Shooto held its fourth all-female Colors event tonight at Shinjuku FACE in Tokyo, Japan. The ten-fight Shooto: “Colors 4” card was headlined by an Infinity League women’s atomweight tournament bout between Ayane Hirata and fellow teen prospect Noeru “Noel” Narita, as both sought a key win.
In the co-feature, also in the Infinity League atomweight tournament, Seo Young Park aimed for her third straight victory when she faced the winless Mikiko Hiyama. Chiyo Takamoto battled Megumi Sugimoto in strawweight action. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for the “Colors 4” card.
Infinity League 2024 Women’s Atomweight Tournament Bout – 2×5
Noeru “Noel” Narita vs Ayane Hirata
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Masato Kataoka. Hirata rushes forward with a front kick and clinches, but little transpires and the fighters are separated. Narita jabs and Hirata clinches, where both women land knees. Hirata kicks at Narita’s leg and follows with more knees to the body. The fighters are separated again and Hirata lands a leg kick, but Narita catches a head kick from Hirata and takes her down. She moves to side control and lands punches. Hirata turns and Narita takes her back, where she locks on a rear-naked choke. Hirata almost makes it to the bell, but she is choked unconscious.
Winner: Noeru Narita by Technical Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) at 4:55 of round one. She improves to 2-1-0.
Infinity League 2024 Women’s Atomweight Tournament Bout – 2×5
Seo Young Park vs Mikiko Hiyama
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Masato Kataoka. Park quickly takes Hiyama’s back and she suplexes her down to the ground. As Hiyama tries to regain her composure, Park locks on a tight armbar and referee Kataoka waves off the fight as Hiyama taps.
Winner: Seo Young Park by Submission (Armbar) at 0:32 of round one. She improves to 5-4-0.
Strawweight Bout – 2×5
Chiyo Takamoto vs Megumi Sugimoto
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Ryosuke Uchida. The fighters trade leg kicks and Sugimoto clinches, where both women land knees to the body. More knees are exchanged and Takamoto tries to take Sugimoto’s back. Sugimoto turns back into the clinch and the fighters are separated. Takamoto lands a front kick and Sugimoto clinches once more.
Round 2:
Sugimoto scores a double-leg takedown into Takamoto’s guard. She punches from the top and then stands up to escape from a Takamoto armbar attempt. As Sugimoto settles back into Takamoto’s guard, Takamoto throws hammerfists and elbows from the bottom. Sugimoto punches from the top and Takamoto lands more hammerfists as she stays active off of her back. This continues, with Sugimoto punching from the top and Takamoto answering with hammerfists, until the fight comes to an end.
All three judges score the fight even at 19-19 for a Unanimous Draw.
Result: Unanimous Draw (19-19, 19-19, 19-19) after two 5:00 rounds. Takamoto moves to 0-3-2, while Sugimoto is now 11-4-3.
Strawweight Bout – 2×5
Erika Gibo vs Haruka Yoshinari
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Yuta Nabekubo. Gibo lands a series of leg kicks in the opening minute and Yoshinari tries to clinch. Gibo pushes her away and scores with a left hook. She fights off another clinch from Yoshinari and then sprawls out of a takedown attempt. Yoshinari knees Gibo’s thigh during a clinch and Gibo pushes her away again. Gibo resumes throwing leg kicks until Yoshinari briefly gets her down. Gibo stands and Yoshinari uses a harai goshi throw to get her back down. Yoshinari lands punches to set up a late leglock attempt.
Round 2:
Gibo controls the striking in the second round with leg kicks and left hooks. Yoshinari blocks some of the strikes, but she offers little in response. She eventually clinches and Gibo separates after holding Yoshinari’s back. Gibo throws leg kicks until Yoshinari catches one and trips her. Gibo stands and Yoshinari secures a single-leg takedown late in the fight.
All three judges score the fight 20-18 for the winner by Unanimous Decision, Gibo.
Winner: Erika Gibo by Unanimous Decision (20-18, 20-18, 20-18) after two 5:00 rounds. She improves to 1-0-0.
