Amanda “Powerhouse” Lucas will make her return to mixed martial arts competition on October 29th at DEEP: “Cage Impact” in Tokyo, Japan. The adopted daughter of Star Wars creator George Lucas will face Japanese veteran Mika “Hari” Harigai in a bout announced by the promotion today.
Lucas made a successful debut for DEEP in late August with a first-round destruction of Hikaru Shinohara. Taking MMA training very seriously, she became a star in Japan leading up to her bout with Shinohara. Harigai holds an edge in experience, but Lucas will enjoy a significant strength advantage.
Lucas (2-1-0) debuted in MMA on May 31, 2008, but suffered a TKO defeat midway through the third round. She returned to action 17 months later and scored a decision victory for Freestyle Cage Fighting. When a second bout for FCF was scrapped after her opponent missed weight, Lucas travelled to Japan to face Shinohara at DEEP: “55 Impact” and earned a technical submission victory after punishing her opponent with punches and finishing with an armbar. She drew considerable attention from Japanese media leading up to the bout and will be a fan favourite for her return this month.
Harigai (6-24-1) has battled many of the sport’s best female fighters dating back to her December 2000 pro debut against future Strikeforce champion Marloes “Rumina” Coenen. However, she has not posted a victory in close to four years and is currently in the midst of a six-fight losing streak. Prior to that, she had won three of four bouts. While Harigai is experienced, she is much smaller than Lucas and has recently campaigned at weights near 135 pounds. A weight has not yet been officially announced, but Harigai will likely move up to 145 pounds or higher to face Lucas.
DEEP: “Cage Impact 2011 in Tokyo” takes place on October 29th at Differ Ariake in Tokyo, Japan. The bout between Lucas and Harigai will be held during Part 1 of the two-part event that will begin in the early afternoon and conclude late in the evening.
(Photo Credit: DEEP)