Isi Fitikefu perfectly fine to play underdog role in Hiroyuki Tetsuka fight at ONE 168: “This gets me going”
Aussie standout Isi Fitikefu has no problems playing the underdog role when he steps inside the Circle for a high-stakes scrap with 'Japanese Beast' Hiroyuki Tetsuka.
Coming off a big first-round submission victory against Valmir Da Silva in his last outing, 'Doxz' will look to make it two in a row when he meets Tetsuka as part of a massive ONE 168: Denver card, emanating from Ball Arena in The Mile High City on Friday, September 6.
With a string of highlight-reel finishes in his last five outings, Hiroyuki Tetsuka goes into their Centennial State clash as a sizeable favorite.
However, none of that matters to Fitikefu, who's more than ready to bring the fight to Tetsuka and steal some of the streaking welterweight star's thunder. Fitikefu told ONE:
“I’ve always got plenty of fire. It’s just a fight like this gets me going because he’s on a five-fight win streak. I’m the underdog. I just want to bring the fight to him.”
Hiroyuki Tetuka on the cusp of title opportunity with a win over Isi Fitikefu at ONE 168: Denver
Making his promotional debut in 2019, Hiroyuki Tetsuka has slowly worked his way up the welterweight rankings, earning wins over Agilan Thani, Jin Tae Ho, and Abraao Amorim, among others.
With a win over Iis Fitikefu at ONE 168: Denver, the 'Japanese Beast' believes he should be the next man in line for a shot at the ONE welterweight MMA world championship.
"If I get six consecutive finishes, I believe I should be in line for a title shot," Tetsuka told the promotion in a recent interview. "Of course, I understand that the promotion makes these decisions, but I certainly hope for it."
Currently, the ONE welterweight MMA title resides around the waist of two-division king Christian Lee after 'The Warrior' secured a stunning fourth-round TKO against Kiamrian Abbasov at ONE on Prime Video 4 nearly two years ago.
Should he come out on top against Fitikefu at ONE 168: Denver, is Tetsuka the next man up for Christian Lee's welterweight crown?
Follow this link for tickets for ONE 168: Denver on September 6 at Ball Arena.