Victoria Souza Breaks Down Pivotal MMA Showdown With ‘Very Dangerous’ Itsuki Hirata
Brazilian standout Victoria “Vick” Souza is bracing for the biggest fight of her life against Japanese star Itsuki “Android 18” Hirata on June 7 at ONE 167: Tawanchai vs. Nattawut II on Prime Video.
That highly anticipated atomweight MMA tilt will go down in U.S. primetime from the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand.
After blazing an undefeated record through the highly competitive Brazilian mixed martial arts scene, Souza has struggled to win consistently against elite competition in ONE, going 1-2 over three bouts.
Her opponent at ONE 167, Hirata, has also stumbled lately, suffering back-to-back losses to former ONE World Title challengers Ham Seo Hee and Ayaka Miura.
Given that each woman is hungry to bounce back, “Vick” is preparing for an all-out war and the best version of “Android 18” yet.
The Brazilian recently spoke to onefc.com about the upcoming matchup:
“Itsuki Hirata is a high-level athlete with a lot of experience in ONE. She has an excellent game in both striking and grappling. In whatever area the fight develops, she will be a difficult opponent, and this makes her very dangerous.
“And as she is coming off two consecutive defeats, I know she will do her best in this fight. I’m sure she’s training a lot for this fight.”
A talented judoka with an ever-evolving striking game, Hirata can pose problems for any atomweight in the world.
However, Souza and her coaches at Double Attack have carefully studied the Japanese competitor and believe they’ve identified some weaknesses in her game.
“Vick” plans to exploit those holes on June 7 – but she’s not about to reveal her game plan:
“Her strong points are her takedowns and her standing movement. Like I said, she is a high-level athlete and has a complete game.
“The weak points are being analyzed by my team, and we cannot reveal them because that is where we will attack to seek this victory.”
Souza Expects Tough Battle Against Hirata
While Itsuki Hirata is plenty talented, Victoria Souza is confident that she possesses the more well-rounded and dangerous skill set.
A former Brazilian Kickboxing Champion and a frequent BJJ competitor, “Vick” says she’ll have an edge over “Android 18” no matter where the fight goes:
“Even though she is a complete fighter, I think I’m a better fighter both on the feet and on the ground. If I can put everything I’ve been training into practice, I’ll have the advantage and emerge victorious.”
Naturally, the Brazilian is targeting a finish at ONE 167 – an addition to her highlight reel that already includes five stoppages across seven career wins.
At the same time, she’s expecting nothing less than an incredibly competitive encounter against Hirata.
Souza added:
“I believe it will be a very close fight, and whoever makes the least mistakes will win. The details and strategies will define the winner.
“I have a lot of confidence in the work that my team and I are doing. I’m going to make my mark on the fight without depending on the judges’ decision. But if the fight goes to the end, I hope I can apply the best blows to emerge victorious.”
