Two-division Deep Jewels champ Seika Izawa has vacated her strawweight title and an undisputed championship bout has been booked to headline Deep Jewels 50 on September seventh in Tokyo, Japan. Si Woo Park has been elevated from interim to full champion and faces Machi Fukuda in a rematch.
Deep Jewels officers introduced the championship standing change and a complete of 13 bouts for the Deep Jewels 50 card on Friday. Along with the Park-Fukuda championship rematch, the milestone card shall be co-headlined by a 50kg bout between Emi Tomimatsu and Keito “Kate Lotus” Oyama.
Park (12-5-0) captured the vacant Deep Jewels Interim Strawweight Championship in her most up-to-date struggle at Deep Jewels 45 in Could 2024 when she narrowly edged out Fukuda within the night time’s foremost occasion. Park has since left Japan and returned residence to South Korea, the place she joined the Havas MMA staff. The 34-year-old’s lone defeats throughout the previous 4 years each got here by way of shut choices in opposition to Izawa, in Deep Jewels and Rizin, respectively, and he or she has gained seven fights throughout that point together with a key victory in opposition to Ayaka Hamasaki and the title triumph in opposition to Fukuda of their first assembly. Now the total Deep Jewels champion, Park seems to be to erase any doubt when she takes on Fukuda once more.
Fukuda (8-2-0) has been very lively since dropping to Park and has gained all 4 of her bouts together with two this yr for Rizin. She first defeated Shooto Infinity League winner Website positioning Younger Park at Rizin FF 50 in March after which scored a Unanimous Resolution win in opposition to Pancrase champ Haruka “Salt” Hasegawa at “Landmark Vol. 11” this previous month. At simply 22 years of age, Fukuda is continuous to develop her expertise at a quick fee, and that has been evident throughout her current performances. She might want to make use of these enhancements when difficult Park in September as she hopes to avenge one in all solely two defeats on her skilled document.
Tomimatsu (16-20-0), a one-time Deep Jewels Interim Strawweight Champion herself, returns to motion after incomes a Cut up Resolution win in April 2024 following a prolonged break from MMA competitors. That victory halted a six-fight dropping skid for Tomimatsu, with all of these defeats coming in opposition to high quality opponents, however she continues to be in want of at the least one massive win as a way to get again into the strawweight title hunt for what will be the ultimate time.
Oyama (7-7-0) has scored wins in three of her previous 4 fights, falling solely to Rizin FF star Rena Kubota throughout that point. The extremely well-liked fighter scored her greatest victory up to now in Could when she defeated former Street FC champion Yu Ri Shim at a Rizin FF occasion in South Korea. She’s going to transfer up barely in weight from 49kg to 50kg as a way to battle Tomimatsu in September, and a victory would proceed Oyama’s current run of success.
Elsewhere on the cardboard, the 49kg tremendous atomweight division shall be featured prominently in two bouts. Saki Kitamura (4-4-0) goals for her first two-fight profitable streak when she takes on the unbeaten Misaki “Iruka Umisaki” Suda (2-0-0) in featured motion. Each girls are coming off of determination wins over Princess Saaya earlier this yr. Kitamura has struggled with consistency, however she is likely one of the prime strikers on the Deep Jewels roster. Suda has made enormous enhancements since turning professional and goals to remain undefeated in September.
Additionally at 49kg, long-time veteran contender Yuko Kiryu (13-13-0) seeks to get again on the profitable observe when she meets Sarah (1-1-0), who notched her first professional victory in November. Kiryu as soon as held a five-fight profitable streak that included triumphs over Sadae “Manhoef” Numata and Emi Tomimatsu, however current fights haven’t yielded constructive outcomes. Sarah transitioned to the professional ranks in September following a number of Deep Jewels bouts as an beginner, and he or she now hopes to upset the rather more skilled Kiryu.
In different motion, Junna Tsukii (1-1-0) hopes to rebound from her first professional loss in November when she takes on the aforementioned Princess Saaya (1-3-0) in a 50kg bout. Nonoka Sakamoto (1-0-0, 1 NC), who could be undefeated at 2-0 if not for lacking weight in April, strikes as much as strawweight to face Misaki Horiuchi (1-0-0 beginner), who makes her professional debut after scoring a commanding win in an beginner bout at Deep Jewels 49. Within the lone kickboxing bout on the cardboard, Saki Nakamura battles Manaka at 50kg.
Rounding out the introduced bouts, Hitomi Taniyama (1-3-0) faces Yuko “Pochan Z” Matsuura (0-8-0) at featherweight; Kimika “Jaka” Kawaguchi (2-2-0) welcomes prospect Suzu Ooi (2-1-0 beginner) to the skilled ranks in a 44kg microweight bout; former Rizin FF ring lady Akipi (1-2-0 beginner) meets Marin Yamabuki (1-0-0 beginner) in beginner strawweight motion; Serina Wada (0-1-0 beginner) squares off in opposition to Asuka Yokoe (0-1-0) in a 49kg beginner bout; Yuna Suyama (0-1-0 beginner) clashes with debuting beginner Chanrina (0-0-0) at 51kg; and Mion Wachi (0-1-0 beginner) takes on Kokoro Taniyama (0-0-0) in an beginner strawweight struggle.
Deep Jewels 50 takes place on September seventh at New Pier Corridor in Tokyo, Japan.
(Photograph Credit score: Deep Jewels)
