Seika Izawa proved as soon as once more that she is likely one of the finest feminine MMA fighters on the earth by capturing her third championship title tonight at Deep Jewels 44 in Tokyo, Japan. Izawa submitted Si Yoon “Sankaru” Park with a second-round ninja choke to say the Deep Jewels atomweight title.
Izawa, who additionally holds the Deep Jewels Strawweight Championship and Rizin FF Girls’s Tremendous Atomweight Championship, threatened with a number of submissions earlier than ending Park early in spherical two. Deep Jewels 44 featured a number of finishes together with a brutal KO by Eun Bi “Libby” Cho.
Izawa (13-0-0) was unsuccessful together with her first takedown try of the battle, however she clinched with Park (6-4-0) and swept out her Korean foe’s leg. When Park tried to face, Izawa trapped her in a Brabo choke and she or he used it to drag Park again right down to the mat. Park was in some bother, however she managed to flee into Izawa’s guard and Izawa quickly locked on a triangle choke. She let it go and landed an upkick to Park’s face, which Park protested, however the battle carried on till the bell and Izawa was warned for the infraction between rounds.
Early in spherical two, Izawa scored a knockdown with a straight proper hand and she or he secured a good ninja choke when Park tried to face up. Park had no selection however to faucet out and she or he relinquished her title on the 58-second mark of spherical two.
“What champion am I now?” Izawa joked to the viewers after her win as she learn the title of her title on the entrance of the belt. “I’ve three belts now. I’ve joined Japan High Crew and now I can present my hanging enhancements that I’ve made with them. I’ll battle anybody and I’ll defend all of my belts. Mr. Sakakibara, I wish to battle at Tremendous Rizin 3 [in July]. With out me there, girls’s MMA received’t have the identical pleasure at that occasion.
“I’m glad that I may daze [Park] with that strike,” Izawa added when talking backstage. “I can present that I’m an all-around MMA fighter. [Park] has a powerful coronary heart and good grappling defence. I needed to complete her with floor punches, however I went for the submission as a substitute. I didn’t really feel an excessive amount of strain to carry the [atomweight] title again right here to Japan. Making this weight is hard, however I felt that my situation was good immediately.
New Deep Jewels Atomweight Champion Seika Izawa.
Within the co-main occasion, Kate “Lotus” Oyama (5-6-0) lastly scored the breakout win that she had been looking for when she stopped 24-fight veteran Yuko Kiryu (13-11-0) with punches simply 88 seconds into their 49kg tremendous atomweight matchup.
After a short takedown from Kiryu, Oyama returned to her toes and she or he dropped her opponent with a left hook. Kiryu stood and Oyama swarmed on her with extra punches that harm Kiryu once more and appeared like they might be sufficient to finish the battle. The motion was allowed to proceed and Oyama landed knees to Kiryu’s physique and extra punches. A remaining flurry from Oyama despatched Kiryu stumbling backward and referee Naoya Uematsu stepped in to wave off the bout.
“I landed a counter knee in the course of the first takedown [attempt] and it was efficient,” Oyama famous backstage. “That was a part of my technique. I used to be capable of break my barrier with this battle. I anticipated that it will go on longer, however I used to be completely happy to get the early end. I wish to compete for Rizin in Kobe, however I want a greater file first. I’ve extra energy now and I used to be capable of end [Kiryu] after she was dazed.”
Additionally at 49kg, Saki Kitamura (2-2-0) as soon as once more confirmed off her energy with a one-punch knockout of the rather more skilled Mizuki Furuse (11-12-0). The fighters traded kicks after Kitamura thwarted a takedown try from Furuse. Kitamura then landed a brief left hook to Furuse’s jaw that dropped her face-first to the mat and ended the bout in simply 36 seconds.
“I practice at [Wajutsu Keishukai] Hearts now and my teammates are actually good, so I’m making an attempt to catch as much as them,” Kitamura remarked backstage. “I’m not happy but. Pressuring my opponent is sweet for my rhythm, so subsequently I selected to try this.”
In what was meant to be a flyweight bout, Momoko Saito (0-2-0, 1 NC) as a substitute missed out on her first professional win by coming in 1.8kg chubby for her battle towards the undefeated Yuka “Dosukoi” Okutomi (3-0-0, 1 NC).
Saito did properly within the first spherical with a takedown and a few clinch management time towards the cage, then countered an Okutomi heel hook try in spherical two by reversing into high place. Again on the toes, Saito landed a three-punch mixture after which continued to land strikes after taking Okutomi’s again. Okutomi fought off a rear-naked choke, however she was puton the defensive all through the spherical.
