Deep Jewels 5 Adds Five Fights, Shizuka Sugiyama Drops To 125Five more fights have now been added to next month’s Deep Jewels 5 card in Tokyo, Japan. The event is set to take place on August 9th and features the welterweight (125-pound) debut of top star Shizuka Sugiyama, who faces off against South Korean striker Hyo Kyung Song in a featured bout.

Deep Jewels officials confirmed the Sugiyama-Song fight earlier today along with four additional matchups. In MMA action, grappling ace Yuko “Amiba” Oya clashes with unbeaten prospect Sachiko Fujimori, and 42-fight veteran Masako Yoshida takes on undefeated submission specialist Mina Kurobe.

Sugiyama (11-4-1) has been one of Japan’s most popular female fighters since her pro MMA debut on the inaugural Jewels card in late 2008. She won her first five fights before encountering a rough patch that saw her lose three of four bouts against superior strikers. Sugiyama took a year off from fighting in order to develop her overall MMA game and returned with a vengeance in mid-2012. She won five of her next six fights to earn a shot at the inaugural Deep Jewels Middleweight Championship, but Sugiyama’s title hopes were dashed in May when she was stopped by Takayo Hashi at Deep Jewels 4.

Song (0-4-0) has thus far struggled in MMA and she will enter the 125-pound bout with Sugiyama as a significant underdog. Known more for her flashy entrances than her performances inside the ring, Song has suffered submission defeats in all four of her pro MMA bouts against skilled opponents including Yuka “Vale Tudo Queen” Tsuji, Mizuki Inoue and Emi “Kamikaze Angel” Fujino. Before she takes on Sugiyama, Song will first compete on July 26th when she battles Hazuki Kimura at Road FC 16.

 

Oya (7-3-0) and Fujimori (3-0-0) each bring strong grappling pedigrees into their 52kg lightweight bout. Oya took on some of the top talent on the Jewels roster during her time with the promotion, but she was unable to secure a key win in order to position herself for a title shot. She is undefeated under the Deep Jewels banner, however, and most recently submitted Mamiko Mizoguchi in February. Fujimori fought on each of the first three Deep Jewels cards and she has submitted two of her three opponents to date including Shiori Hori at Deep Jewels 3.

Yoshida (18-19-5) is one of the most experienced active female fighters in MMA today and she has battled a who’s who of the sport during a career that dates back to December 2003. Her most notable victories came against “Windy” Tomomi Sunaba, upcoming Invicta FC title challenger Yasuko “Ikuko” Tamada (twice) and reigning Deep Jewels Lightweight Champion Emi Tomimatsu. She has won two of her three fights for Deep Jewels. Kurobe secured back-to-back submission wins for Jewels and the talented grappler now returns to MMA in search of her biggest victory to date.

Rounding out today’s additions to the Deep Jewels 5 card is a pair of grappling matches. In one, Saori “Shooting Star” Ishioka (13-7-0 MMA) faces journeywoman Yukiko Seki (12-24-0 MMA).

Ishioka returned to action at Deep Jewels 4 in May following a two-year break to get married and start a family. She finished Satomi “Sarami” Takano with a first-round armbar in one of the most action-packed female bouts of the year. Seki put together an improbable streak that included six wins in an eight-fight span, but she has struggled in recent MMA bouts and now returns to grappling competition.

A second grappling match at Deep Jewels 5 pits newcomer Yoshiko Kimata against Sayuri Yamaguchi.

Deep Jewels 5 takes place on August 9th at Shinjuku FACE in Tokyo, Japan. The event is headlined by a rematch between Emi Tomimatsu and Mizuki Inoue for the Deep Jewels Lightweight Championship.

 

Deep Jewels 5 Fight Card (to date; subject to change):

– Emi Tomimatsu vs Mizuki Inoue [52kg Deep Jewels Lightweight Championship – 3×5]
– Ayaka Hamasaki vs Naho “Sugi Rock” Sugiyama [48kg Deep Jewels Official MMA Rules – 2×5]
– Shizuka Sugiyama vs Hyo Kyung Song [56.7kg Deep Jewels Official MMA Rules – 2×5]
– Yuko “Amiba” Oya vs Sachiko Fujimori [52kg Deep Jewels Official MMA Rules – 2×5]
– Masako Yoshida vs Mina Kurobe [48kg Deep Jewels Official MMA Rules – 2×5]
– Miyoko Kusaka vs Tamaki Usui [48kg Deep Jewels Official MMA Rules – 2×5]
– Saori “Shooting Star” Ishioka vs Yukiko Seki [48kg Deep Jewels Grappling Rules – 2×4]
– Yoshiko Kimata vs Sayuri Yamaguchi [48kg Deep Jewels Grappling Rules – 2×4]

 

 

(Photo Credit: Deep Jewels)