Before she makes her long-awaited pro MMA debut next month, 16-year-old Yukari Yamaguchi first competes in a kickboxing match on Sunday night at “J-Girls X Shoot Boxing” in Tokyo, Japan. The highly-touted Yamaguchi is set to face off against shoot boxing veteran Michi Nakamura on the card.

J-Girls officials announced the 105-pound matchup this week. Yamaguchi is coming off of a 97-second destruction of Midori Kato in March. Nakamura has won three straight fights under shoot boxing rules and most recently avenged a past loss by defeating prospect Yusa Tachi in November.

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Competing for the first time in close to two years, Kinberly Novaes earned a big win in front of her hometown fans on Sunday night at Noxii Combat 1 in Joinville, Santa Catarina, Brazil. Novaes defeated Renata “Wand” Baldan to become the inaugural Noxii Combat Women’s Strawweight Champion.

Elsewhere on the Noxii Combat 1 card, Caroline “Carol” Correia rebounded after suffering her first professional loss and edged out Daiana Torquato in an entertaining strawweight bout. Undefeated bantamweight Taila Santos made short work of an overmatched Ana “Furacão” Paula and moved to 9-0.

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The Ultimate Fighting Championship came to Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay, Metro Manila, Philippines tonight for UFC Fight Night 66: “Edgar vs Faber.” The event was headlined by a five-round featherweight showdown between Frankie “The Answer” Edgar and “The California Kid” Urijah Faber.

Also on tonight’s card, Gegard “The Dreamcatcher” Mousasi battled Costas Philippou in the middleweight co-feature. In other action at 185 pounds, fan favourite Mark “The Filipino Wrecking Machine” Munoz competed for the final time in his mixed martial arts career against Luke “Bigslow” Barnatt.

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MMA pioneer Tara LaRosa put an end to her three-fight losing skid with a well-deserved Unanimous Decision victory tonight at Fusion Fight League: “Epic Evolution” in Billings, Montana. The 13-year veteran defeated a game but outmatched Katie Howard in the 120-pound catchweight main event.

Tonight’s Fusion Fight League card featured three additional women’s bouts including a 110-pound professional fight that saw Kyra “Mogwai” Batara rally to defeat veteran Celine Haga. Batara took control of the competitive fight in rounds two and three and walked away with a Unanimous Decision victory.

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J-Girls Mini Flyweight Champion Momi Furuta returns to shoot boxing competition on May 24th in a featured matchup at “J-Girls X Shoot Boxing” in Tokyo, Japan. Furuta is set to face off against shoot boxing veteran Akari “Union” Nakamura, who brings a five-fight winning streak into the 48kg bout.

Furuta bounced back from a WPMF title loss in December by defeating Hye-Young Park this past month. The standout striker holds a notable 2013 shoot boxing win over two-time JKS48 champion Mio Tsumura. Nakamura lost a decision to Tsumura in early 2014, but has since won five in a row.

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Juliana “Ju Thai” de Lima Carneiro has received a new opponent for her upcoming strawweight bout on May 30th at UFC Fight Night 67: “Condit vs Alves” in Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil. Lima, who was originally scheduled to face Jessica Penne, now meets Jungle Fight champion Ericka Almeida.

Globo first reported on the targeted bout on Tuesday. Lima most recently picked up her first Octagon victory when she defeated Nina “The Strina” Ansaroff at UFC Fight Night 56. The undefeated Almeida has torn through the competition in Brazil and now makes her much-anticipated UFC debut.

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TUF 18 semi-finalist Sarah “Cheesecake” Moras steps back into the UFC Octagon on July 15th at UFC Fight Night 71: “Mir vs Duffee” in San Diego, California. Moras is set to face off against Brazilian contender Jéssica “Bate Estaca” Andrade in a featured bantamweight matchup on the card.

UFC officials announced the fight on Tuesday. Moras has won back-to-back fights and she most recently eked out a Split Decision victory over Alexis “Sneaky Zebra” Dufresne at the TUF 19 Finale. Andrade recently had her three-fight winning streak snapped by a submission setback in February.

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2014 Shoot Boxing Japan Girls S-Cup Champion Yukari Yamaguchi is set to make her long-awaited pro MMA debut on June 21st at Vale Tudo Japan: “VTJ In Osaka” in Osaka, Japan. The highly-touted 16-year-old faces off against Mikiko Hiyama under “VTJ Next” rules on the preliminary card.

The Megumi Fujii-booked fight between Yamaguchi and Hiyama is one of two “VTJ Next” prospects bouts on the card that will be contested using three 3:00 rounds. In the second “VTJ Next” female fight, 17-year-old Kanna Asakura looks to stay unbeaten when she battles Miyuki Furusawa.

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