An injury in training has forced Deep Jewels Atomweight Champion “V.V” Mei Yamaguchi out of her upcoming bout at Pacific Xtreme Combat 52 on March 18th in Mangilao, Guam. In her place, Satomi “Sarami” Takano has stepped in to face off against Tessa “The Typhoon” Simpson on the card.

PXC confirmed the change this weekend following an announcement from Yamaguchi, who did not disclose specifics of the injury. Takano dropped a controversial Split Decision earlier today in a kickboxing match at Deep Jewels 11. Simpson has tasted defeat just one time in her pro career.

Takano (7-7-0) bounced back from a difficult 3-5 start to her pro MMA career by putting together a three-fight winning streak that included an impressive submission win over South Korean star Ga Yeon “Deadly Beauty” Song at Road FC 20. This past May, Takano advanced to the finals of a Deep Jewels atomweight title tournament before succumbing to ground and pound from now-champion Yamaguchi late in the second round. She picked up a close decision win at Road FC 25 in August, but her most recent MMA bout ended in a defeat when she was edged out by Emi Tomimatsu at Deep Jewels 10.

Simpson (3-1-0) fought three times in close succession after making her MMA debut in March 2009. She earned back-to-back first-round finishes before suffering her lone professional setback against a much larger opponent, Anita “El Tigre” Rodriguez, in a 120-pound catchweight contest. Following the loss, Simpson took a four-year hiatus from the sport. She returned to action in September 2013 and scored her biggest victory to date by dominating highly-touted prospect Paulina “Firefox” Granados en route to a Unanimous Decision win at Legacy FC 23.

Pacific Xtreme Combat 52 is set for March 18th at University of Guam Fieldhouse in Mangilao, Guam.

(Photo Credit: Deep Jewels)