The all-female doubleheader of Jewels events concluded tonight at Jewels: “14th Ring” in Tokyo, Japan. The evening event was headlined by a Jewels vs Valkyrie Special Rules bout between Misaki Takimoto and Naho “Sugi Rock” Sugiyama, which determined the top female strawweight in MMA.

In other action, Jewels Lightweight Queen Champion Ayaka Hamasaki took on promotional postergirl Saori “Shooting Star” Ishioka in a grappling match, while Mika “Future Princess” Nagano faced Emi Murata in a bout rebooked from March. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for Jewels: “14th Ring.”

 

48kg Jewels Special MMA Rules – Jewels vs Valkyrie (2×5)

Naho “Sugi Rock” Sugiyama vs Misaki Takimoto

Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Kenichi Serizawa. Takimoto tags Sugiyama with jabs and low kicks to start the round. Sugiyama’s low kicks and punches barely graze as Takimoto is very good at bouncing just out of range. They clinch up and Takimoto puts Sugiyama’s back against the ropes. Takimoto goes for a trip, botches it, then transitions to a very loose triangle attempt. Sugiyama gets free and punches once to Takimoto’s ribs.

Sugiyama passes to side control, then puts a leg over Takimoto’s head, pinning her down. Sugiyama drops a punch or two to Takimoto’s face. Sugiyama moves to Takimoto’s back now, threatening with a rear-naked choke. Serizawa calls the catch. Takimoto punches over her shoulder in vain, but the punches eventually morph into taps. Official time is 4:06.

With Sugiyama’s victory, Valkyrie defeats Jewels 3-2 in the best-of-five series.

Winner: Naho Sugiyama by Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) at 4:06 of round one. She improves to 4-0-0.

 

52kg Grappling Match (2×4)

Ayaka Hamasaki vs Saori “Shooting Star” Ishioka

Round 1:
Hamasaki gets a slick outside trip to put Ishioka on the floor. She patiently works to pass from half-guard to side. The fighters squirm their way out of the ring in the process, prompting a repositioning by referee Umeki. Hamasaki passes to side and almost gets Ishioka’s back as she scrambles from the bottom. Ishioka saves herself and lands on top in guard, but this is short-lived as Umeki stands them up. Hamasaki stuffs a takedown and misses an armbar attempt. She tries for another from side control, and Ishioka again squirms free. The round expires with Hamasaki on top in Ishioka’s guard.

Round 2:
Hamasaki stuffs a takedown and almost pulls out an arm for a kimura while sitting on Ishioka’s head. She escapes and drives forward, putting Hamasaki down on the mat. Ishioka captures Hamasaki’s back and throws on a rear-naked choke attempt. Hamasaki breaks free and turns into Ishioka’s guard. Umeki repositions them in the centre. Ishioka locks on a guillotine choke in the final ten, but doesn’t get the tap. Surprising turnaround in this second and final round.

Judges Akira Yamazaki and Kenichi Serizawa score the match in favour of Hamasaki, while judge Ryogoku Wada sides with Ishioka. Hamasaki takes the Split Decision victory.

Winner: Ayaka Hamasaki by Split Decision after two rounds.

 

54kg Jewels Official MMA Rules (2×5)

Mika “Future Princess” Nagano vs Emi Murata

Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Yoshinori Umeki. Murata puts some rangy punches into Nagano’s face. Nagano counters with a single right hand and she sucks Murata into a clinch before tripping her to the mat. Nagano passes and locks up an armbar, but the ropes restrict the attempt. She stays latched on and eventually gets the tap, forcing referee Umeki to call the stop at 1:40.

Winner: Mika Nagano by Submission (Armbar) at 1:40 of round one. She improves to 8-4-0.

 

Intermission: During the break, former Smackgirl and Valkyrie champion Yuka “Vale Tudo Queen” Tsuji (22-2-0) addressed the crowd. After recovering from injuries to her right knee and shoulder that required surgery, Tsuji announced her intentions to return to competition at Jewels: “15th Ring” on July 9th at Shinjuku FACE in Tokyo, Japan. An opponent has not been determined, and Tsuji expressed a desire to face anyone who was willing to compete against her.

 

48kg Jewels Official MMA Rules – Jewels vs Valkyrie (2×5)

Sachiko “Sachi” Yamamoto vs Miyoko Kusaka

Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Kenichi Serizawa. Yamamoto lands two right hands at distance. Kusaka lands a low kick and closes for a clinch. She throws knees into Yamamoto’s thighs against the ropes. Yamamoto spins and whiffs a few punches. Yamamoto throws a low kick that Kusaka catches and trips her to the floor with. Yamamoto scrambles back to her feet and pushes Kusaka into the corner in the clinch, lobbing knees to Kusaka’s legs.

Yamamoto pushes forward with punches and again puts Kusaka against the ropes. Kusaka spins out and, as Yamamoto pushes forward with more punches, she throws a few stiff counters into her face. Yamamoto’s head is far too high; she’s just sticking her chin out there. Still, it’s not like Kusaka is really rattling her brains with the counters. Kusaka gets a takedown in the last thirty seconds and spends the final seconds neutralised in Yamamoto’s guard. 10-10.

