After a close loss to Tammi Musumeci in her last ONE Championship appearance, Bianca Basilio is set to return to the global stage at ONE Fight Night 22 on Prime Video.
The Brazilian will meet Nanami Ichikawa in a 132-pound catchweight submission grappling bout at the May 3 event, and she’ll be going for the tap right away, given ONE Championship’s rule set.
“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,” Basilio told ONE.
Though she admitted to not being fully familiar with her opponent, Basilio has been identifying where her strengths and weaknesses lie.
The BJJ World Champion has taken a look at Ichikawa’s past matches to break down where she can be most effective in their upcoming collision, and she thinks their meeting will be interesting for fans.
“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,” Basilio said.
But all the preparation in the world can’t fully prepare a fighter for the mental aspect of a match.
Basilio says it plays a vital role in the outcome, and she’s confident she will hold all the cards in that area when she steps into the ring on May 3.
“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,” she said.
After going to a decision with Musumeci at ONE Fight Night 8 last March, Basilio wants to make sure she secures a finish in her return. And ideally, she would like to best the 47-second submission she accomplished in her ONE debut.
But if it doesn’t come, she still wants to display the best technique possible on fight night.
“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 commented.
While she’ll be hunting to end proceedings quickly, the Sao Paulo native is also looking at the possibility of grabbing a $50,000 performance bonus, which she believes is within her grasp thanks to her particular style of fighting.
“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,” Basilio admitted.
“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.”
ONE Fight Night 22 airs live on Prime Video on Friday, May 3. The event is free for all Amazon Prime members based in the U.S. and Canada beginning at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.