Shooto held its inaugural “Colors” event on Sunday afternoon at New Pier Hall in Tokyo, Japan. The all-female card was headlined by a 110-pound Shooto Women’s Super Atomweight Championship bout between champ Satomi “Sarami” Takano and highly-touted challenger Ayaka Watanabe.

In the atomweight co-feature, Aira Koga met former ONE Championship contender Zenny “Lady Gogo” Huang. Also at 105 pounds, Shooto veteran Miku Nakamura faced off against undefeated prospect Mayu Kawanishi. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for the Shooto: “Colors 1” event.

 

Shooto Women’s Super Atomweight Championship – 5×5

Ayaka Watanabe vs Satomi “Sarami” Takano

Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Masato Fukuda. Watanabe throws a head kick that is blocked, but she lands kicks to Takano’s body and lead leg. Takano jabs and Watanabe lands more leg kicks. Takano throws a body kick and a right cross, but Watanabe scores with leg kick after leg kick and Takano’s leg turns red. Takano catches a body kick from Watanabe late in the round.

Round 2:
Takano comes up short with left and right hook attempts early in the second round, but she lands a subsequent combination. A right hand lands for Takano, but Watanabe drops her with a head kick. Takano gets back to her feet and Watanabe sends her crashing to the mat with another head kick. She follows with punches on the ground and referee Fukuda waves off the fight.

Winner: Ayaka Watanabe by TKO (Head Kick & Punches) at 2:36 of round two. She improves to 3-1-0 and becomes the new Shooto Women’s Super Atomweight Champion.

 

Atomweight Bout – 3×5

Zenny “Lady Gogo” Huang vs Aira Koga

Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Masato Fukuda. Huang lands a knee to the body and Koga takes her down into top position. Huang works back to her feet against the cage, but Koga maintains a clinch and sweeps out her leg. She works from Huang’s half-guard and prevents her from standing up. Huang gets to her knees and Koga holds her in a front choke. Huang finally stands back up and both fighters miss with right hooks. Koga takes Huang back down before the bell.

Round 2:
Both women miss with right hands and Huang sprawls out of a takedown attempt from Koga. She uses a headlock throw to get Koga down, but Koga immediately stands back up. Koga takes Huang down and Huang tries to utilise rubber guard from the bottom. While attempting to pass to half-guard, Koga lands punches to Huang’s face. She stands over Huang and kicks at her legs until the end of the round.

Round 3:
Koga lands a left hook and takes Huang down. She once again stands over her, but this time Huang gets back to her feet. Koga shoots in for a takedown and Huang counters with a guillotine choke. Koga frees her neck, but Huang transitions to an omoplata on her left arm in a scramble. While maintaining the omoplata, Huang secures a rear-naked choke. Koga has nowhere to go and taps out, giving Huang an incredible comeback win.

Winner: Zenny Huang by Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) at 2:35 of round three. She improves to 7-5-0, 1 NC.

 

Atomweight Bout – 3×5

Miku Nakamura vs Mayu Kawanishi

Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Masato Kataoka. Kawanishi lands a body kick, then sprawls out of a takedown attempt from Nakamura and lands a right hook. She briefly takes Nakamura down, but Nakamura stands and throws straight lefts and rights that mostly come up short. She lands a left hand and then a counter elbow as Kawanishi moves forward. Kawanishi clinches and Nakamura counters with knees to her face and body.

Round 2:
Nakamura lands a leg kick and misses with a spinning back kick attempt. She continues to throw kicks and lands one to Kawanishi’s body. Punches are exchanged and Nakamura lands another leg kick. Kawanishi responds with a right hook, but Nakamura connects with a hard left cross. She follows up with a spinning backfist and one more left cross before the end of the round.

Round 3:
Kawanishi opens the final round with a body kick and then takes Nakamura’s back in a standing clinch. Nakamura turns into the clinch and then pushes Kawanishi away. Kawanishi takes Nakamura down, but Nakamura immediately sweeps and stands back up. She lands a straight left hand to Kawanishi’s open mouth. Kawanishi tries for a takedown, to no avail. Nakamura holds her in a front choke and Kawanishi frees her neck. She repeatedly tries to take Nakamura down and can’t do so.

Winner: Miku Nakamura by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) after three 5:00 rounds. She improves to 9-6-0.