Round 2:
Yamamoto shoots for a single and finishes the takedown with an inside trip. Kusaka works wrist control. Yamamoto wrangles free and, in the scramble to pass, she somehow manages to latch an arm and dives for an armbar. Unfortunately, they’re too close to the ropes and both slip out of the ring. Referee Serizawa breaks them up. Kusaka gets the takedown the next time around, taking side mount.

Yamamoto traps Kusaka with her legs and tries to reverse her that way. It doesn’t quite work, so Kusaka is in side control with her upper torso trapped in Yamamoto’s legs. Serizawa breaks them again, and again Kusaka gets the takedown. Yamamoto goes for another armbar with a minute on the clock to go. Kusaka struggles to hang on, but she manages it until the bell. 10-9 Yamamoto.

All three judges – Ryogoku Wada, Akira Yamazaki and Yoshinori Umeki – score the bout in favour of Yamamoto. With the win, the Jewels vs Valkyrie tally is once again even at 2-2 with one fight to go.

Winner: Sachiko Yamamoto by Unanimous Decision after two rounds. She improves to 8-4-1.

 

54kg Shoot Boxing Match (3×2)

Mizuki Inoue vs Natsuka

Round 1:
Inoue throws in bunches, ending combos with low kicks to start. Natsuka throws singles and surprisingly lands. Inoue seems unperturbed, however. She stuffs her jab in Natsuka’s face as a harassment technique, impressively following up with hard rights afterward. Natsuka lands some nice punches and kicks to the body in response. Inoue digs in with a huge left hook to the body. Natsuka doubles over in pain and Inoue comes straight in, launching an endless barrage of punches and knees to the gut to close out the round. 10-9 Inoue.

Round 2:
Natsuka racks up the low kicks as Inoue pops her jab into her face. Inoue is clearly gauging her opportunities to dig in with another crushing liver shot. Her combos are still crisp and still ending with low kicks. Inoue rips off two left hooks to the body, but they’re not as clean or hard as in the first round. Still, she’s taking this round just on the strength of her jabs to the face alone. 10-9 Inoue.

Round 3:
Inoue’s attacks are efficient and crisp. Multiple jabs, either followed by a right straight or a low kick. She starts throwing in knees to the body as well. Natsuka is still attacking, but she’s missing more than she’s connecting, and whatever she does connect with is typically blocked. Inoue closes in for a clinch and eats a few punches. She tries to trade knees with Natsuka and eventually – probably instinctually – trips her to the mat. The round ends soon after with Inoue smacking Natsuka with punches against the ropes. 10-9 Inoue.

The ringside judges – Kenichi Serizawa, Yoshinori Umeki and Akira Yamazaki – all score the bout the same, for the winner by Unanimous Decision, 16-year-old teen prodigy Mizuki Inoue.

Winner: Mizuki Inoue by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-28, 30-28) after three rounds.

 

56.5kg Grappling Match – Jewels vs Valkyrie (2×4)

Ricaco “Ricakkuma” Yuasa vs Kazue Matake

Round 1:
Yuasa flies into what looks like a triangle, but basically pulls guard instead. After some wrist wrangling, Yuasa goes for an armbar, but Matake holds on. She escapes and brings it back to standing. Yuasa again flies into guard and looks for a guillotine choke from the bottom. Matake shucks her off and tries to pass, but Yuasa’s guard is airtight. Yuasa reaches up and around for a kimura. Matake shucks that off but almost gets swept. She recovers her base and stays in Yuasa’s guard until the bell.

Round 2:
Yuasa tries to go for an inside trip, but instead dives for a leg. Matake stays heavy on top and keeps Yuasa from snatching one or sweeping. She cannot stop Yuasa from popping back up and spinning around behind her for the rear waistlock, however. They scramble and Matake is once again on top in guard. Yuasa throws up a triangle. Matake stacks Yuasa, then sits on her haunches.

Yuasa gives up the triangle. Referee Akira Yamazaki strangely stands them up. Yuasa shoots for a double, and Matake slickly reverses her. This doesn’t last long, however, and Yuasa gets a reversal of her own into mount. Matake gives up her back in the final ten seconds. Yuasa fights to get the choke but doesn’t sink anything.

All three judges – Kenichi Serizawa, Ryogoku Wada and Yoshinori Umeki – side with Yuasa, who takes the victory. Jewels takes a 2-1 lead over Valkyrie as a result.

Winner: Ricaco Yuasa by Unanimous Decision after two rounds.

 

54kg Grappling Match (2×4)

Emi Tomimatsu vs Mayumi Suzuki

Round 1:
They lock up in the centre and Suzuki reaches up and around to put Tomimatsu in a guillotine choke. Tomimatsu escapes and passes to side control. After some positional wrangling, Tomimatsu takes Suzuki’s back, from which she attempts an armbar. Suzuki defends, but Tomimatsu retains top position in mount until the bell.

Round 2:
Tomimatsu takes Suzuki’s back from the opening scramble and throws on a rear-naked choke. Suzuki motions that she’s fine and, indeed, Tomimatsu’s arm isn’t sunk under. Not yet at least. It takes a little more squeeze until it is, prompting Suzuki to tap at 0:49.

Winner: Emi Tomimatsu by Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) at 0:49 of round two.

 

Undercard Grappling Match (1×4):

50kg: Kayoko Yamazaki and O Quin Mei [Kou Kyoumei] fought to a Time Limit Draw after one round.