Four-time Shoot Boxing Girls S-Cup Champion Rena Kubota headlines the 2015 Shoot Boxing Girls S-Cup card on Friday night in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan. Kubota is set to face off against 17-year-old Muay Thai champ Jomkwan Sittongsak in a Shoot Boxing Women’s Flyweight Championship bout.

The 48kg Girls S-Cup tournament itself features eight of Japan’s top female shoot boxers, and the winner of the one-night competition must defeat three opponents in order to claim the title. Elsewhere on the card, Shoot Boxing star Ai Takahashi faces Kanako Taniyama in a much-anticipated rematch.

Kubota (30-5-1 SB/KB) broke her own record one year ago when she captured her fourth Girls S-Cup title with three impressive victories including a vicious knockout win over Thicha Rongrien Kila Korat in the S-Cup final. She capped off the year by defeating Isis “Fight Queen” Verbeek in a closely-contested bout on November 30th, and returned to kickboxing competition with a second-round stoppage win over Elli Maria Ekström in February. Having recently relocated to Tokyo, Kubota now takes her second shot at the Shoot Boxing women’s flyweight title, which she unsuccessfully challenged for in June 2011.

Sittongsak (40-11-1 KB) has developed a wealth of striking experience in her home country of Thailand, where she amassed a 16-fight unbeaten streak and holds a women’s flyweight title in Muay Thai. She travelled to Japan in June and earned a five-round decision win over WMC champ Rika Thongkraisaen. Sittongsak is renowned for her strong kicks and knees, but the talented teen will need to adapt to shoot boxing’s unique rules, which favour high-arc throws and standing submissions in addition to striking dominance. In her most recent fight two weeks ago, Sittongsak was upset by Sylvie von Duuglas-Ittu.

 

In one of four Girls S-Cup quarterfinal bouts, Akari “Union” Nakamura (13-6-1 SB/KB) clashes with Miho Matsuda (10-11-3 SB/KB). Nakamura is coming off of a big victory over J-Girls champion Momi Furuta under shoot boxing rules in May. Matsuda dropped a close decision to two-time Shoot Boxing JKS48 champion Mio Tsumura in February.

The aforementioned Momi Furuta (22-12-6 SB/KB) takes on J-Girls veteran Mari (3-6-2 KB). Furuta is the reigning J-Girls Mini Flyweight Champion, and one of the most talented female strikers in Japan, but she was upset by Akari Nakamura in their May shoot boxing match. Mari is coming off of a decision loss to J-Girls standout Chihiro Kira in June.

Deep Jewels champion and Girls S-Cup veteran “V.V” Mei Yamaguchi (8-6-0 SB) returns to the shoot boxing ring to face Michi Nakamura (3-5-0 SB/KB). Both fighters look to rebound from decision losses to 2014 48kg Shoot Boxing Japan Girls S-Cup Champion Yukari Yamaguchi. Mei was defeated by the teen star in the semi-finals of the 2014 tournament, while Michi was soundly outstruck for three rounds in a May kickboxing match.

Rounding out the Girls S-Cup quarterfinals, fan favourite Mio Tsumura (16-2-0 SB) looks to build upon her two JKS48 tournament victories by winning her first Girls S-Cup. She takes on J-Girls contender Emi Matsushita (10-6-1 KB) in the first tournament bout. Tsumura is one of the most popular fighters on the Shoot Boxing roster. She advanced to the finals of the 2014 48kg Shoot Boxing Japan Girls S-Cup before dropping a five-round Split Decision to Yukari Yamaguchi, but has since won three straight fights. Matsushita earned a one-sided decision win over Proof Date in May.

 

Friday’s Girls S-Cup card also features three non-tournament bouts. In one, former Shoot Boxing Japan Women’s Flyweight Champion Ai Takahashi (23-5-0 SB/KB), who defeated main event participant Rena Kubota for the title in June 2011, faces off against Kanako Taniyama (11-3-0 SB/KB) in a rematch from their action-packed bout in April. Takahashi rallied back from an early knockdown in round one and she controlled the final two rounds en route to a narrow decision victory over Taniyama in the pair’s first meeting. She followed that up by defeating Nori Date in June. In other non-tournament action, pro wrestling convert Miyuu Yamashita faces Yurika Jimbo, and Tomomi Souda takes on Maki Goto.

The 2015 Shoot Boxing Girls S-Cup takes place this Friday, August 21st, at Ōta-City General Gymnasium in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan.

 

51kg Shoot Boxing Women’s Flyweight Championship:

– Rena Kubota vs Jomkwan Sittongsak

 

2015 48kg Shoot Boxing Japan Girls S-Cup Final:

– Winner of Semi-Final A vs winner of Semi-Final B

 

Non-Tournament Bout (55.0kg):

– Ai Takahashi vs Kanako Taniyama

 

Non-Tournament Bout (54.0kg):

– Miyuu Yamashita vs Yurika Jimbo

 

2015 48kg Shoot Boxing Japan Girls S-Cup Semi-Final B:

– Winner of Quarterfinal #3 vs winner of Quarterfinal #4

 

2015 48kg Shoot Boxing Japan Girls S-Cup Semi-Final A:

– Winner of Quarterfinal #1 vs winner of Quarterfinal #2

 

Non-Tournament Bout (48.0kg):

– Tomomi Souda vs Maki Goto

 

2015 48kg Shoot Boxing Japan Girls S-Cup Quarterfinal #4:

– Akari “Union” Nakamura vs Miho Matsuda

 

2015 48kg Shoot Boxing Japan Girls S-Cup Quarterfinal #3:

– Momi Furuta vs Mari

 

2015 48kg Shoot Boxing Japan Girls S-Cup Quarterfinal #2:

– “V.V” Mei Yamaguchi vs Michi Nakamura

 

2015 48kg Shoot Boxing Japan Girls S-Cup Quarterfinal #1:

– Mio Tsumura vs Emi Matsushita

 

 

(Photo Credit: Shoot Boxing)