Shizuka Sugiyama grew to become a two-time Flyweight Queen of Pancrase champ with a lopsided Unanimous Choice victory tonight at Pancrase 361 in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan. The 17-year veteran defeated beforehand unbeaten Ayane Wada for the vacant title within the evening’s co-main occasion.
Sugiyama dictated the tempo of the combat from begin to end tonight by scoring takedowns and controlling the frequent clinch battles towards the cage with efficient knees to the physique. She now reclaims the Pancrase title belt that was lately vacated by her earlier opponent, Fumika Watanabe.
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Sugiyama (24-8-1) clinched early on and held Wada (2-1-0) towards the fence as she kneed her physique and tried to comb out Wada’s leg. She acquired Wada down into half-guard and punched till Wada exploded out from the underside and took high place. Sugiyama postured for a triangle choke after which stood up late within the spherical. Within the second stanza, Sugiyama landed an overhand proper after which took Wada down after catching a kick. She landed brief punches and forearm strikes from Wada’s half-guard till Wada stood and Sugiyama repeatedly kneed her within the physique. Wada couldn’t escape from the clinch and Sugiyama kneed her till the bell.
After controlling the primary half of spherical three with extra knees throughout a prolonged clinch, Sugiyama took Wada down and landed punches and hammerfists from the highest. That continued till Wada kicked Sugiyama off in the course of the ultimate 30 seconds. Wada landed a three-punch combo to start the fourth spherical and Sugiyama held her towards the cage. Each girls landed knees to the physique and Sugiyama managed the positional battles. Wada stayed on her ft till Sugiyama tripped her with 5 seconds to go, and Wada threw up her legs for a triangle choke.
Sugiyama was merely relentless along with her knee assaults from the clinch, and she or he spent nearly your entire ultimate spherical nullifying Wada’s offence by tying her up and kneeing her midsection. Wada landed a mixture late within the spherical and Sugiyama responded with a head kick and a entrance kick to the physique.
All three judges scored the combat 50-45 for Sugiyama, who regained the Flyweight Queen of Pancrase Championship that she misplaced one yr in the past when she was knocked out by Watanabe. That setback was solely Sugiyama’s second defeat for the reason that finish of 2018, and she or he as soon as once more reigns atop the Pancrase 125-pound girls’s division.
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