All main card fighters successfully made weight today for this weekend’s Jewels: “20th Ring” card in Tokyo, Japan. The event takes place tomorrow afternoon at Differ Ariake and will be headlined by a 52-kilogram rematch between former Smackgirl rivals “V.V” Mei Yamaguchi and Emi Tomimatsu.

Other main card bouts include a kickboxing match between NJKF Bonita Boxeo champion Kozue “Azuma” Nagashima and South Korean challenger Ji Yun Kim and a battle between top Jewels star Shizuka Sugiyama and MMA pioneer Megumi Yabushita. Weigh-in results are available below.

Read More…

Fifteen-year-old kickboxing champion Seira Aragaki returns to Jewels for the first time in over a year at Jewels: “20th Ring” on Saturday in Tokyo, Japan. The J-Girls and two-division M-1 titleholder faces off against South Korean taekwondo champ Hyo Kyung Song in a three-round shoot boxing match.

Aragaki made her debut for Jewels at “15th Ring” in July 2011 and earned a Unanimous Decision victory over Wano Sato. She is regarded as one of Japan’s top young female kickboxers. Song makes her first appearance for Jewels on Saturday and joins teammate Ji Yun Kim on the “20th Ring” card.

Read More…

Next Saturday’s Invicta Fighting Championships 2 event has undergone a late change as Austria’s Jasminka Cive has been forced out of her bout with Jewels champ Ayaka Hamasaki. Lacey “The Ladie” Schuckman now faces Hamasaki on the card, which takes place in Kansas City, Kansas.

The change was officially announced by the promotion today and comes after Cive was unable to secure a visa in time to compete. Hamasaki has yet to taste defeat as a professional and is one of Japan’s most skilled female fighters. Schuckman has posted wins in four of her past six fights.

Read More…

Former top welterweight contenders Jake “The Juggernaut” Ellenberger and Josh Koscheck will look to get back in the title hunt when they face off at UFC 151: “Jones vs Henderson” on September 1st in Las Vegas, Nevada. The bout was officially announced today and serves as the co-main event.

Ellenberger appeared to be one win away from a shot at the UFC Interim Welterweight Championship before his six-fight winning streak was snapped by Martin “The Hitman” Kampmann on June 1st. Koscheck is coming off of a Split Decision loss to fellow wrestler Johny Hendricks at UFC on FOX 3.

Read More…

On Monday night, top amateur prospect Tecia “The Tiny Tornado” Torres captured her third MMA title at American Battle Championship: “Rumble at Renegades 11” in West Palm Beach, Florida. Torres defeated Amber “The Apex Predator” Stautzenberger for the ABC 115-pound championship.

In a span of just ten months, Torres has become MMA’s premier amateur female competitor and she has totalled wins over some of the top fighters in the 115-pound amateur division. Now training with the renowned American Top Team in Florida, Torres plans to make her professional debut this Fall.

Read More…

Five kickboxing matches have been added to Saturday’s Jewels: “20th Ring” event at Differ Ariake in Tokyo, Japan. Among them is a three-round bout between NJKF Bonita Boxeo champ and Jewels veteran Kozue “Azuma” Nagashima and South Korean amateur boxing champion Ji Yun Kim.

Thirteen-year-old “Muay Thai Genius” Saya Ito, a veteran of 84 fights, faces off against Emi Matsushita on the card, while Ito’s teammate Miiri Sasaki battles Kayoko Yamazaki. In 52kg amateur tournament action, Wano Sato faces Mari Suzuki and Reina Matsuda squares off against Ayumi Otaki.

Read More…

Nearly two years after the September 24, 2010 Ultimate Women Challenge competition took place in St. George, Utah, results for the six professional bouts have been released at last. Among the reality show’s winners were Invicta FC competitor Kaitlin Young and flyweight veteran Angela Magana.

MMARising.com first obtained a copy of the results in January 2011, but the show became shrouded in legal controversy and the results were placed under an embargo by the Pete Suazo Utah Athletic Commission. Director Bill Colbert officially approved the release of the results this week.

Read More…

Grappling specialist Lisa Ellis picked up a quick and impressive submission win on Saturday night at United Combat Sports: “Caged Combat 6” in Grand Ronde, Oregon. Ellis defeated Muay Thai practitioner Amy “Lil’ Dynamite” Davis with a first-round armbar to capture the UCS 110-pound women’s title.

Also on Saturday, “Little” Patricia Vidonic got back on the winning track with one of her biggest victories to date at CageSport 20 in Tacoma, Washington. Vidonic showcased some solid ground and pound in the later rounds to earn a Unanimous Decision win over local fan favourite “Slick” Sally Krumdiack.

Read More…