Deep Jewels showcased its 21st all-female fight card tonight at Shinjuku FACE in Tokyo, Japan. Deep Jewels 21 was headlined by an atomweight contender’s bout between Deep Jewels mainstay Tomo Maesawa and South Korean rising star Jeong Eun Park, who looked for another key win.
In the flyweight co-feature, Satsuki “Komachi Karate” Kodama met Hikari Sato. Long-time strawweight contender Mika “Future Princess” Nagano looked to get back on the winning track when she battled 17-year veteran “Jet” Izumi Noguchi. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for the card.
Atomweight Bout – 3×5
Tomo Maesawa vs Jeong Eun Park
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Naoya Uematsu. Maesawa moves back and forth continuously while throwing left hooks and right kicks to the body. She briefly throws Park to the mat and takes her down for a second time with a double-leg takedown. Park counters with a guillotine choke, but Maesawa pushes Park’s back down against the mat and this renders Park’s choke ineffective. The referee stands the fighters up and Maesawa lands leg kicks. Her varied strikes and quick movement keep her ahead in the striking exchanges as the round ends.
Round 2:
Maesawa sets up a takedown in the second round with jab-kick combos. She takes top position on the ground and lands punches to the body from full guard. Maesawa passes to half-guard and uses an arm-triangle choke to set up a move to mount. Park defends and Maesawa lands punches to the side of her head. Park stands up and Maesawa takes her back down with a harai goshi. Park returns to her feet once more and Maesawa tags her with a series of left and right hooks while pressing forward.
Round 3:
The final round begins with Maesawa scoring a single-leg takedown. Park attempts a guillotine choke, but Maesawa easily escapes and she punishes Park with ground and pound. Maesawa lands elbows from half-guard and threatens with another arm-triangle choke. Park prevents her from moving to mount, but Maesawa lands more elbows. Park bucks and tries to escape, but Maesawa maintains top position until the end of the fight.
Judge Tazawa scores the fight 30-27, while judges Fukuda and Toyonaga both have it 29-28. All three score the bout in favour of the winner by Unanimous Decision, Maesawa.
Winner: Tomo Maesawa by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) after three 5:00 rounds. She improves to 11-8-0.
Flyweight Bout – 2×5
Satsuki “Komachi Karate” Kodama vs Hikari Sato
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Minoru Toyonaga. Sato begins the fight with a two-point deduction due to missing weight by 2.1kg (4.6 pounds). Both fighters struggle to find their range with punches that miss the mark early on. Sato looks for a single-leg takedown and Kodama sprawls. She lands a right hook that stuns Sato and Kodama follows with more punches. Sato turtles up and grabs on to Kodama’s hand to limit the damage. She takes Sato down and briefly lands ground and pound, but Kodama kicks her off and stands back up.
Round 2:
Sato shoots in for an early single-leg and Kodama stuffs it. She lands a big right hook and Sato turns away. Kodama chases after her and lands left and right hooks until the referee steps in to wave off the fight.
Winner: Satsuki Kodama by TKO (Punches) at 1:41 of round two. She improves to 1-2-0.
Strawweight Bout – 2×5
Mika “Future Princess” Nagano vs “Jet” Izumi Noguchi
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Minoru Toyonaga. The fighters circle to the left and Noguchi lands a right hook. She follows with more punches while backing Nagano up against the ropes, but Nagano clinches to avoid further damage. A stalemate follows in the corner and the referee calls for a break. After the restart, Nagano secures a single-leg takedown into mount. Noguchi gives up her back and Nagano locks on a slick armbar from back control, forcing Noguchi to hastily submit.
Winner: Mika Nagano by Submission (Armbar) at 4:02 of round one. She improves to 16-10-0.
55kg Bout – 2×5
Yukari Nabe vs Yuko “Amiba” Oya
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Naoya Uematsu. Nabe wastes no time in taking Oya down into back control, where she looks for a rear-naked choke. Oya defends and rolls, but Nabe maintains top position in mount. Oya gives up her back and Nabe tries again for a rear-naked choke. Oya continues to roll to defend, but she is quickly mounted again. Nabe eventually attempts an arm-triangle choke, which leads to a scramble and Oya finally takes top position. Nabe counters with an armbar before the bell.
Round 2:
The fighters trade hooks to begin round two and Nabe lands a nice right hand. She shoots in for a double-leg takedown and Oya sprawls. Nabe lands another right hook and shoots in again, but Oya stuffs her takedown attempt and gets caught up in the ropes. The referee restarts the fight on the feet and Nabe scores a takedown. She mounts Oya and works for an arm-triangle choke. Oya defends and Nabe closes out the fight with punches from side control.
