Leading all-female promotion Jewels began its inaugural Featherweight Queen tournament at Jewels: “16th Ring” from Shin-Kiba 1st Ring in Tokyo, Japan. Tonight’s card featured a non-title bout between Jewels Lightweight Queen Champion Ayaka Hamasaki and teen prodigy Mizuki Inoue.

In the tournament, Naho “Sugi Rock” Sugiyama faced Ayumi “Edge” Saito, Yasuko “Ikuko” Tamada took on Kikuyo Ishikawa, Misaki Takimoto battled Miyoko Kusaka and Sachiko “Sachi” Yamamoto clashed with Yukiko Seki. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for all fights on tonight’s Jewels card.

 

54kg Jewels Official Rules [Non-Title Bout] – 2×5

Ayaka Hamasaki vs Mizuki Inoue

Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Kenichi Serizawa. Hamasaki shoots in for a takedown and manages to spin Inoue to her knees. Inoue pulls back and gets to her feet. Both women trade jabs now. Hamasaki successfully lands three hooks in succession as Inoue ducks into them. Inoue goes for a right hook and tangles up in the clinch. Hamasaki eats a jab, then ducks under and double-legs Inoue to her back. Hamasaki takes her time from side control, landing knees to the body as Inoue squirms on her back. Hamasaki tries to creep a knee over Inoue’s belly. She defends.

Hamasaki is aiming now for an arm, bucking wildly to forestall the submission attempt. Inoue manages to suck Hamasaki back into half-guard. Hamasaki frames, trying to free her leg. She works a headlock along with her guard pass attempt now. Hamasaki gets free and back to side control again. Inoue scrambles to her feet, but Hamasaki still has the front headlock. Inoue gets off a few punches before getting double-legged back down to the canvas. Inoue traps Hamasaki’s arm, stalling her out until the bell. Solid round for the divisional champ, Hamasaki, over the Rough Stone GP rookie champ.

Round 2:
Hamasaki trips Inoue to the canvas, ducking under punches. She locks up an arm from side control, prompting Inoue to squirm and buck until she gets the arm free. Inoue tries to flip Hamasaki over, but the wrestler stays firmly planted on top. Referee Serizawa inexplicably breaks them up. Both women trade jabs. Before another shot comes her way, Hamasaki changes levels and bowls Inoue over again. Hamasaki passes back to side control, in defiance of Serizawa’s inane standups. Hamasaki goes for a keylock, but Inoue pulls her arm out quickly.

Inoue fights to her knees and takes Hamasaki’s back in riding time position. She lands some hard punches to the body and knees to the tailbone. Hamasaki gets to her feet and frees herself. Inoue lands low kicks and a few short punches in close. Inoue controls Hamasaki in the clinch, landing punches, low kicks and knees. She stuffs a takedown attempt, but not the follow-up. Hamasaki again goes for the keylock, but from half-guard now. The bell rings before she can get anything going. Inoue did a little better this round, but it should still be another 10-9 for the champ.

Judges Moritaka Oshiro, Tomoki Matsumiya and Akira Yamazaki all scored the bout in favour of the winner by Unanimous Decision, Jewels Lightweight Queen Champion Ayaka Hamasaki.

Winner: Ayaka Hamasaki by Unanimous Decision after two 5:00 rounds. She improves to 5-0-0.

 

57.15kg Kickboxing Rules – 3×3

Kozue “Azuma” Nagashima vs Kim Sung Eun

Round 1:
“Azuma” appears to be much quicker than Kim, beating her to the punch often. Kim charges her opponent while looking to land big blows, but Nagashima is clearly the quicker and more accurate of the two. She rails her Korean opponent with vicious knees to the body and blistering right hands to the face. Nagashima taunts Kim to come at her, but by the final minute of the round, Kim looks resigned to the fact that she’s bound for a beating. Nagashima momentarily wobbles her opponent several times this round, almost sending her flying between the ropes with her punches. A 10-8 round without knockdowns if ever there was one.

