Deep Jewels held its seventh all-female event today at Shinjuku FACE in Tokyo, Japan. The abbreviated Deep Jewels 7 fight card featured all four quarterfinal bouts in the inaugural Deep Jewels Featherweight Grand Prix, which will ultimately crown a new 48-kilogram (105.6-pound) champion.

In grand prix action, Miyoko Kusaka took on “V.V” Mei Yamaguchi, Mina Kurobe battled Emi Tomimatsu, Masako Yoshida faced Satomi “Sarami” Takano, and Yukiko Seki met Tomo Maesawa. The event also featured tag-team grappling. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for the card.

 

48kg Deep Jewels Featherweight Grand Prix Quarterfinal #4 – 2×5

“V.V” Mei Yamaguchi vs Miyoko Kusaka

Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Kenichi Serizawa. Yamaguchi moves foward in the opening seconds and throws left-right combinations. She clinches soon after and lands a brutal knee to the body that drops Kusaka like a rock. The fight is immediately waved off and Kusaka remains down for several minutes.

Winner: Mei Yamaguchi by KO (Knee To The Body) at 0:44 of round one. She improves to 13-8-1.

 

48kg Deep Jewels Featherweight Grand Prix Quarterfinal #3 – 2×5

Mina Kurobe vs Emi Tomimatsu

Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Kenichi Serizawa. Both fighters keep their distance early on and Tomimatsu lands left jabs and right straights. Kurobe counters with front kicks and shoots in for a takedown, but Tomimatsu sprawls. She attempts a single-leg takedown of her own, then tries to trip Kurobe by sweeping her leg. Kurobe locks on a standing guillotine choke, but Tomimatsu takes her down in the process and escapes. The fighters stand and both land punches. Kurobe blocks Tomimatsu’s jabs and right hands, and she lands a straight right before the bell.

Round 2:
Following an exchange of punches, Tomimatsu attempts a single-leg in round two and Kurobe sprawls. She quickly presses forward with a left-right combination and overpowers Tomimatsu’s counterstrikes. Kurobe closes in and clinches, but Tomimatsu pushes her off. Kurobe remains aggressive and she clinches again. Tomimatsu creates space and breaks free, but Kurobe scores with a left-right combo late in the excellent fight.

Judge Akira Yamazaki scores the close bout for Tomimatsu, while judges Masato Fukuda and Yoshinori Umeki both have it for the winner by Split Decision, Kurobe.

Winner: Mina Kurobe by Split Decision after two rounds. She improves to 5-0-0.

 

48kg Deep Jewels Featherweight Grand Prix Quarterfinal #2 – 2×5

Satomi “Sarami” Takano vs Masako Yoshida

Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Yoshinori Umeki. Takano knocks Yoshida down with an early push kick and follows with left-right combinations when Yoshida stands, but the punches come up short. After another combination from Takano, she clinches and attempts a kosoto gari throw, but both fighters fall through the ropes. Back in the ring, Takano counters Yoshida’s strikes with right crosses. She uses step-in right hands and takes control of the striking battles as the bell rings.

Round 2:
Takano opens round two with a combination and works for leg-trip takedowns from the clinch. She is unable to throw Yoshida, who uses front kicks to keep her distance. Takano clinches again and secures a leg-trip kouchi gari takedown. She works for a rear-naked choke, but can’t get it. Yoshida stands and Takano quickly takes her back down with another kouchi gari. She remains on top until time expires.

Judges Kenichi Serizawa, Akira Yamazaki and Masato Fukuda all score the fight for the winner by Unanimous Decision, Takano.

Winner: Satomi Takano by Unanimous Decision after two rounds. She improves to 5-5-0.

 

48kg Deep Jewels Featherweight Grand Prix Quarterfinal #1 – 2×5

Tomo Maesawa vs Yukiko Seki

Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Masato Fukuda. Seki tries to brawl early on, but Maesawa presses foward and clinches. She takes Seki down with a harai goshi and moves to back control. Seki shakes her off and the fighters stand up. Both brawl, but Maesawa lands the better shots to the face. They clinch again and Maesawa attempts another harai goshi, but can’t get it. She lands more hard punches and a body kick. Seki’s face becomes red and the bell rings.

Round 2:
Both fighters continue to brawl in round two and Maesawa’s hit rate is much higher. Seki becomes a punching bag but never stops trying for a knockout blow. Maesawa lands some nice kicks as Seki tries to move foward. Maesawa eventually changes tactics and uses clinches and counter jabs to preserve stamina.

Judges Yoshinori Umeki, Kenichi Serizawa and Akira Yamazaki all score the fight for the winner by Unanimous Decision, Maesawa.

Winner: Tomo Maesawa by Unanimous Decision after two rounds. She improves to 5-4-0.

 

Tag-Team Grappling Match

Emi “Kamikaze Angel” Fujino & Sachiko Fujimori vs Ayaka Hamasaki & Yuko “Amiba” Oya

Round 1:
Referee for this match is Akira Yamazaki. Hamasaki takes top position against Fujimori and attempts a kimura and an armbar. She switches back to a kimura and Fujimori taps at the 47-second mark. A team must secure three submissions to finish the bout, so the match continues.

Oya and Fujino enter now and Oya grabs Fujino, but Fujino takes top position on the mat. Oya attempts a triangle choke, but it is not close. Fujino tags in Fujimori and Oya secures top position on her, but Fujimori attacks with an armbar. It’s close, but Oya escapes by tagging in Hamasaki. Fujimori immediately tags in Fujino.

Hamasaki scores a single-leg takedown and mounts Fujino, but the action is close to Fujino’s corner and she tags in Fujimori, who traps Hamasaki in an arm-triangle choke. Hamasaki tags in Oya and Fujimori tries for another arm-triangle. Oya escapes into an armbar attempt. Late in the match, Hamasaki and Fujino tag in. Hamasaki takes Fujino down and Fujino tries for a guillotine choke.

At the end of ten minutes, Hamasaki’s early submission proves to be the difference maker and Team AACC takes the narrow points victory.

Winners: Ayaka Hamasaki & Yuko Oya by Points (1-0) after one 10:00 round.