A three-year wait ends at ONE SAMURAI 4, where Itsuki Hirata and Jihin Radzuan meet again in a pivotal atomweight MMA rematch at Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan, on Saturday, October 17.
Their history stretches back to ONE X in 2022, when Hirata entered as the clear favorite off a flawless 4-0 promotional start built on formidable judo skills. Radzuan had other ideas, neutralizing Hirata's signature hip throws with clever escapes and expertly timed strikes to secure a split-decision upset that halted the Japanese judoka's early momentum.
The defeat marked a turning point in Hirata's career. What followed was a difficult stretch that tested her resolve, but she has steadily rebuilt in the years since, winning two of her last three outings. The most recent of those wins came via a third-round rear-naked choke submission over Ritu Phogat, pushing her career record to 8-5 and restoring belief that her early promise was no fluke.
Radzuan's own journey has been defined by consistency rather than dramatic swings. The Fairtex Training Center and Foxgloves Fight Gym representative has compiled a 10-5 professional record with nine wins inside the promotion since debuting in 2018, a resume that includes a win over former World Title challenger Mei Yamaguchi.
Along the way, Radzuan has also tested herself against elite company, going the distance in tightly contested battles with former ONE Women's Atomweight MMA World Champion Denice Zamboanga and former three-sport standout Stamp Fairtex. Her third-round stoppage of previously unbeaten Gabriela Fujimoto this past February further underlined her range as a finisher, not just a technician.
Radzuan enters the rematch coming off a split-decision loss to Anastasia Nikolakakos in July, a result that adds extra motivation to reassert her dominance in a rivalry she has already won once. Hirata, meanwhile, is driven by long-delayed redemption heading into Tokyo, eager to prove the loss that once halted her rise no longer defines her.
Both women understand what a definitive result would mean beyond settling old business. The winner would move firmly into contention for the vacant ONE Women's Atomweight MMA World Title, giving this second meeting stakes that the first bout in 2022 never had.
