Deep Jewels showcased its 26th all-female fight card on Tuesday afternoon at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan. Deep Jewels 26 was headlined by a Deep Jewels Atomweight Championship rematch between defending champion Tomo Maesawa and top-ranked title challenger Emi Tomimatsu.
In the 63kg co-main event, Rin Nakai stepped in on one day’s notice to face Titapa “Diamond Rose The Rocket” Junsookplung after Junsookplung’s original opponent, “King” Reina Miura, missed weight by more than five pounds. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for the Deep Jewels 26 card.
Deep Jewels Atomweight Championship – 3×5
Tomo Maesawa vs Emi Tomimatsu
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Naoya Uematsu. Jabs and leg kicks were exchanged in the opening minute and Tomimatsu kept Maesawa on the defensive with forward pressure. Both fighters landed quick punches and Maesawa held Tomimatsu against the cage. Tomimatsu countered with knees to the body and face, and she prevented Maesawa from taking her down. Tomimatsu reversed the clinch and she threw short right hands while pinning Maesawa against the fence. In the final minute, Maesawa scored a slick takedown into back control and she tried for a rear-naked choke. Tomimatsu scrambled free and finished the round with punches to the body in a clinch.
Round 2:
Maesawa punched her way into a clinch and attempted a standing kimura in round two. Tomimatsu countered by taking her back and the fighters fell to the mat. Maesawa spun into top position and she mounted Tomimatsu within seconds. Tomimatsu could not shake her off and Maesawa landed elbows before transitioning to Tomimatsu’s back. In an ensuing scramble, Tomimatsu wound up on the bottom with Maesawa landing punches from the top in her guard. Maesawa avoided a triangle choke attempt and she landed more punches before passing to half-guard. The round ended with Maesawa landing more punches and Tomimatsu was slow to get up after the bell.
Round 3:
The final round began with Maesawa landing a flurry of punches that backed Tomimatsu up against the cage. She tripped Tomimatsu to a knee, but Tomimatsu returned to her feet. Maesawa kept her on the defensive with punches and this forced Tomimatsu to shoot in for a takedown. Maesawa stuffed it and punished her with hammerfists to the side of the head. Tomimatsu rolled to her back and Maesawa scored with elbows from side control. Tomimatsu scrambled and kicked Maesawa off, but Maesawa dropped back down into her guard. Tomimatsu attempted a triangle choke and Maesawa easily escaped. She took Tomimatsu’s back as Tomimatsu tried to stand against the cage. Maesawa landed punches and kept Tomimatsu pinned down until the end of the fight.
As this bout is a title fight, five judges are used to determine the outcome. Judges Fukuda and Igarashi score the bout 29-28, while judges Matsumiya, Toyonaga and Tazawa all have it 30-27 for the winner by Unanimous Decision, Maesawa.
Winner: Tomo Maesawa by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27, 29-28, 29-28) after three 5:00 rounds. She improves to 13-10-0 and remains the Deep Jewels Atomweight Champion.
63kg Bout – 3×5
Rin Nakai vs Titapa “Diamond Rose The Rocket” Junsookplung
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Masato Fukuda. The fighters circled cautiously and traded occasional strikes until Nakai caught a kick and landed a series of right hands. Junsookplung pulled her leg free and resumed striking from a distance. Nakai tripped her and quickly dove in with hammerfist strikes to the face from side control. Nakai attempted a kimura and then transitioned to an armbar on Junsookplung’s left arm. She wrenched back on the arm, but Junsookplung refused to submit. With the arm bent back at an awkward angle, the referee stepped in to stop the fight.
Winner: Rin Nakai by Technical Submission (Armbar) at 3:20 of round one. She improves to 22-2-1.
Flyweight Bout – 3×5
Kana Watanabe vs Hee Eun Kang
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Naoya Uematsu. Watanabe took Kang down almost immediately and she quickly passed to side control. Kang regained half-guard when Watanabe attempted to move to mount, but that did not slow down Watanabe’s offence and she landed punches from the top. Kang gave up her back and Watanabe landed more punches before locking on a rear-naked choke. Kang had nowhere to go and tapped out.
Winner: Kana Watanabe by Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) at 1:48 of round one. She improves to 8-0-1.
Atomweight Bout – 3×5
Suwanan “Amp The Rocket” Boonsorn vs Yoon Ha “Cage Vixen” Hong
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Minoru Toyonaga. Hong secured a trip takedown against the cage in the opening minute, but Boonsorn was active off of her back and she worked to set up a triangle choke. After pulling Hong down to the mat, Boonsorn switched from the triangle to a quick belly-down armbar that forced Hong to submit almost immediately.
Winner: Suwanan Boonsorn by Submission (Armbar) at 1:37 of round one. She improves to 4-2-0.
Flyweight Bout – 2×5
Yukari Nabe vs Kaewjai “The Rocket” Prachumwong
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Minoru Toyonaga. Nabe took Prachumwong down early in the fight and she wasted no time in moving to mount. She landed hammerfists while Prachumwong tried in vain to block from the bottom. Prachumwong rolled over, but Nabe soon took mount again and she resumed striking from the top with punches until the referee mercifully waved off the fight.
