Two of the top strawweights on the Deep Jewels roster will compete for the promotion’s interim 115-pound title on November 23rd at Deep Jewels 43 in Tokyo, Japan. Arisa Matsuda and Machi Fukuda, who faced each other as amateur fighters in December 2021, will rematch for the championship.
The interim title bout was one of 12 fights that were officially announced for the card today. In the 49kg co-main event, highly-touted teen prospect Moeri Suda squares off against Saki Kitamura. Both fighters are coming off of victories this past month during the 10th anniversary Deep Jewels 42 event.
Matsuda (3-0-0) debuted for Deep Jewels in September 2021 and won both of her amateur bouts for the promotion, including taking a Split Decision victory over Fukuda in their 55kg catchweight bout. She turned pro this past year and has since won all three of her bouts for Deep and Deep Jewels. That includes her biggest win to date, a Unanimous Decision victory over long-time Deep Jewels competitor Mika Nagano, in November. Matsuda most recently defeated Sumire Sakai in April.
Fukuda (4-0-0) also turned pro this past year following a 3-2 amateur run, and she has had considerable success since dropping down to the strawweight division. After defeating veteran Mika Arai, Fukuda scored a big victory in her second pro fight by upsetting Namiko “Hime” Kawabata, and she followed that up by finishing South Korean foe You Jeong Kim with a first-round hammerlock at Deep Jewels 41 in May. This past weekend, Fukuda narrowly defeated Shooto champion Ayaka Watanabe via Split Decision at Rizin FF: “Landmark Vol. 6.”
The bout between Matsuda and Fukuda will be contested for the Deep Jewels Interim Strawweight Championship. The holder of the main strawweight title, Seika Izawa, has largely been busy with bouts for Rizin and it is not currently clear whether she will face off against the Matsuda-Fukuda winner in a title unification bout at a later date.
Suda (9-5-0) has battled ups and downs during the past year, but her two victories during that time have both been impressive ones. She submitted Yuko Kiryu with a second-round rear-naked choke in March and took a clear Unanimous Decision win against Kate “Lotus” Oyama at Deep Jewels 42. On that same card, Kitamura (1-1-0) scored a first-round TKO victory over Eru Takebayashi when the doctor stopped the fight. Kitamura was hurt multiple times in the brief fight, but she landed a single counter hook that broke Takebayashi’s jaw and the bout was waved off.
In flyweight action, Aoi Kuriyama (5-5-1), who scored a crushing one-punch knockout win in her Rizin debut in June, battles Momoko Saito (0-1-0). Battle-tested veterans Hikaru Aono (9-7-0) and Sadae “Manhoef” Numata (6-4-1) meet in a 49.5kg contest. Momoko Yamazaki (3-5-0) looks to get back on track when she faces Koyuki (0-1-0) in a 44kg microweight bout. At bantamweight, Marina Kumagai (3-5-0) faces Tae “Te-a” Murayama (3-4-0), and undefeated flyweight prospect Yuka “Dosukoi” Okutomi (2-0-0) battles Hitomi Taniyama (1-1-0).
Rounding out the card, Mana Akagi (1-2-0) meets Chieko Hosoya (2-1-0) at bantamweight, Kimika “Jaka” Kawaguchi (0-1-0) returns to face Chucky Ruby (1-0-0 amateur) in a 44kg microweight bout, Yua Yokose faces Rizin FF ring girl Akipi in a 54kg grappling match, Mayumi “Super Benkei” Aoki (7-11-0) takes on Yuko “Pochan Z” Matsuura (0-5-0) in an open-weight bout, and Sarah (4-2-0 amateur) faces Miku Yokose (1-0-0 amateur) in a 50kg amateur matchup.
Deep Jewels 43 takes place on November 23rd at New Pier Hall in Tokyo, Japan.
Deep Jewels 43 Fight Card (to date; subject to change):
– Arisa Matsuda vs Machi Fukuda [Interim Strawweight Title Bout – 3×5]
– Moeri Suda vs Saki Kitamura [49kg Bout – 2×5]
– Aoi Kuriyama vs Momoko Saito [Flyweight Bout – 2×5]
– Hikaru Aono vs Sadae “Manhoef” Numata [49.5kg Bout – 2×5]
– Momoko Yamazaki vs Koyuki [44kg Microweight Bout – 2×5]
– Marina Kumagai vs Tae “Te-a” Murayama [Bantamweight Bout – 2×5]
– Yuka “Dosukoi” Okutomi vs Hitomi Taniyama [Flyweight Bout – 2×5]
– Mana Akagi vs Chieko Hosoya [Bantamweight Bout – 2×5]
– Kimika “Jaka” Kawaguchi vs Chucky Ruby [44kg Microweight Bout – 2×5]
– Yua Yokose vs Akipi [54kg Grappling Match – 1×5]
– Mayumi “Super Benkei” Aoki vs Yuko “Pochan Z” Matsuura [Open-Weight Bout – 2×5]
– Sarah vs Miku Yokose [Amateur 50kg Bout – 2×3]
(Photo Credit: Deep Jewels)