On account of Saito dropping one level per spherical on account of lacking weight, all three judges scored the battle even at 18-18. All of them awarded their Should Choices to Saito, who would usually have taken a Unanimous Choice win in consequence, however the bout was mechanically declared to be a No Contest on account of her weight miss.
Elsewhere on the cardboard, South Korea’s Eun Bi “Libby” Cho (1-5-0) earned her first professional win with probably the most devastating knockouts in Deep Jewels historical past in her 44kg microweight bout towards Momoko Yamazaki (4-6-0). Cho punched her method into an early clinch towards the cage, the place the fighters traded knees till Cho took a step again. She cracked Yamazaki with a one-two mixture that immediately knocked her out and despatched her crashing to the mat together with her proper leg bending awkwardly beneath her physique. Yamazaki was down for a while earlier than she was helped out of the cage. In the meantime, Cho, competing for the primary time since September 2021, achieved her first win with the highlight-reel end.
At bantamweight, Marina Kumagai (5-5-0) fought off takedown makes an attempt and landed some strong strikes en path to a Unanimous Choice win towards Chieko Hosoya (2-3-0). Whereas the primary spherical was shut, Kumagai took over in spherical two and she or he punished Hosoya for her failed takedown makes an attempt with quite a few punches to her face. The injury part was a key issue and all three judges scored the battle 20-18 in favour of Kumagai, who has received 5 of her previous six fights.
Mahina China (1-0-0) made a profitable professional debut in her 44kg microweight bout towards Kyoka “Chibisai” Minagawa (2-5-0, 1 NC). China trapped Minagawa in a single guillotine choke within the first spherical, then two extra within the second, and in addition threatened with an arm-triangle choke. Minagawa escaped every time, and she or he briefly mounted China late in spherical two, nevertheless it was not sufficient to steal again the battle. Scores had been 20-18 twice and 19-19 with a Should Choice to China for the Unanimous Choice win.
In a 52kg kickboxing bout, Serina relied on sturdy left arms to take a Unanimous Choice win over Yuka Shimamura. Serina’s offensive output was merely significantly better than her opponent’s, however Shimamura did landed a spinning again forearm strike late within the battle that prompted Serina’s proper cheek under her eye to swell up. Regardless of that, all three judges scored the two-round bout 20-19 for Serina.
Haruka “Boss” Suzuki (1-2-0) emergd victorious after a dominant efficiency in her flyweight bout towards Hitomi Taniyama (1-3-0). Regardless of her finest efforts, Taniyama couldn’t take Suzuki down and she or he was repeatedly punished with punches to the facet of her face when Suzuki took her again. Taniyama lastly tried a guillotine choke late within the battle, to no avail, and Suzuki blasted her with hammerfists. Scores had been 20-18 thrice for Suzuki, who took the Unanimous Choice win.
Miku Yokose (2-1-0 novice) scored her second victory over Misaki Suda (1-5-0 novice) in an novice tremendous atomweight rematch that was rather more decisive than their first battle one yr in the past. After some early grappling exchanges, Suda made a important error by making an attempt a head kick and dropping her stability within the course of. Yokose immediately took her again and locked on a rear-naked choke that compelled Suda to faucet out on the 2:14 mark of spherical one.
Opening up the cardboard, Yokose’s sister, Yua, received her 53kg novice kickboxing match towards Asuka Yokoe. As every spherical was solely 90 seconds in length, the motion was continuous all through. Yokose landed the higher strikes, nonetheless, and she or he wobbled Yokoe in spherical one and saved her backing up in spherical two. Scores had been 20-18 and 20-19 twice for Yokose, who prevailed through Unanimous Choice.
“Deep Jewels 44 had a number of KOs,” Deep boss Shigeru Saeki stated when talking backstage after the occasion. “I felt that [Mahina] China had an excellent efficiency. ‘Libby’ [Eun Bi Cho] had an important knockout. Momoko [Saito] missed weight, however earlier than this she was simply hanging and misplaced. Tonight, she combined her hanging with takedowns properly and she or he has tailored properly to MMA. Saki [Kitamura] acquired an important KO and [Seika] Izawa acquired the end. It was a pleasant occasion.
“Izawa is just too sturdy,” Saeki continued. “I’m unsure if she is going to subsequent unify her [Deep Jewels strawweight] title [against Arisa Matsuda], however her strongest opponent to this point has been Si Woo Park.”
Full play-by-play for the Deep Jewels 44 card might be discovered right here.
