Former Jewels star Shizuka Sugiyama will make her DEEP debut on July 20th at DEEP: “Tokyo Impact – Lightweight GP 2013 Semifinal” in Tokyo, Japan. Sugiyama faces journeywoman Chisa Yonezawa in a featured bout on the card. The promotion officially announced the fight earlier today.

Sugiyama has won three straight fights since she returned to the Jewels ring in July. She most recently earned a 61-second TKO victory over South Korean striker Sung Eun Kim at Jewels: “23rd Ring” in March. Yonezawa is coming off of a Unanimous Decision win in a March kickboxing match.

Sugiyama (9-3-0) became one of the faces of the Jewels promotion shortly after its inception in 2008. The popular karateka won five straight fights before she suffered her first loss at the hands of German prospect Alexandra Buch. In 2011, Sugiyama travelled to Australia to learn jiu-jitsu in order to improve her overall MMA game. She has won all three of her fights since returning to Japan. In her bout with Kim, Sugiyama showcased her improved ground game by trapping Kim in an omoplata and battering her South Korean foe with punches for the TKO stoppage.

Yonezawa (1-5-0) enters the bout with Sugiyama as a clear underdog and she has not fought in MMA since 2011. She has faced high-level opponents throughout her career, however, and put on a strong showing in her first fight by taking former Strikeforce title challenger Roxanne “The Happy Warrior” Modafferi to a three-round decision. On March 31st, Yonezawa earned a Unanimous Decision win for the Chakuriki kickboxing promotion. Like Sugiyama, Yonezawa also makes her DEEP MMA debut on next month’s card as female fighters begin to transition from Jewels to DEEP.

DEEP: “Tokyo Impact – Lightweight GP 2013 Semifinal” takes place on July 20th at Shinjuku FACE in Tokyo, Japan.

(Photo Credit: Jewels blog)