Former Rizin FF titleholder Ayaka Hamasaki and Deep Jewels champion Tomo Maesawa will meet in a strawweight matchup on August 9th at Rizin Fighting Federation 22. The event, which is part of a two-day doubleheader, will take place at Pia Arena MM in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan.
Rizin officials announced the bout today. Maesawa issued a challenge to Hamasaki this past week during Deep Jewels 29 and the fight was quickly put together. Rizin FF 22 also features a women’s super atomweight bout between Grand Prix winner Kanna Asakura and rising star Mizuki Furuse.
Hamasaki (19-3-0) steps back into action for the first time since losing her Rizin FF Women’s Super Atomweight Championship in a closely-contested trilogy bout with rival Seo Hee Ham at Rizin FF 20 on New Year’s Eve. Prior to the defeat, Hamasaki had won five straight fights under the Rizin FF banner including victories over former Deep Jewels champion Mina Kurobe, Asakura and ex-Invicta FC champ Jinh Yu Frey. Having previously competed extensively as a strawweight, Hamasaki will return to the weight class for her short-notice clash with Maesawa in 12 days.
Maesawa (13-10-0) has endured ups and downs throughout her eight-year career, but she established herself as an atomweight contender for Deep Jewels in 2018. Back-to-back wins earned Maesawa a Deep Jewels atomweight title shot against Kurobe, who had previously defeated Maesawa in the pair’s first two meetings at Jewels: “23rd Ring” and Deep Jewels 13, respectively. Maesawa earned a Split Decision verdict over Kurobe in the trilogy bout. She suffered setbacks in non-title fights against Asakura and Ham this past year, but most recently defeated Emi Tomimatsu at Deep Jewels 26.
Rizin Fighting Federation 22 takes place on August 9th at Pia Arena MM in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan. The previously announced Asakura-Furuse bout will be contested at super atomweight (49kg).
(Photo Credit: Esther Lin, AllElbows.com / InvictaFC.com)