Seven of the eight participants in the 2012 Shoot Boxing Girls S-Cup have now been named. Three-time Girls S-Cup competitor “V.V” Mei Yamaguchi and Muay Thai champ Namtarn Por Munagpetch are the latest additions to the August 25th tournament, which takes place in Tokyo, Japan.
Also confirmed for the card this week was a non-tournament bantamweight matchup between J-Girls and two-division M-1 kickboxing champion Seira Aragaki and Rio Kamikaze. Aragaki earned a decision victory at Jewels “20th Ring” in July. Kamikaze was defeated by Ai Takahashi in June.
Yamaguchi (5-3-0 SB) has competed in each of the three Girls S-Cup tournaments to date and has encountered varying levels of success. The final Valkyrie Featherweight Champion, who sports a 10-4-1 MMA record, advanced to the finals of the 2009 Girls S-Cup before falling to champion Rena Kubota. One year later, she returned to Shoot Boxing and made it to the semi-final round. In 2011, Yamaguchi had her most disappointing performance to date and was defeated by Mina in the opening round. She has made no secret in the past about her plans to win matches with high-arc throws to earn shoot points, rather than boxing with opponents who are often superior strikers.
Por Munagpetch (0-0-0 SB) is a newcomer to the Shoot Boxing scene in Japan. The 17-year-old is the reigning World Muaythai Council (WMC) Women’s Flyweight Champion and captured the Prince Cup tournament championship in January. Dubbed “Supernova Girl” by fans in her home country of Thailand, Por Munagpetch will unquestionably be one of the most skilled strikers in this year’s Girls S-Cup, but she will have to adapt to the rules of shoot boxing. Shoot points for throws and catch points for standing submission attempts factor heavily into the scoring of shoot boxing matches.
In one of two non-tournament bantamweight bouts on the card, Aragaki faces off against 53.5kg Girls S-Cup semi-finalist Kamikaze. Both fighters bring strong striking skills into the fight, but Aragaki has momentum on her side after her recent victory under the Jewels banner. Kamikaze was defeated by Ai Takahashi in the semi-finals of the inaugural 53.5kg Girls S-Cup. Another 53.5kg semi-finalist, Mina, will also compete in a non-tournament bantamweight bout on August 25th. Mina, who was defeated by Mizuki Inoue in April, will face an opponent to be determined.
The 2012 Shoot Boxing Girls S-Cup takes place on August 25th at Yamano Hall in the Yoyogi district of Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan.
2012 Shoot Boxing Girls S-Cup Participants (to date; subject to change):
– Rena Kubota
– “The Strongest Female High School Student” Erika Kamimura
– Seo Hee Ham
– Lorena “Lady Pitbull” Klijn
– Lena “Hunter” Ovchynnikova
– “V.V” Mei Yamaguchi
– Namtarn “Supernova Girl” Por Munagpetch
2012 Shoot Boxing JKS48 High School Girls’ Tournament Semi-Finalists (matchups TBD):
– Mio Tsumura
– Nako Otsuka
– Akari “Eneos” Nakamura
– Yusa Tachi
2012 Shoot Boxing 53.5 Girls S-Cup Final:
– Mizuki Inoue vs Ai Takahashi
Non-Tournament Bouts (53.5kg):
– Seira Aragaki vs Rio Kamikaze
– Mina vs TBD
Go Yamamoto contributed to this report.
(Photo Credit: GBRing.com)