Undefeated rising star Honoka Shigeta captured a notable title in her fourth professional struggle tonight at Pancrase 341 in Tokyo, Japan. The 20-year-old, who has been competing professionally for simply 11 months, defeated powerful veteran Takayo Hashi to grow to be the brand new Flyweight Queen of Pancrase Champion.
Additionally at Pancrase 341, the promotion topped its inaugural Atomweight Queen of Pancrase Champion when Satomi “Sarami” Takano knocked out Sayako Fujita in simply 48 seconds. In non-title flyweight motion, Shizuka Sugiyama and Fumika Watanabe each earned wins in different girls’s bouts.
Shigeta (4-0-0) took an early led on the scorecards due to efficient placing with knees to the legs and physique of Hashi (19-9-1) throughout a chronic clinch battle. The fighters exchanged strikes in spherical two till Shigeta secured a takedown and she or he landed elbows from prime place.
The third spherical started with an early takedown for Shigeta, who took Hashi’s again when she returned to her toes. Shigeta threw her down once more and struck from the highest in aspect management earlier than later standing over Hashi and dropping punches to Hashi’s face. Spherical 4 was primarily contested on the toes, the place each girls had success with leg kicks and punching combos. Shigeta scored two late takedowns and Hashi reversed into prime place earlier than the bell.
Shigeta countered early leg kicks from Hashi with left and proper fingers within the last spherical. She repeatedly took Hashi down, however Hashi fought her means again to her toes every time. Late within the struggle, Hashi landed some clinch knees and took Shigeta down with an osotogari throw.
After 25 minutes of motion, the bout went to the scorecards and Shigeta was awarded a Unanimous Determination victory with scores of 50-45 twice and 49-46 to grow to be the third Flyweight Queen of Pancrase Champion. Publish-fight, the 20-year-old expressed an curiosity in difficult present Rizin champion and Deep Jewels double titleholder Seika Izawa, and in addition devoted her victory tonight to her teammate and coaching accomplice, Kanna Asakura.
New Pancrase champions Honoka Shigeta (left) and Satomi Takano (proper).
The inaugural Atomweight Queen of Pancrase Championship bout led to fast and devastating vogue. Takano (19-14-0) countered two early leg kicks from Fujita (8-3-0) with a giant proper hook that despatched a dazed Fujita crashing backwards to the mat. Takano instantly dove in with punches on the bottom that bounced Fujita’s head off of the canvas and briefly rendered her unconscious, and the struggle was stopped on the 48-second mark.
Takano’s fast knockout victory topped her as the primary Atomweight Queen of Pancrase. The 12-year veteran beforehand held the Shooto Girls’s Tremendous Atomweight Championship previous to becoming a member of the Pancrase ranks in December. Takano has now received six of her previous eight fights.
Earlier on the cardboard, former Deep Jewels title challenger Shizuka Sugiyama (22-7-1) made a profitable Pancrase debut by outpointing long-time Pancrase veteran Emiko “Fujin” Raika (13-11-1, 1 NC) in a rematch from the pair’s first struggle beneath the Deep banner in 2014. Whereas that struggle led to a first-round win for Sugiyama, tonight’s rematch was extra aggressive and went the space.
Sugiyama opened the motion with a entrance kick and later took Raika down, the place she held her towards the cage and ultimately transitioned to her again. The second spherical was a carbon copy and Sugiyama as soon as once more took Raika down into again management after touchdown a entrance kick early on. Raika did handle to get to her toes after a chronic interval on the bottom, however Sugiyama took her again down earlier than the top of the spherical.
In spherical three, Sugiyama continued to manage the grappling exchanges after she took Raika down as soon as extra. Sugiyama moved to aspect management till Raika scrambled as much as her toes, then took Raika down two extra occasions. Raika gamely fought her means up and threw a late mixture that missed its mark, however Sugiyama’s positional management was sufficient to earn her a clear-cut Unanimous Determination victory with scores of 30-27 thrice.
Additionally at flyweight, Fumika Watanabe (1-1-0) scored a big upset and earned her first professional win in a showdown towards former two-time Pancrase title challenger Nori (6-7-1).
Watanabe caught a kick and scored a key takedown within the opening spherical that allowed her to take prime place in Nori’s half-guard, the place Watanabe threatened with an arm-triangle choke. She handed to aspect management and landed punches earlier than attacking with an armbar late within the spherical. Watanabe took Nori down once more in spherical two and as soon as once more labored for an arm-triangle choke from the highest. Nori escaped to her toes and she or he used a kosoto gari throw to get Watanabe down, then mounted her. Watanabe gave up her again after which shook Nori off of it earlier than taking prime place.
The ultimate spherical was contested on the toes and each girls threw kicks through the first two minutes. Watanabe landed leg kicks whereas Nori missed with a head kick try. Watanabe switched to a extra boxing-focused assault as time ticked down and she or he landed just a few proper hooks and crosses.
The judges scored the struggle 30-27 and 29-28 twice for Watanabe, who took the Unanimous Determination win in what was solely her second professional struggle.
(High Photograph Credit score: Pancrase)