 

53kg Grappling Match – 1×8

Tomo Maesawa vs Yuki Sugiuchi

Round 1:
Referee for this match is Yasuhiro Tazawa. Sugiuchi pulls Maesawa down to the mat, but Maesawa stands back up and Sugiuchi follows. She sits down and shuffles forward until Maesawa takes top position on the ground. Maesawa first looks to set up a leg lock and then switches to a guillotine choke. Sugiuchi escapes and Maesawa attempts an arm-triangle choke from half-guard. She is unable to pass Sugiuchi’s guard, so she goes back to a guillotine choke from the top. Maesawa goes back and forth between top-side guillotine choke and arm-triangle choke attempts before ultimately passing to mount. Sugiuchi cannot buck her off, but Maesawa switches her attention to a leg lock attempt and the match ends in the 50/50 position.

Result: Draw after one 8:00 round.

 

Infinity League 2023 Women’s Strawweight Bout – 2×5

Megumi Sugimoto vs Haruka Yoshinari

Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Minoru Toyonaga. Both fighters throw leg kicks and Sugimoto presses forward with left and right hooks before clinching. She lands knees to Yoshinari’s body and a left hook to her face. Seven more knees land for Sugimoto and Yoshinari tries to counter with short punches in close. When the fighters separate, Sugimoto closes the distance again with punches. She repeats this once more later in the round, backing Yoshinari up with left and right hooks before ending in a clinch.

Round 2:
Sugimoto takes Yoshinari down and Yoshinari uses butterfly guard to elevate her. Sugimoto stands and then drops down into side control. She pushes down on Yoshinari’s face with her elbow. Yoshinari elbows Sugimoto’s leg from bottom position. She gets back to full guard, but Sugimoto stands up and then moves from half-guard to mount. Yoshinari gives up her back and Sugimoto looks for a rear-naked choke. Yoshinari manages to escape out the back, but Sugimoto immediately takes her back down and she closes out the fight with punches from top position.

Winner: Megumi Sugimoto by Unanimous Decision (20-17, 20-18, 20-18) after two 5:00 rounds. She improves to 9-3-1.

 

Infinity League 2023 Women’s Strawweight Bout – 2×5

Momoka Hoshuyama vs Shiho “Angel” Mori

Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Masato Kataoka. Hoshuyama clinches and pushes Mori up against the cage. Mori reverses the clinch and she lands knees until referee Kataoka separates the fighters. Mori knocks Hoshuyama off-balance with a front kick, but she gets too aggressive when chasing after her and Hoshuyama counters with a headlock throw. Hoshuyama takes top position on the ground and Mori gives up her back. Hoshuyama locks on a rear-naked choke and Mori taps out.

Winner: Momoka Hoshuyama by Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) at 4:39 of round one. She improves to 3-4-1.

 

Atomweight Bout – 2×5

Hisae Watanabe vs Yasuko “Ikuko” Tamada

Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Masato Kataoka. Watanabe crouches in an effort to prevent Tamada from taking her down. She misses with a right straight and throws a front kick, which Tamada catches. She takes Watanabe’s back in a standing clinch, but Watanabe turns into it and then sprawls after Tamada tries to sweep out her leg. Tamada switches to a double-leg takedown and gets Watanabe down. She throws hammerfists from side control until Watanabe works back to her feet against the cage. Watanabe sprawls out of a Tamada takedown attempt and pulls her leg free when Tamada grabs on to it.

Round 2:
Watanabe lands a leg kick and Tamada clinches. Watanabe lands knees and then uses a kimura to counter a double-leg takedown attempt from Tamada, who takes Watanabe’s back in a standing clinch. Watanabe elbows Tamada’s arm. She turns and Tamada tries to take her down. Watanabe lands more knees in the clinch, then secures a takedown of her own and punches from top position. She moves to side control and lands elbows to Tamada’s body, then stands up. Tamada follows and chases after her, but Watanabe scores with a body kick. Tamada clinches and the fight comes to an end.

Result: Majority Draw (20-18 [Watanabe], 19-19, 19-19) after two 5:00 rounds. Watanabe moves to 21-9-2, while Tamada is now 18-13-4.

 

49kg Grappling Match – 1×5

Aira Inoue vs Noeru “Noel” Narita

Round 1:
Referee for this match is Yasuhiro Tazawa. Inoue sits and pulls guard, and tries for a triangle choke. Narita pushes herself out but Inoue attempts another triangle. Narita grabs on to Inoue’s leg and works for a toe hold. Inoue escapes and holds on to Narita, who again latches on to Inoue’s leg. She is not able to secure a submission and the bell sounds.

Result: Draw after one 5:00 round.