Winner: Yukari Nabe by TKO (Punches) at 3:15 of round one. She improves to 7-3-1.
Atomweight Bout – 2×5
Jeong Eun “Little Wolf” Park vs Emi Sato
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Masato Fukuda. Park took Sato down into half-guard in the opening minute and she quickly locked on an arm-triangle choke. Park passed to the side to tighten the choke, but Sato refused to submit. Park eventually took Sato’s back and worked for a rear-naked choke before flattening her out and landing a series of punches for the TKO stoppage.
Winner: Jeong Eun Park by TKO (Punches) at 2:36 of round one. She improves to 6-6-1.
49kg Bout – 2×5
Mizuki Furuse vs Pan “Kai” Hui
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Naoya Uematsu. Both women landed knees to the body in an early clinch against the cage. The referee eventually separated them following a lull in the action and Furuse scored with quick punches. Hui answered with two left hooks and she clinched soon after. Furuse reversed against the cage and landed knees before Hui put her back against the cage once more. The fighters were separated in the final minute and Hui countered a Furuse combination with another lead left hook. She punched her way into a clinch and Furuse countered with knees before the end of the round.
Round 2:
Hui pressed forward with flurries of punches in the second round. Furuse bloodied her nose with counterpunches and pinned Hui against the cage. Hui’s nose bled heavily as she tried to reverse the clinch. Hui eventually did so, and she landed knees to the body, but Furuse responded with knees of her own. After separating, Hui landed lunging punches and she clinched with Furuse once more. Both women landed punches in a brief exchange and Hui held Furuse against the fence. Late in the round, Hui landed a hard left hand and she blocked a Furuse head kick.
Judges Tazawa, Matsumiya and Toyonaga all scored the fight even at 19-19. For their Must Decisions, Matsumiya awarded the fight to Hui while Tazawa and Toyonaga both sided with Furuse.
Winner: Mizuki Furuse by Split Decision after two 5:00 rounds. She improves to 5-6-0.
49kg Bout – 2×5
Otoha Nagao vs Nanaka “Nijika” Kawamura
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Masato Fukuda. The fighters traded punches right after the fight started and Kawamura followed with knees to the body after clinching with Nagao against the cage. The referee called for a break, but the action returned to a clinch soon after and Kawamura once again pinned Nagao against the fence. Nagao reversed position and tried to take Kawamura down, but Kawamura countered with a flurry of punches that backed her up. After another relative stalemate in the clinch, the fighters were separated and Nagao badly rocked Kawamura with a head kick. Kawamura staggered back to her feet and Nagao swarmed on her with punches. Kawamura clinched and bought time to recover, but Nagao broke free and threw punches before the bell.
Round 2:
Kawamura was cautious in round two and Nagao used feints to keep her on the defensive. Kawamura eventually clinched and both women landed punches to the body until the referee separated them. Kawamura landed a nice right hand and she followed with another one that forced Nagao to circle away. With 90 seconds to go, Nagao clinched and Kawamura immediately reversed against the cage. Time was called after Nagao was kneed in the groin. Action eventually resumed and Kawamura took Nagao down after catching a kick. She stood over Nagao and dropped numerous punches until Nagao battled back to her feet in the final seconds.
Judges Tazawa, Matsumiya and Uematsu all scored the fight even at 19-19, but all three sided with Nagao as their Must Decision victor.
Winner: Otoha Nagao by Unanimous Decision after two 5:00 rounds. She improves to 2-1-0.
Minimumweight Bout – 2×5
Yasuko “Ikuko” Tamada vs Kotori Tamiya
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Minoru Toyonaga. Tamada punched her way into a clinch and took Tamiya down right away. She postured up and landed short hammerfists while trying to pass Tamiya’s guard. She eventually got to side control and Tamiya responded by trapping Tamada’s right arm between her legs. Tamada threw knees to the body and managed to free her hand. She got to a top-side crucifix and briefly landed punches before Tamiya trapped her arm again. Tamada freed herself once more and moved to mount, but Tamiya swept into top position. Tamada initiated a scramble and took Tamiya’s back, where she landed hammerfists to the sides of Tamiya’s head.
Round 2:
Tamada took Tamiya back down into side control to begin round two. Tamiya fought her way back to half-guard, but her offence from the bottom was limited to heel strikes to Tamada’s leg. Tamada returned to side control and she looked to set up a keylock on Tamiya’s right arm. Tamiya defended with more heel strikes. In the final 75 seconds, Tamiya regained full guard and the fighters traded hammerfist strikes. Tamada postured up and landed punches to Tamiya’s face and body before the end of the fight.
Judge Matsumiya scores the bout 20-17, while judges Wada and Tazawa both have it 20-18 for the winner by Unanimous Decision, Tamada.
Winner: Yasuko Tamada by Unanimous Decision (20-17, 20-18, 20-18) after two 5:00 rounds. She improves to 17-10-3.