Victoria Souza was already announced for a match against Alyse Anderson at ONE 168 this past week, but she has a stiff test before she can even get to Denver, Colorado.
On Friday, Jun. 7, Souza will meet atomweight star Itsuki HIrata at ONE 167: Tawanchai vs. Nattawut II.
With both women wanting to get back in the win column, “Vick” expects a highly motivated Hirata to show up for an absolute war.
“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,” Souza told ONE.
“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.”
The Brazilian is keeping her game plan close to her chest. Although she knows the strengths of what “Android 18” brings to the Circle, she does not want to reveal what she believes are the weakest aspects of her game.
“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 Brazilian remarked.
“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.”
Both women have been hard at work to round out their games. Although they have their specialties, it is vital to shore up any deficiencies continually.
“Vick” believes she is further ahead of Hirata in her development, which will ultimately be the deciding factor in who gets their arm raised inside the Impact Arena in Bangkok.
“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,” Souza offered.
With a date already announced for her next match and being on such a massive event, ONE 167 is a pivotal moment for Souza.
“Vick” is preparing for a three-round battle but wants to leave an impression that will send a message to Anderson and put her on a path to contendership within the division.
“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,” the atomweight said.
“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.”
ONE 167 airs live and free on Prime Video to all Amazon Prime subscribers in the U.S. and Canada at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on Friday, June 7.