Strawweight Bout – 2×5
Atsuhi Takada vs Cha Hyun Jeong
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Ryosuke Uchida. Takada knocks Jeong down with a right head kick early on and Jeong returns to her feet. In the clinch, Jeong reverses a throw and winds up on top, but Takada transitions to her back. Jeong shakes her off and Takada attempts a kimura from the bottom. Jeong stands up and punches Takada, who is still holding on to her arm. Jeong sits down and Takada uses a kimura sweep to briefly take top position before Jeong reverses. Takada attempts a triangle choke and an armbar before time expires.
Round 2:
Jeong flurries with punches and she takes Takada down. When Jeong stands up, Takada lands an upkick to her face. Jeong settles into Takada’s guard and then lands hammerfists from side control after avoiding an armbar. Takada regains full guard and hunts for a triangle choke and another armbar. Jeong counters with hammerfists and the fighters battle back and forth for top position until the end of the fight.
One judge scores the fight 20-18 for Takada, while the remaining two both have it 19-19 for a Majority Draw.
Result: Majority Draw (20-18, 19-19, 19-19) after two 5:00 rounds. Takada moves to 0-0-1, while Jeong is now 1-1-1.
54kg Grappling Match – 1×8
Emi “Kamikaze Angel” Fujino vs Tomo Maesawa
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Ryosuke Uchida. Fujino breaks free from one clinch early in the match and the fighters clash heads when Maesawa clinches a second time. Action is paused and then resumes with Maesawa taking Fujino’s back in a standing clinch. As Fujino defends, Maesawa pulls her down to the mat and works for an armbar. Fujino avoids danger and tries to pass to half-guard, but Maesawa keeps her in place. Maesawa stands, but Fujino takes her down into North-South position. Maesawa rolls and Fujino takes her back, but Maesawa spins again and she winds up on top. She works for a leglock late in the match and Fujino takes top position after escaping.
Result: Draw after one 8:00 round.
63.4kg Bout – 2×5
Azuki Nakao vs Manaka Yamada
*Originally a 60kg bout; Yamada significantly missed weight and is ineligible to win.*
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Yuta Nabekubo. Nakao lands a left-right combo and takes Yamada down after catching a body kick. She moves to side control and pins Yamada down while landing numerous unanswered hammerfists to her face until the brief fight is stopped.
Winner: Azuki Nakao by TKO (Punches) at 1:15 of round one. She improves to 1-0-0.
58kg Grappling Match – 1×8
Kurumi Ueki vs Saki Ueta
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Yuta Nabekubo. Ueta takes the fight to the ground and twice attempts an armbar, but she is unsuccessful both times. Ueki takes top position and the fighters are stood up after a stalemate. Ueta once again pulls guard in search of an armbar and can’t get it. She switches to an omoplata and Ueki stands up after freeing her arm. Ueta gets the fight to the mat once more and Ueki counters with a leg submission attempt, which Ueta defends against until the bell.
Result: Draw after one 8:00 round.
48kg Kids’ Grappling Match – 1×4
Sakura Julian Endo vs Satsuki Ogasawara
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Atsushi Deai. Ogasawara pulls guard and Endo moves to side control. Ogasawara briefly gets a leg in to get back to half-guard before Endo passes to side control again and then to mount. She attempts an armbar and Ogasawara escapes to her feet. Endo uses a leglock attempt to get Ogasawara back down and then attacks with an armbar that prompts referee Deai to wave off the match.
Winner: Sakura Julian Endo by Technical Submission (Armbar) at 3:40 of round one.
35kg Kids’ Grappling Match – 1×4
Yuzusa Yoshimura vs Hazuki Kasai
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Atsushi Deai. Yoshimura immediately clinches and pulls Kasai down to the mat. She transitions from a triangle choke setup to an armbar, and referee Deai quickly stops the match.
Winner: Yuzusa Yoshimura by Technical Submission (Armbar) at 0:19 of round one.