Former Shoot Boxing Japan Women’s Flyweight Champion Ai Takahashi picked up a dominant victory in her return to action tonight at Shoot Boxing 2013: Act.1 in Tokyo, Japan. Takahashi stopped late-replacement opponent Mi-Jeon Chan midway through the third and final round of a lopsided bout.
In other action on tonight’s card, J-Girls Mini Flyweight Champion Momi made a successful shoot boxing debut by defeating JKS48 Shoot Boxing Women’s Minimumweight Champion Mio Tsumura in a closely contested fight. Elsewhere, veteran Miyo Yoshida made quick work of Heejin Yoo.
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Two more bouts have been added to the upcoming Jewels: “23rd Ring” card on March 30th in Tokyo, Japan. Jewels Featherweight Queen Champion Naho “Sugi Rock” Sugiyama looks to rebound from the first loss of her pro career when she takes on Norway’s Celine Haga in a non-title matchup.
In other action on the card, Jewels producer and matchmaker Yasuko “Pink Spider” Mogi faces Takumi Umehara, who debuted for Jewels in December. The fights join a previously announced contender’s bout between grappling specialists Mika “Future Princess” Nagano and Emi Tomimatsu on the card.
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Strawweight standout Felice “Lil’ Bulldog” Herrig looks to build upon her current three-fight winning streak when she squares off against Jackson’s MMA prospect “Hurricane” Heather Clark at Bellator 94 on March 28th in Tampa, Florida. The featured matchup will be contested at 115 pounds.
MMARising.com confirmed plans for the bout with multiple sources close to the negotiations. Herrig made a successful return to Bellator in December with a lopsided Unanimous Decision win over rival “Little” Patricia Vidonic. Clark has earned finishes in all five wins and now makes her Bellator debut.
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Newly-crowned Bantamweight Queen of Pancrase Rin Nakai will return to action on May 19th at Pancrase 247 in Tokyo, Japan. Nakai faces unbeaten KOTC Junior Flyweight Champion Brenda “Boom Boom” Gonzales in a non-title bantamweight matchup. The bout was officially announced today.
Nakai captured the Pancrase women’s title under dubious circumstances in December by defeating Danielle West in a controversial bout that banned West from winning the fight due to a weight disparity. Gonzales claimed the KOTC title in October and retained the belt with a TKO victory in December.
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A third women’s bout has been added to this Friday’s Shoot Boxing 2013: Act.1 card at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan. Former Shoot Boxing Japan Women’s Flyweight Champion Ai Takahashi returns to action to face South Korea’s Hyo Kyung Song in a 60kg matchup announced earlier today.
Takahashi advanced on to the finals of the 2012 Shoot Boxing Girls S-Cup 53.5 tournament before falling to teen prodigy Mizuki Inoue in August. She rebounded with a TKO victory under kickboxing rules in December. Song remains in search of her first shoot boxing win after debuting this past year.
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Texas-based strawweight prospects Jordan Nicole “Ninja Princess” Gaza and Amber “The Apex Predator” Stautzenberger have agreed to face off in a featured matchup at Dakota Fighting Championships 15 on April 20th in Fargo, North Dakota. The bout was officially announced for the card today.
Both Gaza and Stautzenberger rebounded from close losses to “12 Gauge” Paige VanZant with impressive submission victories in their most recent fights. Gaza defeated the previously unbeaten Kathina “Kill Switch” Catron, while Stautzenberger made quick work of Summer Artherton in January.
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A neck injury has forced welterweight rising star Rory “Ares” MacDonald out of his planned rematch with “The Natural Born Killer” Carlos Condit at UFC 158: “St. Pierre vs Diaz” on March 16th in Montréal, Québec, Canada. Condit will now battle hard-hitting contender Johny “Bigg Rigg” Hendricks.
With Hendricks moved into the fight with Condit, his original opponent on the card, Jake “The Juggernaut” Ellenberger, now welcomes former Strikeforce Welterweight Champion Nate “The Great” Marquardt back to the UFC. Both 170-pound fights were first reported by MMAjunkie.com on Monday.
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For the first time in its short history, Invicta Fighting Championships is set to implement random drug testing for the upcoming Invicta FC 5 event on April 5th in Kansas City, Missouri. Testing will be conducted by an independent anti-doping agency in conjunction with the Missouri Office of Athletics.
Invicta FC president Shannon Knapp told MMARising.com on Sunday night that the testing will be used to provide a level playing field for each athlete. Invicta FC 5 competitors were informed of the new policy in late January. Fighters will be tested on a randomly selected basis prior to each event.
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