Round 2:
What Kim can’t achieve with punches, she tries for with sweeps. It doesn’t help her at all, as Nagashima just explodes in her face with punches, kicks and knees. A particularly sharp knee to the body doubles her over against the ropes, prompting the referee to jump in for a knockdown count. He gets to nine and Kim waves him off. She’s had enough.

Winner: Kozue Nagashima by KO (Knee To The Body) at 0:34 of round two.

 

48kg Jewels Featherweight Queen Quarterfinal – 2×5

Naho “Sugi Rock” Sugiyama vs Ayumi “Edge” Saito

Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Kenichi Serizawa. Saito throws some sharp one-twos while Sugiyama looks for low kicks. After eating Saito’s punches, “Sugi Rock” drops down for a takedown attempt, but is stuffed. In the clinch, Sugiyama runs Saito into the corner and wraps her leg around for a trip takedown. None comes, however, so referee Serizawa calls for a break. Saito keeps Sugiyama at bay with her sharp punches.

Sugiyama can only get in the occasional low kick. Frustrated, Sugiyama shoots in for the clinch and again fishes for a trip takedown. Saito maintains her balance for several moments before succumbing to one. Sugiyama passes from half-guard to side control, but it doesn’t last long. “Edge” pulls her back into guard and tries for an armbar. Sugiyama defends and throws punches to Saito’s body in the final ten seconds.

Round 2:
More big punches from Saito to start out in round two. She’s digging hooks to the body in addition to her sharp jabs and hooks to the head now. Sugiyama runs Saito into a clinch against the ropes again. Both women trade knees, but it’s mostly Saito scoring. Saito is really looking to lace Sugiyama with a hook-uppercut combo, but she’s always just out of range. Nonetheless, her jabs are definitely making their mark. Sugiyama clinches again and eats a few knees. Her takedown attempt backfires, as Saito reverses and gets to her feet immediately after. Saito peppers Sugiyama’s face, almost Nick Diaz style.

The fighters clinch again in a corner, but it’s “Sugi Rock” lobbing knees this time. Referee Serizawa breaks them up. Sugiyama is just out of range of the punches now, measuring her opponent to drop down for a takedown. She gets one, putting Saito down under her in half-guard. Sugiyama passes to side control and locks on an arm-triangle choke. Serizawa is about to call a catch, but he thinks better of it upon closer inspection. Sugiyama moves to mount in the final ten seconds and works a mounted guillotine. It doesn’t go far as the bell rings soon after.

Judges Akira Yamazaki, Tomoki Matsumiya and Moritaka Oshiro all score the close bout for the winner by Unanimous Decision, Naho Sugiyama.

Winner: Naho Sugiyama by Unanimous Decision after two 5:00 rounds. She improves to 5-0-0 and advances to the semi-finals of the Jewels Featherweight Queen Tournament.

 

48kg Jewels Featherweight Queen Quarterfinal – 2×5

Kikuyo Ishikawa vs Yasuko “Ikuko” Tamada

Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Kenichi Serizawa. Tamada circles on the outside, throwing punches while Ishikawa returns fire with kicks at all levels. Ishikawa grazes with a high kick to the delight of the crowd. Two minutes in and the women are still tangling on the feet. Ishikawa looks to be landing the cleaner, sharper shots, while Tamada seems to miss a lot. Tamada pushes in for a clinch and puts Ishikawa against the corner, then lobs knees to her belly.

Referee Serizawa breaks them up. Neither woman is really connecting now, as both miss with low and push kicks in addition to their jabs to the face and body. Tamada again puts Ishikawa against the ropes and both women trade knees here. A break is called. Ishikawa lands several one-twos to the face. Tamada ducks under to go for a takedown and captures a rear waist-lock at the bell.

