu-jitsu more.”
Basilio adds that chasing the submission is the norm for her; she’s not one to squeeze out a decision on the strength of positional control.
And after securing a US$50,000 performance bonus in her first ONE battle, she has her sights set on another bonus-winning submission at ONE Fight Night 22:
“My jiu-jitsu is aggressive jiu-jitsu. I’m a fighter who likes to go for it. In my training, I always go for submission, not just scoring points. So finishing this fight and being able to show more of who I am on the mat is what I’m going to look for.
“And, having a great performance, getting this bonus would be another dream come true in my life. I want to change my life, and this would be another step toward what I want to achieve in my life.”
