Following her participation on Road To UFC earlier this year, Deep Jewels Strawweight Champion Machi Fukuda is set to defend her title on December 13th at Deep: “135 Impact” in Tokyo, Japan. Fukuda faces undefeated challenger Nonoka Sakamoto in a bout that was officially announced today.

Fukuda won the Deep Jewels title in September 2025 when she defeated rival Si Woo Park in a closely-contested rematch, and she competed twice on this season of Road To UFC. Sakamoto has secured finishes in two of her three wins, and she most recently defeated So Yul Kim in May.

Fukuda (11-3-0) bounced back from her Split Decision loss to Park in May 2024 by winning her next seven fights, including five inside the distance. She captured the title from Park in their rematch and fought one more time for Deep Jewels before entering Road To UFC Season 5 with a second-round TKO victory in May. However, her run in the tournament ended in the semi-final round when she dropped a narrow decision to Chinese veteran Bo Meng. Hoping to get back on the UFC’s radar, Fukuda seeks to make her first successful Deep Jewels title defence in December.

Sakamoto (3-0-0, 1 NC) gives up a significant experience advantage to her opponent, but she has performed well in her short career thus far and the lone blemish on her record – an April 2025 No Contest – came as a result of Sakamoto’s inability to make the 110-pound weight limit for her fight with Mayumi Ono. After defeating Kim in May, Sakamoto was matched up against former Pancrase champ Honoka Shigeta this past month at Deep Jewels 54, but her fight was cancelled when Shigeta botched her weight cut. The December title clash with Fukuda is a big step up for Sakamoto, but she is one of few contenders who can challenge the champion.

Deep: “135 Impact” takes place on December 13th at New Pier Hall in Tokyo, Japan.