Former Shoot Boxing Japan Women’s Flyweight Champion Ai Takahashi makes her J-Girls kickboxing debut on June 22nd at J-Girls: “The Shining Wild Angels 2nd” in Tokyo, Japan. Takahashi faces J-Girls Bantamweight Champion Madoka Jinnai in a 53.5-kilogram (117.7-pound) non-title bout.

J-Girls officials announced the matchup this past week. Takahashi picked up a quick first-round TKO victory in her most recent shoot boxing match in April. Jinnai is 2-0 since capturing the J-Girls title this past July and she most recently earned a lopsided Unanimous Decision win eight days ago.

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The Ultimate Fighting Championship returned to the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada tonight for UFC 173: “Barao vs Dillashaw.” The event was headlined by a UFC Bantamweight Championship bout between champion Renan “Barao” do Nascimento Mota Pegado and T.J. Dillashaw.

In tonight’s UFC 173 co-main event, Daniel “D.C.” Cormier and Dan “Hendo” Henderson faced off in a light heavyweight title contender’s bout. “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler took on Jake “The Juggernaut” Ellenberger in a featured welterweight battle. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for the card.

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Original Cage Warriors women’s champ Rosi “The Surgeon” Sexton returns home for her next fight on June 7th at Cage Warriors Fighting Championship 69: “Super Saturday” in London, England. Sexton faces undefeated Polish prospect Joanna Jędrzejczyk in a featured flyweight bout on the card.

Cage Warriors officials announced the fight on Thursday. Sexton is 6-0 under the Cage Warriors banner and she recently fought twice in the UFC. Jędrzejczyk is coming off of an impressive win this month. CWFC 69 also features a bout between Kerry “Rocksteady” Hughes and Amanda Kelly.

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KSW Women’s Champion Karolina Kowalkiewicz retained her 115-pound title with a first-round submission victory tonight at KSW 27: “Cage Time” in Gdańsk, Poland. The Polish rising star kept her unbeaten record intact by defeating Austria’s Jasminka “Impressive” Cive with a slick armbar.

Kowalkiewicz, who signed on with Invicta FC earlier this year, continues to impress with each passing fight. She took Cive down early in tonight’s title bout and prevented her from doing anything on the ground. After working for a rear-naked choke, Kowalkiewicz switched to an armbar for the tapout win.

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Finnish standout Katja “Killer Bunny” Kankaanpää rebounded from her first professional loss with an impressive submission win tonight at Fight Night 10 in Lappeenranta, South Karelia, Finland. Kankaanpää finished Ukrainian prospect Alyona Rassohyna with an armbar in the night’s co-main event.

Kankaanpää put on one of her best performances to date in tonight’s fight and she was relentless with her attacks on the ground. Elsewhere on the card, Vuokko Katainen and Kate Jackson fought to a Split Draw, and Suvi Salmimies earned a Unanimous Decision win over Clemence Schreiber.

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The Ultimate Fighting Championship came to the U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio tonight for UFC Fight Night 40: “Brown vs Silva.” The event was headlined by a five-round welterweight matchup between local favourite Matt “The Immortal” Brown and Brazilian standout Erick “Índio” Silva.

In tonight’s co-main event, Costas Philippou battled Lorenz “The Monsoon” Larkin in a pivotal middleweight showdown. Erik “New Breed” Koch took on Daron “The Detroit Superstar” Cruickshank and Neil Magny faced Tim “The Dirty Bird” Means. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for the card.

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Three days after she celebrates her 16th birthday, highly-touted prospect Yukari Yamaguchi will make her professional kickboxing debut at J-Girls: “The Shining Wild Angels 2nd” on June 22nd in Tokyo, Japan. Yamaguchi faces veteran Megumi Igawa in a 105-pound mini flyweight bout on the card.

Yamaguchi, the younger training partner of Deep Jewels and Invicta FC star Mizuki Inoue, has torn through the competition in the amateur ranks and she brings an eight-fight winning streak into her pro debut. Igawa put an end to a tough losing skid by winning her most recent kickboxing match in February.

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Mere weeks after winning her long-awaited pro debut, 15-year-old “Muay Thai Genius” Saya Ito returns to the ring on May 18th at Tenkaichi 71 in Koza, Okinawa, Japan. Ito is set to face off against former J-Girls Mini Flyweight Champion Haru “Taj Mahal” Tajima in a three-round bout.

Ito captured numerous titles during her 93-fight amateur kickboxing career, which included more than 40 fights against male opponents. She won her pro debut on April 27th. Tajima became the first J-Girls Mini Flyweight Champion in 2008 and now competes for the first time since late 2010.

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