Phogat Vs. Hirata, Ham Vs. Stamp Confirmed For ONE Women’s Atomweight World Grand Prix Semifinals
The two semifinal bouts for the ONE Women’s Atomweight World Grand Prix have been decided.
Ritu “The Indian Tigress” Phogat will face Itsuki “Android 18” Hirata while Stamp Fairtex and “Arale Chan” Seo Hee Ham will battle it out for a spot in the final round and chance to be named the #1 contender for Angela Lee’s ONE Women’s Atomweight World Title.
As promised, fans around the world were given an opportunity to decide the matchups for the four remaining fighters. The voting window closed on Friday, 10 September, and the two confirmed matchups were announced during the live broadcast of ONE: REVOLUTION last week.
On paper, fans have voted for the perfect matchups.
The battle between Phogat and Hirata is guaranteed to be a war between two of the division’s finest ground specialists. Phogat has repeatedly displayed her world-class skills in wrestling, while “Android 18” has used her sublime judo knowledge to earn a perfect 5-0 record in her professional mixed martial arts career.
“The Indian Tigress” sealed her spot in the semifinal following a closely contested battle with Meng Bo during ONE Championship’s first all-women’s event, ONE: EMPOWER, on 3 September.
Phogat, who trains at Evolve MMA in Singapore, had to dig deep for a win, surviving several sketchy junctures before imposing her dominance on the ground in the second and third rounds to earn the unanimous decision win.
Hirata put out one of her grittiest performances to date in the Circle, to triumph over Alyse “Lil’ Savage” Anderson. Just like Phogat, the 22-year-old Japanese star ate a couple of shots that sent her crashing to the canvas.
However, with a ticket into the semifinal in mind, Hirata showed why she is one of the division’s most talented athletes, courageously coming out from a potential finish to dominate her opponent on the ground and earn the decision.
The other semifinal clash pits former two-sport ONE World Champion Stamp and dangerous veteran Ham. Both athletes earned their spot in the semifinal following performances that were decided by a razor-thin margin.
Stamp redeemed herself against old foe Alyona Rassohyna, in what was a highly anticipated rematch. The Thai star was entangled in several exchanges on the ground that could have forced the contest in favor of the Ukrainian star. However, she refused to quit and reversed the tide, showcasing her elusive ground game and impeccable striking to get the judges’ nod.
Ham, the more experienced of the pair, handed #1-ranked women’s atomweight contender Denice “Lycan Queen” Zamboanga the first defeat in her career in a highly competitive matchup.
The semifinal bouts are penciled in for ONE’s event on 29 October. However, all four athletes are already working hard in camp to show why they deserve the prestigious silver belt and a shot against the division’s queen, ONE Women’s Atomweight World Champion “Unstoppable” Angela Lee.
Stay tuned to ONE Championship’s official site or the ONE Super App for more breaking news on the historic ONE Women’s Atomweight World Grand Prix.
