Deep Jewels showcased its final event of the year on Wednesday afternoon at New Pier Hall in Tokyo, Japan. Deep Jewels 39 featured a bantamweight matchup between new Deep Jewels Featherweight Champion Yoko Higashi and Thailand’s Titapa “Diamond Rose The Rocket” Junsookplung.

In the 49kg super atomweight co-feature, former Deep Jewels Strawweight Champion Miki Motono battled recent atomweight title challenger Moeri Suda. Also on the card, Mikiko “Mikko Nirvana” Shimizu faced Nori in a flyweight bout. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for Deep Jewels 39.

 

Bantamweight Bout – 3×5

Yoko Higashi vs Titapa “Diamond Rose The Rocket” Junsookplung

Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Naoya Uematsu. Higashi lands a leg kick, then takes Junsookplung’s back and drags her down. Junsookplung holds on to Higashi’s arm to prevent her from punching. Higashi stands and kicks at Junsookplung’s legs. She re-enters Junsookplung’s guard and punches from the top, then moves to North-South position. Junsookplung is warned for landing an illegal upkick while Higashi is also grounded. The fight returns to the feet and Junsookplung lands a jab-cross combo. Higashi counters with a waist tackle.

Round 2:
Junsookplung sprawls to defend against a double-leg takedown attempt from Higashi, who switches to a single-leg and then a harai goshi throw. She moves to a top-side crucifix and punches Junsookplung’s face. Junsookplung throws up her legs to try to scissor Higashi’s neck, but she is unable to do so. Higashi attempts a keylock and Junsookplung escapes, so Higashi goes back to punching her in the face until the round ends.

Round 3:
Junsookplung lands a right hook, but Higashi takes her down and moves from half-guard to side control. She then works her way back to the top-side crucifix and traps both of Junsookplung’s arms. Higashi lands punches to the face of Junsookplung, who cannot buck and escape, and referee Uematsu stops the fight.

Winner: Yoko Higashi by TKO (Punches) at 2:12 of round three. She improves to 8-2-0.

 

49kg Bout – 3×5

Miki Motono vs Moeri Suda

Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Masato Fukuda. Motono misses with a right hook and Suda comes up short with a head kick attempt. She lands two leg kicks and Motono takes her down. Suda tries for a triangle choke and an armbar while punching Motono from the bottom. Motono escapes and stands up, and the fight returns to the feet. Suda lands a head kick and a backfist that causes Motono to fall, but she stands back up and the round ends.

Round 2:
Suda uses a leg kick to set up a takedown. Motono reverses into top position and drops punches. Suda postures for an armbar and Motono escapes. Suda lands an upkick as Motono stands over her and Motono responds with a punch to the body before referee Fukuda brings the fight back to the feet. Suda lands a front kick and Motono kicks to the body. She takes Suda down and lands some ground and pound until Suda attempts an armbar. Motono defends and Suda spends the remainder of the round hunting for triangle chokes and armbars.

Round 3:
Motono lands a right hook and takes Suda down, then punches from top position. She continues to land strikes and fights off a Suda armbar attempt. More punches score for Motono, who then stands over Suda and kicks at her legs. She briefly enters Suda’s closed guard, then stands and drops back down into side control. Motono lands hammerfists from here as Suda tries to get back in position to set up an armbar. Motono prevents her from doing so and lands punches. Late in the fight, Suda tries one more time for an armbar and is unsuccessful.

Judges Shibata and Hashimoto both score the fight 29-28, while judge Toyonaga has it even at 28-28 with a Must Decision to the winner by Unanimous Decision, Motono.

Winner: Miki Motono by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-28 [Must Decision: Motono]) after three 5:00 rounds. She improves to 8-3-0.

 

Flyweight Bout – 2×5

Nori vs Mikiko “Mikko Nirvana” Shimizu

Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Masato Fukuda. Nori takes a step back and throws a left high kick that misses. Shimizu clinches and knees her in the leg. She throws knees to Nori’s body until referee Fukuda separates the fighters. Shimizu chases after Nori and lands a right hook. She takes Nori down and punches from the top until Nori counters with a heel hook. Shimizu escapes and punches from top position in Nori’s closed guard.

Round 2:
Nori lands a roundhouse kick and Shimizu takes her down. Nori tries for a guillotine choke from half-guard, which is not effective. Shimizu punches to the body, but she cannot free her head and Nori lands heel strikes to Shimizu’s leg while maintaining the guillotine. Nori still continues to hold on to Shimizu’s neck. Shimizu punches to the body and Nori moves to butterfly guard. Shimizu passes to side control and then to mount, but time expires.

