J-Girls Mini Flyweight Champion Momi Furuta makes her next title defence on November 8th at J-Network: “J-Girls & J-Fight 2015 6th” in Tokyo, Japan. The popular Furuta puts her 105-pound belt on the line against highly-touted 17-year-old Shoot Boxing Japan Girls S-Cup winner Yukari Yamaguchi.
J-Girls officials announced the matchup today. Furuta recently fought her way to the finals of the 2015 48kg Shoot Boxing Japan Girls S-Cup tournament. Yamaguchi, who won the 2014 48kg Girls S-Cup, earned her J-Girls title shot by defeating Yuuki Kira at J-Fight 44 this past month.
Furuta (24-13-6 KB/SB) has long been regarded as one of Japan’s top female strikers in the lighter weight classes. The long-running J-Girls champion has split her time between kickboxing and shoot boxing matches in recent years, and holds a key victory over Mio Tsumura, who narrowly defeated Furuta in this year’s 48kg Shoot Boxing Japan Girls S-Cup final. In her most recent J-Girls bout, Furuta successfully retained her title with a five-round decision win, and she now aims to keep possession of her belt by stopping Yamaguchi’s momentum next month.
Yamaguchi (12-2-0 amateur, 7-1-0 pro KB/SB) has followed the lead of her teammate, Deep Jewels and two-time Shoot Boxing Girls S-Cup Champion Mizuki Inoue, in becoming one of the fastest-rising female prospects in Japan. The teen prodigy defeated current Deep Jewels Atomweight Champion “V.V” Mei Yamaguchi and the aforementioned Tsumura to win the 2014 48kg Girls S-Cup, and she recently made a successful pro MMA debut by quickly submitting Mikiko Hiyama at Vale Tudo Japan In Osaka in June. Yamaguchi now looks to capture her first major kickboxing title when she battles Furuta.
J-Network: “J-Girls & J-Fight 2015 6th” takes place on November 8th at Shinjuku FACE in Tokyo, Japan. The title fight between Furuta and Yamaguchi will be contested over five 2:00 rounds.
Hirofumi Sugi contributed to this report.