Grappling ace Bianca Basilio will return to the mat on Friday, May 3, at ONE Fight Night 22 on Prime Video. The Brazilian will tussle with Nanami Ichikawa in a 132-pound catchweight submission grappling contest.
The BJJ World Champion will enter without too much information on her opponent. Still, she is focusing on her own game to get back in the win column.
“I don’t know Ichikawa, but I know she will be prepared for the fight, just as I will be ready to submit her. It’s a fight that has no points, it’s a submission-only, so I’ll prepare to finish the fight that way. I believe that when you enter a battle, you have to be ready, and I will be,” Basilio told ONE.
Although she is mostly unfamiliar with her opponent, Basilio is not unprepared for what the Japanese grappler has to offer.
The Brazilian athlete has looked at footage to understand her style better ahead of the May 3 showdown.
“I watched some of her fights and saw that she plays more by passing guard than by doing guard. So, it’s going to be a very good war, because I like to do guard, but I also pass guard. I work well on takedowns, and that’s why I believe it will be a good fight. But I’m going to submit her in the fight,” the Brazilian said.
Basilio was last on the global stage against Tammi Musumeci. Although she came out on the losing end, she was not submitted by the American.
The 28-year-old is mentally tough and plans to use her intellect as a centerpiece for her upcoming ONE Fight Night 22 match.
“I believe that my biggest advantage, besides being technically and physically prepared, is that I have a very good mentality. This is one of my differences. I have a very good mentality to take on this fight. And I believe that when you have the right mindset, nothing can stop you,” Basilio remarked.
There is one objective for Basilio in Bangkok — win. She wants to get her hand raised as quickly as possible, which may be difficult to top her ONE debut in 2022 when she won in under a minute.
“I hope to finish the fight as quickly as possible. In my last fight, I finished in 47 seconds, and that could happen even faster in this fight. I’m going to do my best and show my jiu-jitsu more,” the Brazilian stated.
When the bell rings, Basilio plans to bring the same exciting grappling action to the fans. She wants to stay true to her aggressive style and pick up the finish.
Basilio hopes to secure a quick win and pick up an additional $50,000 performance bonus to continue chasing her dreams on the global stage.
“My jiu-jitsu is aggressive jiu-jitsu. I’m a fighter who likes to go for it. In my training, I always go for submission, not just scoring points. So finishing this fight and being able to show more of who I am on the mat is what I’m going to look for,” Basilio said.
“And, having a great performance, getting this bonus would be another dream come true in my life. I want to change my life, and this would be another step toward what I want to achieve in my life.”
ONE Fight Night 22 airs live on Prime Video on Friday, May 3, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. The event is free for all Amazon Prime members based in the U.S. and Canada.