Rebounding from a pair of razor-thin interim title combat defeats, 21-year-old rising star Machi Fukuda scored a dominant win in her strawweight most important occasion bout tonight at Deep Jewels 46 in Tokyo, Japan. Fukuda submitted Morgane “Souris” Manfredi with a second-round arm-triangle choke.
In tonight’s co-headliner, Namiko “Hime” Kawabata earned a much-needed Unanimous Determination victory over fellow striker Saki Kitamura of their 49kg tremendous atomweight bout, and former microweight champ Aya Murakami completed Yuko Kiryu with an armbar within the second spherical at atomweight.
Fukuda (5-2-0) slipped on the mat within the opening seconds in opposition to Manfredi (4-6-0), however she instantly attacked with a heel hook on the bottom after which transitioned to Manfredi’s again. Manfredi spent a lot of the remainder of the spherical defending in opposition to rear-naked chokes as Fukuda maintained again management even when Manfredi was capable of get to her ft. Within the second spherical, Fukuda took Manfredi down and he or she labored for an arm-triangle choke. Manfredi fought off two of them, however Fukuda handed to aspect management and tightened the choke on her third strive, forcing Manfredi to faucet out on the 2:43 mark of spherical two.
This was an important win for Fukuda, who suffered her first two professional losses in succession in opposition to Arisa Matsuda and Si Woo Park – each through Break up Determination – in latest Deep Jewels interim strawweight title fights. Previous to these setbacks, she had racked up 4 straight wins, and he or she now seeks to check herself in opposition to one other international opponent for her subsequent combat.
“I’m glad that I’m again within the win column and I really feel nice,” Fukuda stated backstage following her victory. “I couldn’t end the again choke early on and so I adjusted within the second spherical. I used to be solely eager about profitable this combat. I felt that I used to be capable of gauge distance higher than I did in opposition to [Si Woo] Park, so I may see her strikes nicely. I need to face an American opponent subsequent as a result of they’ve full MMA abilities.”
Kawabata (5-4-0) had her hand raised for the primary time since September 2022 tonight, as she posted a well-deserved Unanimous Determination win in opposition to a recreation Kitamura (2-3-0) after three rounds.
The combat started with Kitamura because the aggressor, and he or she pressed the motion with physique kicks and knees because the spherical progressed. Kawabata landed punching combos within the remaining minute and he or she dropped Kitamura with a counter proper hand after catching a kick. That allowed Kawabata to attain with heavy punches from the highest to steal the shut spherical. Kawabata managed the hanging within the second spherical and he or she backed Kitamura up in opposition to the cage after dashing her with punches. Kitamura’s finest success got here late within the spherical when she took Kawabata’s again after which landed a head kick on the break.
Punches had been exchanged within the remaining spherical and time was known as when the punching energy of Kitamura, who gained her Deep Jewels 42 combat one 12 months in the past when she cracked opponent Eru Takebayashi’s jaw, resulted in a number of of Kawabata’s false tooth being damaged. Motion continued and Kawabata landed a mixture of punches and knees earlier than pulling guard and holding Kitamura in a triangle choke. She used it to roll over into mount and closed out the combat by touchdown punches and elbows from the highest. Scores had been 30-27 throughout the board for Kawabata.
“I’m completely happy that I used to be capable of finish my shedding streak,” Kawabata stated backstage. “I wanted to be calm since she grew to become aggressive, and her physique kicks had been efficient. I used to be capable of counter that kick, however my sort out makes an attempt didn’t work after my setups and so I nonetheless want to enhance general in MMA.”
One other fighter who rebounded with a powerful efficiency tonight was former Deep Jewels Microweight Champion Murakami (8-2-0), who moved as much as atomweight and earned a second-round technical submission win in opposition to battle-tested veteran Kiryu (13-12-0).
Kiryu caught a kick from Murakami and dropped her with a counter proper hand within the opening seconds. Murakami rose to her ft and pressed ahead with a mixture earlier than taking Kiryu down into mount. Kiryu gave up her again and Murakami labored for a rear-naked choke. Kiryu managed to flee into high place and he or she made probably the most of that by touchdown punches till Murakami tried for a triangle choke, and the spherical ended with Murakami touchdown punches on the ft.
Within the second spherical, Murakami took Kiryu down into again management. She obtained too excessive on her again and Kiryu shook her off. Murakami once more hunted for a triangle choke after which moved to again management as soon as extra. Murakami switched ways and locked on an armbar within the remaining minute. Kiryu defended, and he or she didn’t faucet out, however referee Naoya Uematsu intervened for a technical submission stoppage as Murakami cranked again on Kiryu’s left arm on the 4:49 mark of spherical two.
