Pancrase is set to crown its inaugural Atomweight Queen of Pancrase Champion in a four-woman tournament that kicks off on December 24th at Pancrase 340 in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan. The tournament was officially announced during a press conference this afternoon in Shinjuku.

Pancrase Chief Yasushi Sakamoto was accompanied by three tournament participants – Satomi “Sarami” Takano, Sayako Fujita and Zenny “Lady Gogo” Huang – at the press conference, where it was also revealed that the plan is to bring in a foreign fighter as the fourth and final competitor.

Pancrase 340, which serves as the second of two 30th anniversary events for Pancrase this year, will feature both semi-final bouts in the title tournament. The winners will move on to face each other in the championship final, which is targeted for late March 2024. All three fighters who were present today spoke about their thoughts on being a part of the tournament.

Zenny Huang: I’m excited for this tournament and I will win the belt in March. My family is against my fighter’s will, but I want that title. I want to prove myself and to enjoy my life. That belt means a lot to me. In Japan, there are many strong fighters at [Huang’s gym] AACC, and that is the reason why I came here. I prepared a lot to become a champion here. Pancrase has a long history, and this is the first atomweight title, so it will be remembered.

Sayako Fujita: This tournament excites me and each fight should be fun. Hopefully, with this new belt, many fighters will aim to compete for Pancrase. I say I want this title, and that these fighters will be coming, so I must win the belt as a symbol of my strength. I want to avenge my loss to Zenny, but I want to fight ‘Sarami,’ too.

Satomi Takano: I think I was right to make this my career. I have not yet had a chance to fight here for Pancrase and I feel that it’s my destiny. Sayako is a friend I did not expect to fight, but here we are. Winning the Shooto [women’s super atomweight] title made me proud, but I feel like I’m most suited for this belt. I have had a long career, but I rebuilt myself to win the Shooto title and this will be the best ‘Sarami’ yet on December 24th. I feel that it is fate.

L to R: Tournament participants Satomi Takano, Sayako Fujita and Zenny Huang.