After not too long ago leaving her long-time AACC staff, Ayaka Hamasaki will search a contemporary begin when she returns to competitors on November twenty third at Deep Jewels 51 in Tokyo, Japan. Hamasaki is ready to face Ye Ji Lee, who’s coming off of a giant upset win in Might, within the 49kg tremendous atomweight principal occasion.
Deep Jewels officers introduced the headliner and ten further fights for the cardboard on Wednesday. Within the co-main occasion, former Deep Jewels Interim Strawweight Champion Si Woo “Korean Queen Bee” Park drops again right down to the tremendous atomweight division to battle expert striker Saki Kitamura.
Hamasaki (25-7-0), who beforehand held titles for Jewels, Invicta FC and Rizin, has had a irritating few years since dropping twice to present Rizin champ Seika Izawa after which battling accidents and inconsistent combat outcomes. She has posted simply two wins prior to now 4 years, and a fast submission loss to Moeri Suda in March gave the impression to be the ultimate straw for the 43-year-old Hamasaki, who has subsequently turn into a freelancer after parting methods with AACC. The veteran fighter remains to be a formidable drive within the division, nevertheless, and she is going to look to place a cease to Lee’s momentum in November.
Lee (6-7-0) sports activities a professional file that belies her abilities. Her first two professional bouts got here as a young person towards Japanese legends Satoko Shinashi and Hisae Watanabe, and Lee first put herself on the MMA map by stunning upsetting Shinashi of their 2017 rematch. The Korean fighter then dropped three straight shut choices in Street FC, adopted by a technical submission loss to Mina Kurobe in Shooto, earlier than posting wins in three of her subsequent 4 fights. In Might, she earned one other key upset victory by defeating Saori Oshima at Deep: “125 Affect,” and now seeks to shock one other prime Japanese star.
Park (12-6-0) is well-known for her two fights towards Rizin champion Seika Izawa, together with their December 2022 rematch which some felt ought to have ended with Park’s hand raised. She then racked up three straight wins for Deep and Deep Jewels, and have become the interim strawweight champion within the course of. When Izawa vacated her Deep Jewels strawweight title, Park confronted Machi Fukuda in a rematch for the undisputed belt this previous month at Deep Jewels 50, however Fukuda prevailed by way of Cut up Resolution and Park will transfer again right down to 49kg for her subsequent combat.
Kitamura (4-4-0) has thus far alternated between losses and wins each combat since making her professional debut in Might 2023, however she has improved her expertise significantly in latest outings. She has additionally established herself as one of many prime strikers on the Deep Jewels roster, which can pose a unique sort of problem for Park, who has primarily confronted grapplers throughout her time competing in Japan. Kitamura final noticed motion at Deep Jewels 49 in Might when she edged out Princess Saaya in a detailed combat, and she or he now seeks her largest win up to now.
In different featured motion on the cardboard, former Pancrase champion Honoka Shigeta (4-2-0) hopes to place her disastrous Deep Jewels debut behind her when she faces the undefeated Nonoka Sakamoto (2-0-0, 1 NC) in strawweight motion. Shigeta, who briefly held flyweight gold for Pancrase, was matched up towards Namiko “Hime” Kawabata in a would-be 49kg tremendous atomweight principal occasion at Deep Jewels 49, however Shigeta got here in obese and was subsequently completed by a second-round triangle armbar. Sakamoto has thus far completed all three of her opponents, although her win over Mayumi Ono in April was declared a No Contest attributable to Sakamoto’s lack of ability to make weight. A victory over Shigeta in November would instantly set up Sakamoto as a strawweight title contender.
Elsewhere, Eru Takebayashi (3-4-0, 1 NC) returns to motion for the primary time in additional than two years when she squares off towards rising star Sarah Ellen (2-1-0) at tremendous atomweight. Takebayashi reigned undefeated in 5 novice and professional bouts for Deep Jewels earlier than taking a step up in competitors and struggling robust setbacks together with a Cut up Resolution defeat towards Deep Jewels and Rizin star Keito “Kate Lotus” Oyama. She rebounded with a call win, after which very almost knocked out Saki Kitamura of their Deep Jewels 42 combat earlier than a Kitamura punch broke Takebayashi’s jaw and compelled an finish to the combat. Ellen, in the meantime, has turn into a mainstay for Deep Jewels and has gained two of three bouts since turning professional. She earned a giant knockout victory towards Yuko Kiryu at Deep Jewels 50.
Rounding out the skilled bouts, Junna Tsukii (1-2-0) tangles with Yura Narumoto (0-3-0, 1 NC) in a strawweight contest; Karin Horii (1-2-0) meets the debuting Miki Oka (0-0-0) in one other strawweight matchup; and prospect Suzu Ooi (1-0-0) seems to be for her second professional win when she battles Koyuki (0-3-0) in a 44kg microweight combat.
In novice prelim bouts, Marin Yamabuki (2-0-0 novice) faces Mina Muramatsu (0-0-0 novice) at strawweight; former Rizin FF ring lady Akipi (1-3-0 novice) takes on Kokoro Taniyama (1-0-0 novice) in different strawweight motion; Asuka Yokoe (2-0-0 novice) faces judoka Riko Igarashi (0-0-0 novice) in a 49kg tremendous atomweight conflict; and Serina Wada (0-2-0 novice) and Mion Wachi (0-2-0 novice) each purpose for his or her first wins of their tremendous atomweight bout.
Deep Jewels 51 takes place on November twenty third at New Pier Corridor in Tokyo, Japan.