Round 2:
Ishikawa does well in the second round by mixing kicks in with her punches. While Tamada tries to catch them, she opens herself up to getting railed in the face with big right straights. Tamada looks quite flustered now, but her perseverence pays off. She catches a kick and puts Ishikawa down in a corner. Tamada tries to pass from half-guard to side control. Both women’s upper bodies are nearly outside of the ring under the bottom rope, prompting Serizawa to break them up. Tamada times another takedown in between Ishikawa’s punches, putting her on her posterior in the corner.

Tamada can’t yank Ishikawa to the canvas, so she resorts to short knees to her belly. A break is called again. Ishikawa wobbles Tamada with another hard punch, but the AACC fighter rebounds off of the ropes to stay standing. They clinch again and Tamada busies herself with knees. Time is called to have Tamada checked out by the doctor. She appears to have a bit of a bloody nose. Upon resuming, it’s clear that Ishikawa has the striking portion in the bag. She is far more accurate, landing punch after punch while Tamada misses. Tamada hits a takedown in the final 15 seconds. She lunges with knees to the side of Ishikawa’s body until the bell rings.

Judges Akira Yamazaki, Moritaka Oshiro and Tomoki Matsumiya all score the bout for the winner by Unanimous Decision, Kikuyo Ishikawa.

Winner: Kikuyo Ishikawa by Unanimous Decision after two 5:00 rounds. She improves to 6-2-0 and advances to the semi-finals of the Jewels Featherweight Queen Tournament.

 

48kg Jewels Featherweight Queen Quarterfinal – 2×5

Misaki Takimoto vs Miyoko Kusaka

Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Kenichi Serizawa. Takimoto lands a one-two and a head kick to start things off. She follows up with low kicks and knees to the belly as Kusaka looks to close the distance and clinch up. Kusaka lands a few knees of her own in the clinch before referee Serizawa breaks them up. Takimoto swipes at Kusaka’s face, landing a hook before getting double-legged. Kusaka works to pass from half-guard while Takimoto holds on, likely waiting for the stand-up.

Serizawa finally obliges her with the stand-up after a long moment. Takimoto lands a three-punch combo, but gets her follow-up body kick caught. Kusaka runs her into the ropes. She can’t quite get the takedown, so she throws knees to Takimoto’s legs. A break is called. Takimoto pumps her jab at Kusaka and lands a hard knee to the body when her opponent gets in range. Takimoto takes potshots at Kusaka with punches and leg kicks in the final ten seconds.

Round 2:
Kusaka tries for a takedown right off the bat, but is stuffed. Takimoto lands a hard left hand that drops Kusaka to her posterior. Referee Serizawa calls a knockdown and counts. Kusaka answers and goes back to her old pattern of trying to close in for takedowns. She eats a flush head kick and a number of punches, but she still tries her best to get in for that takedown. Takimoto stuffs her against the ropes and trades knees with her.

Takimoto whips Kusaka to the canvas now, taking her back in riding time position. Kusaka pulls herself to her feet long enough to reverse with a takedown of her own into Takimoto’s guard. Takimoto looks to want to set up an armbar or a triangle, though neither attempt gets too far as Kusaka just settles low into her guard in defence. Serizawa calls a break in the final minute. Takimoto gets a trip takedown from the clinch, but is quickly reversed. Kusaka hangs out in her guard until the bell.

Judges Moritaka Oshiro, Akira Yamazaki and Tomoki Matsumiya all score the bout for the winner by Unanimous Decision, Misaki Takimoto.

Winner: Misaki Takimoto by Unanimous Decision after two 5:00 rounds. She improves to 14-12-4 and advances to the semi-finals of the Jewels Featherweight Queen Tournament.

