Four More Bouts Set For May 14th Jewels DoubleheaderLeading all-female promotion Jewels has announced four additional fights for its May 14th doubleheader of events. In MMA bouts at “13th Ring” in the afternoon, Yukiko Seki will take on Yuka Okumura in a 48kg matchup, while Sadae “Manhoef” Suzumura squares off with Anna Saito at 53kg.

The promotion also revealed two grappling matches for the evening portion of the all-day fundraising festival at “14th Ring.” Jewels Lightweight Queen Champion Ayaka Hamasaki will face Saori “Shooting Star” Ishioka in one grappling match, while Ricaco Yuasa faces Kazue Matake in the other.

Seki (7-20-0) and Okumura (1-6-0) sport records that leave a lot to be desired, but both fighters have faced elite opposition throughout their careers. After losing ten straight fights against mostly past and present champions, Seki had an excellent second half to 2010 and was arguably robbed of the 2010 Rough Stone Grand Prix Championship at 48kg. In a razor-thin tournament final bout at “11th Ring” in December, Seki was narrowly edged out by Kikuyo Ishikawa in a fight that she appeared to have won. Okumura will be competing in MMA for the first time in over three and a half years, dating back to a September 2007 submission loss to Valkyrie Flyweight Champion Yasuko “Ikuko” Tamada.

Suzumura (0-0-1) had been scheduled to make her Jewels debut against Rina Tomita at “12th Ring” in March, but the event was cancelled after the massive earthquake and tsunami disasters in Japan. She will now face Saito (1-6-0) instead, in a bout that will be Suzumura’s first in over 18 months. Saito, much like Seki and Okumura in the other announced bout, has faced tough competition throughout her career, but has not won a fight in four years. She last faced Jewels Lightweight Queen tournament finalist Seo Hee Ham in a losing effort in March. Suzumura’s lone MMA bout ended in a two-round Draw.

Both of the announced grappling matches will be contested using one four-minute round. Hamasaki’s title will not be on the line against Ishioka, though an upset win for Ishioka in the grappling competition may set up a rematch under MMA rules. Yuasa will represent Jewels in her bout with Matake, who will compete on behalf of Valkyrie in the “Jewels vs Valkyrie” contest. Yuasa will enter as a significant favourite, but Matake has won all three of her MMA fights by submission.

 

Jewels: 13th Ring and 14th Ring will both take place on May 14th at Shin-Kiba 1st Ring in Tokyo. The events will together be part of an all-day festival to raise money for relief and reconstruction in Japan after the country was struck by a devastating earthquake and tsunami.

 

Jewels: 13th Ring Fight Card (to date; subject to change):

– Bolormaa “Esui” Erdenebileg vs Chisa Yonezawa [61kg Jewels Special Rules MMA Bout]
– Asami Higa vs Megumi Morioka [50kg Jewels Official Rules MMA Bout]
– Yukiko Seki vs Yuka Okumura [48kg Jewels Official Rules MMA Bout]
– Sadae “Manhoef” Suzumura vs Anna Saito [53kg Jewels Official Rules MMA Bout]
– Kozue “Azuma” Nagashima vs Yukimi Kamikaze [57.15kg Kickboxing Bout]
– Miku Hayashi vs Rio Kamikaze [53.52kg Kickboxing Bout]
– Madoka Okada vs Momoka [47kg Kickboxing Bout]

 

Jewels: 14th Ring Fight Card (to date; subject to change):

– Misaki Takimoto vs Naho “Sugi Rock” Sugiyama [48kg Jewels Special Rules MMA Bout]
– Mika “Future Princess” Nagano vs Emi Murata [54kg Jewels Official Rules MMA Bout]
– Miyoko Kusaka vs Sachiko “Sachi” Yamamoto [48kg Jewels Official Rules MMA Bout]
– Ayaka Hamasaki vs Saori “Shooting Star” Ishioka [52kg Non-Title Grappling Match]
– Ricaco Yuasa vs Kazue Matake [56.5kg Grappling Match]