Weigh-ins for tomorrow’s Jewels: “19th Ring” event were held at P’s LAB in Osaka, Japan on Friday. Headliners Ayaka Hamasaki and Yuka “Vale Tudo Queen” Tsuji successfully hit the marks for their Jewels Lightweight Queen Championship bout, which will be contested over three rounds.

Jewels Featherweight Queen Champion Naho “Sugi Rock” Sugiyama came in overweight for her non-title rematch with final Valkyrie titleholder Yasuko “Ikuko” Tamada. Sugiyama will begin tomorrow’s co-main event bout with a yellow card. All other main card participants made weight without issue.

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Two of MMA’s top amateur prospects, Jessica Philippus and “Lightning” Liz McCarthy, will turn pro and face off in a 105-pound bout at Invicta Fighting Championships 2 on July 28th in Kansas City, Kansas. MMARising.com confirmed plans for the matchup with multiple sources this week.

Philippus brings a seven-fight winning streak into her pro debut and most recently captured her third amateur title with a first-round submission victory earlier this month. McCarthy has yet to taste defeat in her MMA career and holds three amateur championships in three different weight classes.

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A one-night kickboxing tournament and four additional bouts have been announced for Saturday’s Jewels: “19th Ring” event at Azalea Taisho Hall in Osaka, Japan. Tournament participants are Kaoru Chatani, Akari Nakamura, Megumi and Momoka. Semi-final matchups will be determined this week.

Also confirmed for the card was a mixed martial arts bout between veteran Mayumi “Super Benkei” Aoki and newcomer Keiko Tomita. Aoki returns to MMA competition for the first time since 2010. Rounding out the action on the night’s undercard will be a trio of amateur kickboxing matches.

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Standout wrestler Carla Esparza and jiu-jitsu specialist Sarah “White Tiger” Schneider will meet in a strawweight bout at Invicta Fighting Championships 2 on July 28th in Kansas City, Kansas. MMARising.com confirmed plans for the fight this week. Both fighters are coming off of impressive victories.

Also added to the card today was a flyweight battle between Jocelyn “Lights Out” Lybarger and Canadian Cheryl Chan. The amateur titleholders join the pro ranks on the card. Lybarger captured the Tuff-N-Uff 125-pound title this past month. Chan holds three championships and has won four straight.

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International stars collide on July 28th when Strikeforce veteran Amanda “Lioness of the Ring” Nunes takes on Milana Dudieva at Invicta Fighting Championships 2 in Kansas City, Kansas. The featured bantamweight matchup was announced for the event’s main card earlier today.

Brazil’s Nunes has tasted defeat just once in her past seven fights, with all six of her wins coming via a form of knockout. Her lengthy winning streak came to an end in September at the hands of Alexis Davis. Dudieva has competed exclusively in her native Russia and has not lost since 2009.

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Brazilian standout Vanessa Porto will compete on U.S. soil for the first time since 2008 when she battles Kelly “Blood Red” Kobold at Invicta Fighting Championships 2 on July 28th in Kansas City, Kansas. The bantamweight matchup was officially announced for the event’s main card today.

Porto has won seven of her past eight fights, with the lone blemish coming against Strikeforce veteran Amanda “Lioness of the Ring” Nunes. All but one of her career wins have come inside the distance. Kobold returned from a three-year hiatus and scored a quick submission victory in April 2011.

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Competing for the first time since September, Rin Nakai kept her unbeaten record intact with a quick victory tonight at Pancrase Progress Tour 6 in Koza, Okinawa, Japan. Nakai submitted pro wrestling veteran Kyoko Kimura with a first-round armbar in the night’s bantamweight co-main event.

Okinawa’s first female mixed martial artist, Kikuyo Ishikawa, bounced back from a decision loss in December by defeating a game but overmatched Shino VanHoose. Ishikawa overwhelmed her 16-year-old opponent with kicks and strong ground and pound en route to a Unanimous Decision win.

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The Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix reached its conclusion tonight at Strikeforce: “Barnett vs Cormier” from HP Pavilion in San Jose, California. In the tournament final, former UFC titleholder Josh “The Warmaster” Barnett battled Daniel Cormier to determine the grand prix champion.

Also tonight, Strikeforce Lightweight Champion Gilbert “El Niño” Melendez put his title on the line against rival Josh Thomson in a trilogy bout, while light heavyweights Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante and Mike “MAK” Kyle faced off for a second time. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for the event.

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