 

48kg Jewels Featherweight Queen Quarterfinal – 2×5

Yukiko Seki vs Sachiko “Sachi” Yamamoto

Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Kenichi Serizawa. Yamamoto circles, throwing jabs while Seki launches blistering counterpunches. Seki uses her flurries to push Yamamoto against the ropes. Yamamoto reverses, putting Seki into the corner. Referee Serizawa breaks them up. Seki drives forward with punches, landing some real stingers on Yamamoto’s face and body against the ropes. Yamamoto pulls her into a clinch and spins her into the ropes.

“Sachi” fishes for a trip takedown, but Seki maintains her balance. Yamamoto instead captures a rear waist-lock and throws knees to the back of her opponent’s legs. Serizawa inexplicably breaks them up. Seki thus gets back to banging, putting big punches into Yamamoto’s face and dropping her to her back. Yamamoto recovers thanks to ground and pound not being permitted and returns to her feet. She takes Seki down against the ropes in the final ten seconds, but can’t make anything happen beyond that.

Round 2:
Seki pushes forward with punches again, manoeuvring Yamamoto into a corner. She eats a barrage of counters, however, before landing in the clinch. Yamamoto drops for a single and, after a few moments of trying to pull it out, she gets it. Seki explodes into a reversal, however, taking side control and then falling into Yamamoto’s half-guard. She settles down and lays into her opponent with brutal punches to the body. Seki looks to be using an arm-triangle choke setup to pass now, but she can’t free her leg for the life of her.

Referee Serizawa hovers nearby, debating another stand-up. Seki gets to side control, then North-South, and keeps the break at bay. She drops a few more punches to the body while targeting Sachi’s left arm for a submission of some kind. Serizawa breaks them before anything can get finalised. Seki thus goes back to bullrushing with punches, eating a knee to the body for her trouble. Seki looks to turn the fight into a brawl against the ropes in the final 30 seconds. Yamamoto saves herself by diving for the clinch just before the bell.

Judges Moritaka Oshiro, Tomoki Matsumiya and Akira Yamazaki all score the bout for the winner by Unanimous Decision, Yukiko Seki, who has now won five of her last six fights.

Winner: Yukiko Seki by Unanimous Decision after two 5:00 rounds. She improves to 10-20-0 and advances to the semi-finals of the Jewels Featherweight Queen Tournament.

 

58kg Kickboxing Rules – 3×2

Satoko Ozawa vs Chikako WSR

Round 1:
Ozawa comes out winging shots like she’s a rock’em sock’em robot. WSR looks to want to play a counter game, utilising her full arsenal of kicks, punches and knees to return fire. Both women have minimal head movement and each one lands numerous punches to the face.

Round 2:
Same basic pattern as the first round in the second, with slight alterations to either woman’s offence. WSR employs more low and push kicks, even outside of countering. Ozawa isn’t swarming with punches anymore. Rather, she’s looking to land one big home run hit.

Round 3:
Ozawa seemed to be saving her energy for the final round and she just walks forward like a juggernaut, swinging with reckless abandon. WSR typically lands counters, but she lacks the power to stop her oncoming opponent.

One judge ruled the bout even, while the remaining two sided with Ozawa, giving her a razor-thin victory.

Winner: Satoko Ozawa by Majority Decision (30-29, 30-29, 29-29) after three 2:00 rounds.

 

52kg Jewels Official Rules – 2×5

Emi Tomimatsu vs Celine Haga

Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Tomoki Matsumiya. Haga circles, putting her jab out there to keep distance. Tomimatsu closes the distance anyway and puts Haga into the ring corner. Haga circles out from under Tomimatsu’s arms; almost stealing a rear waist-lock. Matsumiya breaks them up. Tomimatsu jabs and lands a short superman punch before putting Haga against the ropes again. Tomimatsu wraps a leg around for an outside trip, but Haga maintains balance and spins Tomimatsu into the corner. Tomimatsu reverses as Roxanne Modafferi, Megumi Fujii and Haga’s corner plead with Haga to go for takedowns.