Judges Uchida, Toyonaga and Tazawa all score the fight 20-18 for the winner by Unanimous Decision, Nabe.
Winner: Yukari Nabe by Unanimous Decision (20-18, 20-18, 20-18) after two 5:00 rounds. She improves to 4-3-1.
Atomweight Bout – 2×5
Yuko Kiryu vs Nanaka “Nijika” Kawamura
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Masato Fukuda. Kiryu quickly clinches in search of a double-leg takedown and Kawamura sprawls. Kiryu switches to a single-leg, but she cannot get Kawamura down. Both women land left hooks in an exchange. Kawamura follows with a right hook to the body and a knee before the fighters separate. Kiryu takes Kawamura down and immediately transitions to back control. She secures a rear-naked choke and Kawamura taps out.
Winner: Yuko Kiryu by Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) at 3:23 of round one. She improves to 7-6-0.
Atomweight Bout – 2×5
Hikaru Aono vs Mika “Arami” Arai
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Minoru Toyonaga. Arai begins the fight with a two-point deduction due to missing weight by 1kg (2.2 pounds). Aono opens the action with a double-leg takedown. Arai tries scramble back up to her feet, but Aono throws her down with a harai goshi. Arai immediately stands up and works for a single-leg takedown, but Aono sprawls. Arai attempts a harai goshi into top position, but Aono bridges and reverses. Arai hunts for an armbar, but Aono defends and passes to side control. Arai stands and Aono takes her down.
Round 2:
Aono lands a left hook and attacks with a harai goshi throw attempt in round two, but the fighters remain on their feet. Arai tackles Aono to the mat and moves from side control to mount. Aono gives up her back and Arai looks for a rear-naked choke. Aono tries to scramble free, but she cannot. Arai lands hammerfists and then aims for a rear-naked choke before the bell.
Judges Uematsu, Tazawa and Fukuda all score the fight 19-17 for the winner by Unanimous Decision, Aono.
Winner: Hikaru Aono by Unanimous Decision (19-17, 19-17, 19-17) after two 5:00 rounds. She improves to 3-1-0.
Atomweight Bout – 2×5
Emi Sato vs Mizuki Furuse
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Masato Fukuda. Sato looks to brawl early on, but Furuse clinches and takes her down. Sato counters with a kimura from the bottom. She wrenches back on Furuse’s arm and the referee intervenes for a quick technicial submission stoppage.
Winner: Emi Sato by Technical Submission (Kimura) at 1:09 of round one. She improves to 4-2-0.
44kg Bout – 2×5
Madoka “Madeline” Ishibashi vs Ai Takei
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Masato Fukuda. Takei lands a left high kick and Ishibashi responds with a waist-tackle takedown. Takei rolls and tries to reverse, but Ishibashi secures top position. Takei remains active off of her back and attempts a triangle choke, but it is not close. Ishibashi moves to side control and then to mount, where she drops ground and pound. Takei gives up her back and Ishibashi locks on a rear-naked choke. Takei tries to flip her off, but she cannot escape and taps out.
Winner: Madoka Ishibashi by Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) at 4:30 of round one. She improves to 1-3-0.
Strawweight Bout – 2×5
Sayuri Yamaguchi vs Mao
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Naoya Uematsu. Both fighters circle to the left. Mao clinches after landing jabs and the fighters trade right hooks. Yamaguchi secures a leg-sweep takedown, but Mao takes top position. Yamaguchi scrambles and winds up on top. Mao gives up her back and Yamaguchi works for a rear-naked choke. She lands hammerfists and tries for a choke again, but Mao stands up. Yamaguchi tackles her from the back before the bell.
Round 2:
Yamaguchi opens round two with a right hook and a body kick. Mao catches the kick and takes Yamaguchi down, but Yamaguchi initiates another scramble and takes top position. Mao immediately stands up, but Yamaguchi uses a waist tackle to get her down again. She attempts a rear-naked choke and Mao tries to flip her off. She rolls to the side in an effort to get Yamaguchi off, but Yamaguchi mounts her late in the round.
Judges Tazawa, Fukuda and Toyonaga all score the fight 20-18 for the winner by Unanimous Decision, Yamaguchi.
Winner: Sayuri Yamaguchi by Unanimous Decision (20-18, 20-18, 20-18) after two 5:00 rounds. She improves to 1-3-0.