Despite a rocky start, former Shoot Boxing Japan Women’s Flyweight Champion Ai Takahashi rallied to earn her fifth straight victory on Saturday night at Shoot Boxing 2015: Act.2 in Tokyo, Japan. Takahashi narrowly edged out veteran kickboxer Kanako Taniyama in a featured matchup.

Taniyama got off to an excellent start in Saturday’s fight and she took an early lead on the scorecards by dropping Takahashi in the opening round. Takahashi scored a knockdown of her own in round two and she kept the pressure on with aggressive striking as Taniyama faded in the final round.

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An injury in training has forced top Japanese star Shizuka Sugiyama out of her planned contender’s rematch against unbeaten South Korean prospect Ji Yeon Kim at Deep Jewels 8 on May 31st in Tokyo. Deep Jewels officials announced the news today. Kim has also been removed from the card.

Sugiyama and Kim initially faced off in Kim’s November 2013 pro MMA debut under the Deep banner. The bout ended in a Majority Draw and both fighters now sport two-fight winning streaks. Kim will move on to challenge Deep Jewels Middleweight Champion Takayo Hashi in an August rematch.

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WPMF Japan Women’s Pinweight Champion Saya Ito successfully retained her title with a five-round Unanimous Decision victory tonight at Muaylok: “The Battle of Muay Thai 7” in Tokyo, Japan. The 16-year-old star defeated J-Girls Pinweight Champion Chihiro Kira in a competitive matchup.

Ito overcame a slow start in round one and took a lead on the scorecards in the later rounds by effectively countering Kira’s body kicks with punches and throws. Earlier on tonight’s card, Yoshimi “443” Hatayama picked up a well-deserved Unanimous Decision win over Kira’s younger sister, Yuuki.

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Top Deep Jewels star Shizuka Sugiyama aims to extend her winning streak to three when she faces off against a familiar foe on May 31st at Deep Jewels 8 in Tokyo, Japan. Sugiyama is set to battle undefeated Gladiator women’s champion Ji Yeon Kim in a rematch from November 2013.

The Sugiyama-Kim bout was one of three new fights officially announced for the card today. In other action at Deep Jewels 8, former interim lightweight champion Emi Tomimatsu takes on Ayaka Miura, and veteran contender Misaki Takimoto returns from a three-year hiatus to face Yuko “Amiba” Oya.

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Shoot Boxing Japan Girls-S-Cup Champion Yukari Yamaguchi looks to rebound from the first loss of her pro kickboxing career when she returns to action on March 29th at J-Network: “J-Fight & J-Girls 2015 – 1st” in Tokyo, Japan. The highly-touted 16-year-old faces Midori Kato on the card.

Yamaguchi, the younger training partner of Deep Jewels champion Mizuki Inoue, won the 2014 all-Japan Girls S-Cup in August by defeating “V.V” Mei Yamaguchi and Mio Tsumura in one night to claim the title. Kato kicked off her pro career with a victory on an M-Fight card in early December.

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Gladiator Women’s Flyweight Champion Chihiro Imoto is set to make the first defence of her title on April 26th at Gladiator 84 in Osaka, Japan. The 17-year-old standout kickboxer faces off against unbeaten South Korean challenger Ok Soon Park, who makes her Gladiator debut in the fight.

Imoto announced the title fight earlier this month. She captured the belt in September with a dominant Unanimous Decision victory over Miyu Irie at Gladiator 75. Her opponent on next month’s card, Park, has won all five of her professional fights and plans to leave Gladiator 84 with the title.

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Former two-division WIBA boxing champion “Lethal” Lindsay Garbatt kept her unblemished MMA record intact with a quick and emphatic win tonight at Pancrase 265 in Tokyo, Japan. The hard-hitting Canadian overwhelmed Shiori Hori with ground and pound en route to a first-round TKO victory.

The Garbatt-Hori fight was part of the second season of “Fight Xchange,” which follows the lives of Canadian fighters as they train and compete abroad in a foreign country. Garbatt easily dispatched of Hori in the brief bout and picked up an impressive win for Team Canada in the process.

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Deep Women’s Flyweight Champion “Princess” Satoko Shinashi earned another quick and easy submission win on Saturday night at Deep: “71 Impact” in Tokyo, Japan. Shinashi finished Emi Yamamoto with an armbar early in the first round of their featured 45-kilogram (99-pound) bout.

Since returning to MMA in October following a six-year retirement, Shinashi has set her sights on securing a future fight against Road FC star Ga Yeon “Deadly Beauty” Song, who defeated Yamamoto this past August. Shinashi has now racked up three straight first-round finishes in a four-month period.

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