Confirming weeks of rumours, DEEP Women’s Lightweight (106-Pound) Champion Miku “Supernova” Matsumoto announced her abrupt retirement tonight at DEEP: “46th Impact” at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan. The pound-for-pound phenom did not provide a reason for her sudden departure from the sport, but stated plans to engage in one final exhibition match.
Sources have indicated to MMARising.com that Matsumoto’s retirement may have come as a result of domestic or personal issues, thought to be quite serious in nature, but this has not yet been confirmed.
Strikeforce crowned its second women’s champion tonight at Strikeforce Challengers 6 when undefeated Canadian Sarah Kaufman defeated Japanese standout Takayo Hashi for the Strikeforce Women’s Welterweight (135-Pound) Championship. The title fight headlined tonight’s event.
A pair of hard-hitting heavyweight bouts are currently in the works for the UFC’s first trip to British Columbia in June. Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipović has verbally agreed to face fellow former K-1 star Pat “HD” Barry, while Gilbert “The Hurricane” Yvel has agreed to battle former IFL standout “Big” Ben Rothwell on the UFC 115 card.
Despite the loss of top-ranked heavyweight “The Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko from the card, Strikeforce’s April event will still air on CBS. MMAWeekly.com is reporting that the CBS event will go ahead as planned and will be headlined by a Strikeforce Middleweight Championship bout between Jake Shields and Dan “Hendo” Henderson.
A Strikeforce bout between WAMMA Unified Heavyweight Champion “The Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko and Fabricio Werdum has been pushed back until May. The fight was originally planned for an April Strikeforce card on CBS, but M-1 officials stated today that that will no longer take place.
The women will once again take centre stage this Friday at Strikeforce Challengers 6. The promotion confirmed earlier today that the Strikeforce Women’s Welterweight (135-Pound) Championship bout between Sarah Kaufman and Takayo Hashi will now serve as the night’s main event.
Japanese standout Takayo Hashi will compete in her biggest fight to date this Friday when she makes her Strikeforce debut against undefeated Canadian Sarah Kaufman at Strikeforce Challengers 6. Hashi will compete for the first Strikeforce Women’s Welterweight (135-Pound) Championship live on Showtime and Super Channel.
The Ultimate Fighting Championship entered the Acer Arena in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia tonight for UFC 110: “Nogueira vs Velasquez.” The debut Australian event was headlined by a heavyweight clash between former PRIDE and UFC Interim Heavyweight Champion Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira and the still-undefeated Cain Velasquez.