A seventh bout has been added to the upcoming all-female Valkyrie 8 event in Tokyo, Japan. Former top contender Emi Fujino will look to end her recent losing streak when she rematches Fight Chix representative Anna Saito on the November 28th card. The bout will be Saito’s first in over three years.
Fujino and Saito first met in a featured bout on the one-night K-GRACE tournament card on May 27, 2007. Saito entered the bout after having fought just eight days earlier and was submitted with a rear-naked choke in the first round. She has competed in mixed martial arts just one time since.
Fujino (8-4-0) opened her career with eight straight victories including a close decision win over current Valkyrie Featherweight (115-Pound) Champion Mei “V Hajime” Yamaguchi. However, she has since dropped four fights in a row against high-level opposition including Yamaguchi in an April 2009 rematch. Fujino has never been finished in her career and she has submitted three opponents to date. She enters the 54kg rematch in desperate need of a victory in order to get back into the title hunt.
Saito (1-3-0) will make her first appearance in mixed martial arts since a July 2007 Split Decision loss to Yuka Okumura. Saito has also faced Yamaguchi in the past, having lost to the current champion in both fighters’ pro debuts on March 11, 2007 as part of the Smackgirl Next Cinderella Tournament. She bounced back with a decision win two months later, but entered the first meeting with Fujino on just one week’s notice. She will have much more time to prepare for the rematch.
During her hiatus from MMA, Saito has competed in kickboxing, but was soundly beaten by 16-year-old kickboxer and current Jewels tournament finalist Mizuki Inoue on September 20th. Fujino is no stranger to Inoue, as she was also upset by the teenager in a July kickboxing match.
Valkyrie 8 takes place on November 28th at Differ Ariake in Tokyo, Japan.
Valkyrie 8 Fight Card (to date; subject to change):
– Mei “V Hajime” Yamaguchi vs Kyoko Takabayashi [Valkyrie Featherweight Championship; 3×5]
– Rin Nakai vs Mizuho Sato [Valkyrie Open-Weight Championship; 3×5]
– Yasuko Tamada vs Naho “Sugi Rock” Sugiyama [47kg Non-Title Bout; 3×3]
– Ayame “Iris” Miura vs Mayumi “Super Benkei” Aoki [58kg Bout; 3×3]
– Mika “Hari” Harigai vs Chisa Yonezawa [62kg Bout; 3×3]
– Megumi Morioka vs Kimie “Sakura” Okada [48.5 kg Bout; 3×3]
– Emi Fujino vs Anna Saito [54kg Bout; 3×3]
(Photo Credit: Sherdog.com)