Jack Egan / fightnewsaustralia.com / August 30, 2024
Isi ‘Doxz’ Fitikefu is ready to show the world he “truly belongs” alongside MMA’s elite when he takes on Hiroyuki ‘Japanese Beast’ Tetsuka at ONE 168: Denver.
Born in New Zealand before relocating to Australia, Isi Fitikefu (8-1) now travels to the US where he aims to cement himself as the number one welterweight contender when he comes face to face with Hiroyuki Tetsuka (14-4) on Saturday, September 7 (AEST).
The proud Tongan fighter last fought in April 2023, securing a sensational first-round RNC submission against Valmir Da Silva. ’Doxz’ revealed he has trained consistently since then but has also tried to “pull back a gear” when in the gym, prioritising his health and wellbeing.
“When you’re not fighting, you’re just training, and in my head, all I think is to get better, get better, get better,” he told Fight News Australia.
“Sometimes you’ve got to pull the gear back in when you go too hard. If you go too hard you end up breaking something.”
Fitikefu endured a back-and-forth brawl during his first bout with ONE Championship before claiming a highlight reel finish in his second. Now on the cusp of his third matchup, ‘Doxz’ said his fans can expect this fight against ‘Japanese Beast’ to be a “barn burner”.
“We’ve got a little bit of a similar style but I feel like I’m the sharper one, even though he’s got more experience than me,” he said.
“But at the end of the day – who wants it more?”