A break is called. Haga circles away and both women trade hard right hands. Tomimatsu stuffs Haga into the corner again, and they go back to clinch wrestling. Both women trade perfunctory knees. Haga now looks for the trip takedown, but doesn’t get it. The fighters are separated again. Haga backpedals and misses punches. Tomimatsu times them, lunging in for a clinch against the ropes between punches. Haga spins Tomimatsu into the ropes and lands a few knees to the Japanese fighter’s belly. She tries for another trip takedown, but none comes before the bell.

Round 2:
Haga backpedals early on, pumping punches at Tomimatsu. Her opponent walks her down, throwing shots and again looking for the clinch. Haga pre-empts this by pulling her into a Thai plum, but she can’t pull Tomimatsu’s head down all the way and only grazes with knees. She captures a rear waist-lock, however, and tries to drag Tomimatsu to the mat. Tomimatsu fights this for a good ten seconds before breaking free. Tomimatsu begins stalking now with low kicks as Haga resorts to big, Joachim Hansen-style lunging hooks. None connect. Tomimatsu puts Haga against the ropes and lands a few knees to the body before Haga breaks free.

Haga lands two hard right hands to Tomimatsu’s face, but the Japanese grappler absorbs them just to get into the clinch where she delivers more knees to the body. Haga returns a knee before a break is called again. Tomimatsu agains absorbs a few punches before diving into the clinch to deliver knees. She breaks it off and stuffs her jab into Haga’s face. Tomimatsu manoeuvres Haga into the corner again in the final minute. She unleashes more knees. Matsumiya breaks them once more. Haga whiffs on a few punches as Tomimatsu connects with low kicks. Haga lands a huge right hand, but Tomimatsu shakes it off and shoots a double, pushing Haga into a corner right as the bell rings.

Judges Akira Yamazaki, Moritaka Oshiro and Kenichi Serizawa all see the bout for the winner by Unanimous Decision, Emi Tomimatsu.

Winner: Emi Tomimatsu by Unanimous Decision after two 5:00 rounds. She improves to 3-4-0.

 

52kg Jewels Official Rules – 2×5

Yuko “Amiba” Oya vs Akiko “Betiko” Naito

Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Tomoki Matsumiya. Both women snipe at each other with jabs until Oya shoots for a takedown, which Naito stuffs. Oya backs Naito up against the ropes, still driving for the takedown. Naito maintains her balance, but not for long. Oya wrestles her to the floor, but once there Naito immediately sweeps to half-guard, quickly passing to mount. Naito locks up an arm, looking to prep an armbar. “Amiba” pulls her arm out and starts bucking to escape.

Eventually, Oya bucks her way into Naito’s guard to raucous applause. Oya drops punches to the body, then passes to side control and mount. Naito gives up her back, but Oya botches an armbar setup and falls off of Betiko’s back. Naito pushes her into the ropes to throw knees to the body while kneeling. They’re broken up and Naito flurries with punches to Oya’s face until they clinch up. Both women trade knees. Oya hits a takedown and lands three hammerfists to the body at the bell.

Round 2:
Naito misses a high kick that takes her off of her feet, giving Oya a moment to drop hammerfists to the body from side control. Naito quickly recovers to reverse her way into Oya’s guard. Oya desperately tries to sweep or set up an armbar, but Naito proves to be defensively sound. Referee Matsumiya breaks them up. Naito again lands a rapid-fire succession of punches to Oya’s face. Oya drops levels and drives for a takedown, putting Naito on her posterior against the ropes.

A very quick magnitude 3 tremor shakes the venue, prompting uneasy laughter from the crowd. Neither woman seems to notice the seismic disturbance. Matsumiya breaks them up again and Oya quickly gets a takedown, then moves to mount. She drops punches to the body, looking for a submission to set up. She can’t find one and, before long, Naito is squirming out from under her while looking for leg locks. Oya tries to stack her opponent to stall the attempt and drops body punches. Both women get to their feet right at the bell.