One of many brightest prospects on the Deep Jewels roster, 16-year-old Mahina China (2-0-0), earned her second professional win with a Unanimous Determination verdict in opposition to the far more skilled Momoko Yamazaki (4-7-0) in a 44kg microweight bout. Whereas the combat was predominantly contested in clinches in opposition to the cage, China did showcase some crisp hanging and he or she was efficient with knees to the physique whereas holding Yamazaki in place. The second spherical opened with China touchdown a entrance kick to Yamazaki’s face, and he or she grazed with a head kick in a while, however a lot of the motion occurred in clinches as soon as once more the place China held the positional benefit. All three judges scored the combat 20-18 for the gifted teen, who celebrated her sixteenth birthday this previous month.
In different motion on the cardboard, Momoko Saito (2-2-0, 1 NC) employed some robust floor and pound in each rounds of her 60kg bout with Mana Akagi (3-4-0) and walked away with a one-sided Unanimous Determination win. Saito landed onerous punches from high place within the first spherical and knees to Akagi’s physique throughout a clinch. She continued to land knees within the second stanza, then countered an Akagi kimura with one among her personal and battered her with punches from the highest. Scores had been 20-16 and 20-18 twice for Saito, who has gained two fights in a row.
Misaki Suda (1-0-0) made a profitable professional debut with a second-round mauling of Eun Bi “Libby” Cho (1-6-0) at atomweight. Whereas Cho had scored a sensational highlight-reel KO win in her earlier Deep Jewels look, Suda fully dominated this combat with strikes on the bottom till she was lastly capable of end Cho off with a barrage of punches on the 4:38 mark of spherical two.
At bantamweight, Haruka “Boss” Suzuki (2-2-0) was the extra energetic striker in opposition to Tae “Te-a” Murayama (3-7-0) and prevailed through Unanimous Determination. Suzuki’s clinch strikes gave her a slight edge within the opening body, and he or she landed robust kicks to Murayama’s lead leg and physique in the course of the remaining 5 minutes. Choose Hashimoto scored the combat even at 19-19 and awarded his Should Determination to Suzuki, whereas judges Matsumiya and Shibata each had it 20-18 in Suzuki’s favour.
Akari Kamise (4-1-0, 1 NC) gained for the third straight time tonight, as she spoiled the professional debut of Sarah (0-1-0) at atomweight. Kamise obtained Sarah down and threatened with a top-side guillotine choke, however Sarah escaped into Kamise’s guard. Sarah prevented one armbar, however Kamise trapped her in a second one and referee Masato Fukuda waved off the combat on the 3:56 mark of spherical one.
Opening up the principle card, Serina Kondo (1-0-0) gained her featherweight duel in opposition to Mayumi “Tremendous Benkei” Aoki (8-12-0) by Break up Determination. Little transpired within the opening spherical, however Kondo managed a clinch in spherical two and he or she obtained Aoki down regardless of Aoki’s repeated fence grabs. Aoki was given a Yellow Card for the fouls, and misplaced one level because of this, however decide Fukuda however scored the combat 19-18 in her favour. Judges Uematsu and Hashimoto each had it 20-17 for Kondo.
On the beginner preliminary card, Asuka Nakamoto gained a aggressive Unanimous Determination in opposition to Ery Isshiki Cadelina at flyweight. Nakamoto bloodied Isshiki’s nostril within the opening spherical, and minimize her above her proper eye within the second, which resulted in two checks from the cageside physician. Nakamoto grazed with a late head kick and trapped Isshiki in a entrance headlock. Scores had been 19-19, with a Should Determination to Nakamoto, and 20-18 twice.
Asuka Yokoe used ahead stress and aggression to win her beginner strawweight kickboxing match in opposition to Hana Suyama. Yokoe blended up her strikes with straight proper arms and physique kicks. Whereas Suyama was placed on the defensive all through, she did land some respectable counter proper hooks within the second spherical. It was not sufficient, nonetheless, and all three judges scored the combat 20-18 for Yokoe.
The occasion started with a 49kg beginner kickboxing bout between Miku Yokose and Yuna Suyama, which was dominated by Yokose in each rounds. Suyama struggled to land something in any respect and Yokose scored with right-left combos and straight lefts in each rounds. A knockdown for Yokose late within the opening body left little question within the judges’ minds, and all three scored the combat 20-17 in favour of Yokose.
“It is going to be troublesome to make fights after this,” Deep boss Shigeru Saeki famous after the occasion. “I’ll invite expertise for our November present, together with ex-UFC fighters.”
Full play-by-play for the Deep Jewels 46 card will be discovered right here.