Judge Shibata scores the fight 20-18 for Nori. Judge Toyonaga has it even at 19-19 and awards his Must Decision to Shimizu. Judge Hashimoto also sees the fight even at 19-19 and awards his Must Decision to the winner via a contentious Split Decision, Nori.

Winner: Nori by Split Decision (20-18, 19-19 [Must Decision: Nori], 19-19 [Must Decision: Shimizu]) after two 5:00 rounds. She improves to 5-5-1.

 

Flyweight Bout – 2×5

Aoi Kuriyama vs Shoko Fujita

Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Tatsuro Nagase. Kuriyama strikes first with leg and body kicks, and Fujita misses with a front kick attempt. Kuriyama knocks her down with a straight right and Fujita stands back up. Kuriyama lands another right hand and Fujita answers with a leg kick. Kuriyama has success with left and right hooks that back Fujita up. Fujita lands a body kick and Kuriyama opens a cut below her eye with more jabs.

Round 2:
Kuriyama resumes jabbing in the second round and Fujita misses with a body kick attempt. Kuriyama jabs and Fujita continues to struggle with her range as she misses with a front kick. Kuriyama scores with a left cross and a Fujita head kick misses. She finally lands a front kick, but Kuriyama responds with a left hook and a jumping knee to the body in the late stages of the fight.

Judge Fukuda scores the fight 20-17, while judges Tazawa and Hashimoto both have it 20-18. All three see it for the winner by Unanimous Decision, Kuriyama.

Winner: Aoi Kuriyama by Unanimous Decision (20-17, 20-18, 20-18) after two 5:00 rounds. She improves to 4-4-1.

 

Strawweight Bout – 2×5

Arisa Matsuda vs Mika “Future Princess” Nagano

Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Naoya Uematsu. Matsuda lands an early leg kick and Nagano responds with a front kick. She tries to take Matsuda down, but Matsuda sprawls and lands hammerfists to the side of her head. Nagano briefly takes Matsuda’s back in a standing clinch, but Matsuda turns into the clinch and Nagano sweeps out her leg. Matsuda stands right back up and kicks at a downed Nagano’s legs until Nagano stands as well. Matsuda takes her back and Nagano uses a rolling kimura attempt to counter. She winds up on the bottom, however, and attempts another kimura that Matsuda defends against until the bell.

Round 2:
Nagano takes Matsuda down and Matsuda works back to her feet against the cage. She pushes Nagano’s head down and stands. Nagano shoots in for a single-leg takedown and Matsuda stuffs it. She lands hammerfists and Nagano pulls guard. Nagano looks to set up a leg submission from the bottom. Matsuda punches her from the top until a stalemate prompts referee Uematsu to stand the fighters up. Nagano scores a brief takedown, but Matsuda gets back to her feet against the cage. She sprawls out of a final takedown attempt from Nagano and blasts her with hammerfists.

Judge Hashimoto scores the fight 20-17, while judges Fukuda and Tazawa both have it 20-18. All three see it for the winner by Unanimous Decision, Matsuda.

Winner: Arisa Matsuda by Unanimous Decision (20-17, 20-18, 20-18) after two 5:00 rounds. She improves to 2-0-0.

 

Strawweight Bout – 2×5

Machi Fukuda vs Mika “Arami” Arai

Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Minoru Toyonaga. Fukuda blocks a head kick from Arai and scores a takedown into back control. She works for a rear-naked choke, but Arai turns over and takes top position. Fukuda sweeps and winds up on top again. Arai attempts a heel hook and Fukuda stands up. Arai follows and Fukuda takes her back, where she throws knees to Arai’s thigh. Fukuda sweeps out Arai’s leg and takes her down. Arai works back to her feet against the cage and Fukuda maintains back control. Arai turns into the clinch and tries to take Fukuda down, but Fukuda sprawls and she takes Arai’s back in a seated position. Fukuda punches the side of Arai’s head until the bell.

Round 2:
Arai fights off an early takedown from Fukuda, who lands a body kick. Arai misses with a head kick attempt and Fukuda takes her down. Just as in round one, Arai uses the cage wall to get back to her feet and Fukuda holds her in a standing back clinch. Arai latches on to a standing kimura and Fukuda tries unsuccessfully to roll free. Arai maintains her grip on the arm and tries to wrench it behind Fukuda’s back, but Fukuda is able to free the arm. Back on the feet, Fukuda takes Arai’s back and Arai voluntarily falls to the mat. She rolls through and winds up in top position, but Fukuda traps her in a triangle choke just before the end of the fight.

Judges Nagase, Fukuda and Hashimoto all score the fight 20-18 in favour of the winner by Unanimous Decision, Fukuda.