Judge Kenichi Serizawa scores the bout in favour of Naito. Judges Akira Yamazaki and Moritaka Oshiro score the fight in favour of the winner by Split Decision, Yuko Oya.

Winner: Yuko Oya by Split Decision after two 5:00 rounds. She improves to 6-2-0.

 

54kg Jewels Official Rules – 2×5

Rina Tomita vs Anna Saito

Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Moritaka Oshiro. Tomita uses her long reach to land jabs and right hands, but at a somewhat ponderous pace. Saito careens into her for a takedown and falls into a triangle choke. Saito slips out and, back on the feet, she finds herself having to fight out of a guillotine. Saito is swinging for the fences here and actually connects, but only because Tomita has less defensive standup skill than she has submission savvy.

Saito takes Tomita down, but can’t keep the AACC product in the judo press; eventually giving Tomita her back. Tomita threatens with a rear-naked choke and occasional punches to the body. Saito spins into Tomita’s guard at the three minute mark, just as referee Oshiro calls for a break. On the feet, Saito lands a few more punches before getting a takedown and falling into an armbar. Tomita gets the technical submission win.

Winner: Rina Tomita by Technical Submission (Armbar) at 4:24 of round one. She improves to 4-5-0.

 

46kg Jewels Under-15 Amateur Kickboxing Semi-Final – 2×2

“Muay Thai Genius” Saya Ito vs Ryoka Yasuoka

Round 1:
Ito uses a long jab-body kick combo to potshot Yasuoka at range. She does not defend the many punches that connect to her face, however, though this seems more due to a disregard of her opponent’s power and ability than a flaw in her skills. This is evidenced by a teep to Yasuoka’s face that Yasuoka attempts to copy, but gets embarrassingly caught and tripped up for as a result.

Round 2:
Yasuoka appears to be frustrated; whiffing spinning back fists and getting countered as a result. She drops her hands and tries to brawl, and as Ito has her hands down too, she lands some shots. However, Ito is the far superior and consistent striker, banging up Yasuoka with more kicks to the body and jabs to the face. The bout ends with both women falling to the canvas in the clinch as Yasuoka tries desperately to do something.

All three judges scored the bout in favour of Ito, who earns her 59th win at the young age of 12 and advances on to the kickboxing tournament final in December.

Winner: Saya Ito by Unanimous Decision (20-18, 20-18, 20-19) after two 2:00 rounds. She advances on to the finals of the Jewels Under-15 Amateur Kickboxing Tournament.

 

46kg Jewels Under-15 Amateur Kickboxing Semi-Final – 2×2

Chihiro Imoto vs Miiri Sasaki

Round 1:
Imoto and Sasaki get right down to banging it out toe to toe. It’s a very even first round with Imoto landing nice right straight counters while Sasaki finds her edge in knees before their clinches are broken up.

Round 2:
Sasaki starts varying things up with hard low kicks and kicks to the body while Imoto throws in some nice hooks to the face and body. Be that as it may, Sasaki’s kick barrage is far more frequent than Imoto’s hard punches.

All three judges ruled the bout in favour of Imoto, who advances on to the kickboxing tournament final in December.

Winner: Chihiro Imoto by Unanimous Decision (20-19, 20-19, 20-19) after two 2:00 rounds. She advances on to the finals of the Jewels Under-15 Amateur Kickboxing Tournament.

 

48kg Jewels Amateur MMA Rules – 1×4

Tamaki Usui vs Nana “Chanchin” Ichikawa

Round 1:
Ichikawa attempts takedowns half-heartedly. As it’s not hard to defend against them, Usui doesn’t need to do much to keep the fight standing. Ichikawa swings with reckless abandon, but slips eventually and gives up mount. Usui looks for a top-side triangle choke but finds it infeasible with the shinpads that she’s wearing. Thus, she transitions to an armbar and gets the tap at 2:01.

Winner: Tamaki Usui by Submission (Armbar) at 2:01 of round one.