Strikeforce showcased two title fights on its final card of 2011 tonight at the Valley View Casino Center in San Diego, California. Strikeforce: “Melendez vs Masvidal” was headlined by a Strikeforce Lightweight Championship bout between Gilbert “El Niño” Melendez and Jorge “Gamebred” Masvidal.
In the night’s co-main event, Strikeforce Women’s Featherweight Champion Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos returned to action for the first time in 18 months to defend her title against Japanese standout Hiroko “Cat’s Eye” Yamanaka. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for tonight’s Strikeforce main card.
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Jewels Lightweight Queen Champion Ayaka Hamasaki made a successful defence of her title in the main event of Jewels: “17th Ring” tonight in Tokyo, Japan. Hamasaki defeated rival Seo Hee Ham after Ham was unable to continue following round one. The bout was a rematch from one year ago.
Elsewhere, Naho “Sugi Rock” Sugiyama kept her unbeaten record intact by winning twice in one night to become the first Jewels Featherweight Queen Champion. Sugiyama edged past fellow prospect Kikuyo Ishikawa in the semi-finals and finished Misaki Takimoto with an armbar to claim the title.
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Leading all-female promotion Jewels showcased a pair of title fights on its year-end card today at Shinjuku FACE in Tokyo, Japan. Jewels: “17th Ring” featured a Jewels Lightweight Queen Championship rematch between current champion Ayaka Hamasaki and South Korea’s Seo Hee Ham.
The semi-finals and final of the Jewels Featherweight Queen Grand Prix also took place on tonight’s card. Naho “Sugi Rock” Sugiyama faced Kikuyo Ishikawa, while Misaki Takimoto took on Yukiko Seki. The winners then met in the tournament final. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for the card.
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A four-woman tournament to crown a Cage Warriors Fighting Championship 125-pound women’s champion will begin on April 15, 2012 in Amman, Jordan. Cage Warriors officials confirmed the news with MMARising.com today and three of the four participants have already been determined.
Top UK star Rosi “The Surgeon” Sexton, who captured a 132-pound title in the promotion early in her career, will look for her second CWFC belt in the tournament. Sexton joins Irish standout Aisling “Ais The Bash” Daly and fast-rising prospect Sheila “The German Tank” Gaff as confirmed entrants.
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All main card fighters successfully made weight earlier today for Saturday’s Jewels: “17th Ring” card in Tokyo, Japan. The event features a Jewels Lightweight Queen Championship rematch between Ayaka Hamasaki and Seo Hee Ham, which will be contested over three, five-minute rounds.
A second champion will also be determined when the Jewels Featherweight Queen Grand Prix concludes on the card. Unbeaten prospect Naho “Sugi Rock” Sugiyama faces rising star Kikuyo Ishikawa in one semi-final, while Misaki Takimoto clashes with fellow veteran Yukiko Seki in the other.
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Bushido FC women’s champion Yana “Foxy” Kunitskaya returns to action on February 11, 2012. The talented striker battles taekwondo and kickboxing champ Ekaterina Saraykina at Verdict Fighting Championship 1 in Moscow, Russia. Kunitskaya discussed the bout with MMARising.com today.
Kunitskaya has maintained an active schedule in both MMA and kickboxing dating back to her pro MMA debut in 2009. The 22-year-old has knocked out three straight opponents since her lone defeat last year. Saraykina makes her pro debut in the fight, but has considerable experience as an amateur.
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Spokane, Washington native Julianna “The Venezuelan Vixen” Peña kept her unbeaten record intact tonight in front of a partisan hometown crowd. Peña submitted Canadian Rachael Swatez with a second-round guillotine choke at Conquest of the Cage in the nearby suburb of Airway Heights.
The road back to the cage was not an easy one for Peña, who endured a pair of serious knee injuries that kept her out of action for two full years. The 22-year-old has now won all three of her pro fights by stoppage and became the first woman to finish Swatez in seven career bouts with tonight’s win.
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Pro wrestling convert Kyoko Kimura returns to the Pancrase ring to face veteran Mizuho Sato at Pancrase Progress Tour 1 on January 28, 2012 in Tokyo, Japan. Kimura won her MMA debut last month and will move up in weight to face Sato. The women’s bout was officially announced today.
Kimura, famous for taking part in violent pro wrestling “deathmatches” in Japan, challenged MMA pioneer Megumi Yabushita in November and upset the veteran via doctor stoppage after round one. Sato campaigned in the Valkyrie open-weight title tournament last year, but fell short in the finals.
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