{"id":2174,"date":"2025-07-17T07:19:08","date_gmt":"2025-07-17T07:19:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/2174\/"},"modified":"2025-07-17T07:19:08","modified_gmt":"2025-07-17T07:19:08","slug":"i-just-do-what-i-always-do-japanese-mma-star-ayaka-miura-plans-to-extend-win-streak-as-title-shot-looms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/2174\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018I Just Do What I Always Do\u2019 \u2013 Japanese MMA Star Ayaka Miura Plans To Extend Win Streak As Title Shot Looms"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ayaka \u201cZombie\u201d Miura<\/a> is determined to continue her dominant run in the women\u2019s atomweight MMA division, and she believes her four-bout winning streak has positioned her perfectly for what could come next in her career.<\/p>\n

Miura, the division\u2019s #2-ranked contender, will look to keep her momentum rolling when she goes head-to-head with undefeated promotional newcomer Juliana \u201cLa Patrona\u201d Otalora<\/a> at ONE Friday Fights 116<\/a>, which airs live in Asia primetime from Bangkok\u2019s Lumpinee Stadium this Friday, July 18.<\/p>\n

The Japanese judoka has been nothing short of spectacular, with her submission win over Indian wrestling superstar Ritu Phogat<\/a> at ONE 171: Qatar<\/a> in February serving as the latest example of her elite grappling prowess.<\/p>\n

Miura has secured eight of her career victories with her signature \u201cAyaka Lock,\u201d a scarf-hold Americana that forces opponents to tap out as soon as they are trapped in the lethal submission hold.<\/p>\n

Though many adversaries have started to prepare for that trademark move and figure out how to escape, they sometimes fail to realize that \u201cZombie\u201d has a lot more tricks to her game, as she displayed against Phogat.<\/p>\n

She said:<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was a fight where I could show what I\u2019ve been saying all along. <\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think strategizing really shows one\u2019s true character, and I just do what I always do without thinking much about the opponent.\u201d<\/p>\n

Miura needed less than three minutes to secure a kneebar against Phogat, once again showcasing the devastating ground game that has produced an 88 percent finishing rate throughout her ONE Championship tenure.<\/p>\n

That February triumph marked the Japanese athlete\u2019s fourth consecutive victory, a streak that also includes first-round submission wins over Macarena Aragon<\/a> and Meng Bo<\/a>, as well as a unanimous decision over Itsuki Hirata<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The 34-year-old\u2019s approach to each fight has been methodical and focused, with her preparation serving as the foundation for her recent success.<\/p>\n

\u201cZombie\u201d offered:<\/p>\n

\u201cMy condition feels like it\u2019s constantly maintained. I\u2019m going smoothly this time in a good way.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I think the strongest factor is that I\u2019m always trying to improve myself.\u201d<\/p>\n

Miura Eyes World Title Opportunity<\/p>\n

While Ayaka Miura remains focused on her upcoming battle against Juliana Otalora, the surging Japanese judoka knows that another solid performance could position her for a shot at Denice \u201cThe Menace\u201d Zamboanga<\/a>\u2018s ONE Women\u2019s Atomweight MMA World Championship.<\/p>\n

With her current winning streak and tremendous momentum, \u201cZombie\u201d understands that a decisive showing at ONE Friday Fights 116 could set the stage for a blockbuster World Title showdown at ONE 173: Superbon Vs. Noiri<\/a> in Japan on November 16.<\/p>\n

Miura has earned her place among the best Japanese MMA stars through years of commanding performances, and her recent victories have shown that she can handle the pressure when the stakes are the highest.<\/p>\n

While \u201cZombie\u201d certainly wants to challenge for atomweight gold in the near future, she is focused solely on the task at hand: her battle with Otalora.<\/p>\n

She said:<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m training to be able to handle anything, so that doesn\u2019t change. But right now, I\u2019m focused on the opponent in front of me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fighting for Japan means everything to Miura. She carries that responsibility into every performance, knowing fans back in \u201cThe Land of the Rising Sun\u201d are watching.<\/p>\n

That national pride shapes how she approaches every bout, including her upcoming match at ONE Friday Fights 116.<\/p>\n

Miura added:<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to fight properly as a representative of Japan. I want to win solidly and connect it to what\u2019s next.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Ayaka \u201cZombie\u201d Miura is determined to continue her dominant run in the women\u2019s atomweight MMA division, and she…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2175,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[444],"tags":[49,48,641,638,82],"class_list":["post-2174","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-mma","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-fighting","tag-mma","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2174","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2174"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2174\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2175"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2174"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2174"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2174"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}