After a brilliant start which saw her land some nasty standing strikes, New Zealand’s Nyrene Crowley eventually succumbed to the grinding style of Itsuki Hirata at One: Warrior’s Way in Jakarta on Friday, 7^th February.

Round 1 saw Crowley landing some nasty strikes and framing effectively to avoid the clinch. She avoided the takedown attempts of Hirata for most of the round; an iron sprawl saw her take Hirata’s back briefly before they scrambled to their feet again. Crowley’s successful wrestling defence continued until the final minute of the round, where she was eventually forced to the canvas and mounted by the Judo stylist Hirata, who ended the round on top throwing heavy leather. 10-9 Hirata.

Early in round 2, Crowley landed a beautiful overhand right which rocked back the head of Hirata. However, it did not take long for Hirata to clinch up and begin to work her ground game, with Crowley ending up in an uncomfortable position; her head and right arm in an inverted triangle position while her left arm was threatened with a kimura. While Crowley managed to work to her feet eventually, she ate shots and used a lot of energy doing so. Hirata gave her no space, ending the round with Crowley pinned in a crucifix position, raining down shots on her unprotected face. 10-9 Hirata.

In the third round, Crowley’s output had waned, being drained from the 10 minutes of exhausting grappling she had already gone through. Hirata’s first shot was successful; a double-leg takedown which sealed Crowley’s eventual fate. Crowley kept scrambling with good technique, but Hirata was the fresher fighter, executing her mat-returns and keeping the pressure on. Inexorably, Hirata worked to top position, gaining the mount and elevating her posture to rain down shots on an always-game Crowley until the referee had seen enough. TKO Hirata at 3:19 of the third round.

Nyrene Crowley has nothing to be ashamed of, having represented her country well in a hearty performance against an undefeated opponent. Itsuki Hirata is now 6-0, all wins by finish, with this being the first time she has gone to the third round in her professional career. Crowley will be back, make no mistake!

You can follow Nyrene on her athlete Facebook page or her Instagram account.