Winner: Machi Fukuda by Unanimous Decision (20-18, 20-18, 20-18) after two 5:00 rounds. She improves to 1-0-0.

 

Bantamweight Bout – 2×5

Marina Kumagai vs Chieko Hosoya

Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Minoru Toyonaga. Kumagai uses her jab to set up right hands and Hosoya clinches. Kumagai turns her around and presses Hosoya up against the cage. She lands knees and tries to push Hosoya away, but Hosoya maintains the clinch and she gets Kumagai down. Kumagai sits up and tries to stand, but time runs out in the round.

Round 2:
Kumagai misses with a right hand, but she lands a series of jabs and Hosoya shoots in for a single-leg takedown. Kumagai lands a knee to her head, but it does not do much damage and Hosoya is able to get Kumagai down. Kumagai immediately stands up, but Hosoya gets her down again and passes to side control. She moves to North-South position, but Kumagai scrambles out from the bottom and stands up. Hosoya tries to take her back down, but she winds up on the bottom and Kumagai punches from top position.

Judges Nagase and Fukuda both score the fight 20-18, while judge Hashimoto has it even at 19-19 with a Must Decision to the winner by Unanimous Decision, Kumagai.

Winner: Marina Kumagai by Unanimous Decision (20-18, 20-18, 19-19 [Must Decision: Kumagai]) after two 5:00 rounds. She improves to 3-4-0.

 

Bantamweight Bout – 2×5

Yurina Horiguchi vs Sayaka “Juicy” Hishinuma

Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Naoya Uematsu. Hishinuma misses with a right hook and attempts a takedown, but Horiguchi counters with a standing kimura. Hishinuma attempts to free her arm, but she loses her balance and falls to the ground. Horiguchi cranks on the kimura and referee Uematsu waves off the fight.

Winner: Yurina Horiguchi by Technical Submission (Kimura) at 1:05 of round one. She improves to 2-3-0.

 

54kg Bout – 2×5

Hitomi Taniyama vs Mana Akagi

Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Tatsuro Nagase. Taniyama lands an early leg kick and Akagi attempts a harai goshi throw. She switches to a kesa-gatame and Taniyama scrambles back up to her feet. Taniyama takes Akagi down and moves to back control, where she punches the sides of Akagi’s head. Akagi tries to shake her off. Taniyama locks on a rear-naked choke and Akagi tries to roll to her side to escape, but she is unsuccessful and referee Nagase steps in to stop the fight.

Winner: Hitomi Taniyama by Technical Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) at 3:40 of round one. She improves to 1-0-0.

 

Amateur Flyweight Bout – 2×3

Yuka Okutomi vs Haruka “Boss” Suzuki

Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Yasuhiro Tazawa. Okutomi opens the action with a body kick and Suzuki lands a leg kick. Okutomi answers with a leg kick and spins into a backfist attempt that misses. She counters a leg kick from Suzuki by taking her down into side control. Okutomi throws punches to the body and aims for a keylock late in the round.

Round 2:
Suzuki lands a body kick and attempts a Superman Punch, but Okutomi counters with another takedown and she passes to mount as Suzuki tries to get up. Okutomi punches Suzuki’s body and then tries for an armbar. It fails, but Okutomi continues to work for submissions and she goes for a second armbar. Suzuki tries to escape and Okutomi switches to an omoplata before the end of the fight.

Judges Shibata, Nagase and Hashimoto all score the fight 20-18 for the winner by Unanimous Decision, Okutomi.

Winner: Yuka Okutomi by Unanimous Decision (20-18, 20-18, 20-18) after two 3:00 rounds.

 

Amateur Strawweight Bout – 2×3

Miyu Tsunoda vs Karin Horii

Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Yasuhiro Tazawa. Horii catches Tsunoda’s left high kick, but Tsunoda keeps her balance and sprawls. Horii pushes her to the cage and attempts a double-leg takedown. The fighters are separated and Horii goes for a waist tackle. She switches to a single-leg takedown attempt and referee Tazawa breaks the fighters up. Tsunoda lands a leg kick before the bell.

Round 2:
Horii clinches and tries for a single-leg takedown. Tsunoda pushes her away and throws a left high kick that is blocked. Horii clinches with her against the cage and Tsunoda punches Horii in the body. Horii blocks Tsunoda’s knee attempts and maintains a clinch. She cannot get Tsunoda down, however, but maintains the clinch anyway. Tsunoda throws more punches to the body before the end of the fight.

Judges Shibata, Nagase and Hashimoto all score the fight 20-18 for the winner by Unanimous Decision, Tsunoda.

Winner: Miyu Tsunoda by Unanimous Decision (20-18, 20-18, 20-18) after two 3:00 rounds.