MMARising.com reports live from the famed Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan tonight for Jewels: “Eleventh Ring.” The promotion’s stacked year-end card featured the final two rounds of the Jewels Lightweight Queen Tournament, as well as the finals of all three 2010 Rough Stone Grand Prixs.
Also on the card, Jewels stars Hiroko Yamanaka and Shizuka Sugiyama were both in action when they faced Molly “The Maulinator” Helsel and Esui, respectively, while Saori “Shooting Star” Ishioka battled Yuko “Amiba” Oya in a reserve bout. Live play-by-play for the event is available below.
World Extreme Cagefighting held its final event tonight at the Jobing.com Arena in Glendale, Arizona. WEC 53: “Henderson vs Pettis” was headlined by a thrilling WEC Lightweight Championship bout between champion Ben “Smooth” Henderson and top contender Anthony “Showtime” Pettis.
Four months ago, Saori “Shooting Star” Ishioka was defeated in the opening round of the Jewels Lightweight Queen Tournament and her career looked to hang in the balance. From thoughts of retirement to a new focus, Ishioka now finds herself in a tournament reserve bout at Jewels: “Eleventh Ring.”
As one of the postergirls of the Jewels promotion, Mika “Future Princess” Nagano is known equally for her looks and for her in-ring skill. However, a loss earlier this year ignited a new passion for training that Nagano hopes will propel her to her first major MMA title at Jewels: “Eleventh Ring.”
At age five, Shizuka Sugiyama moved from her home in New York City to a new world in Japan. At 18, she earned a black belt in karate in just three months. Now 23, she is one of the best-known fighters in Jewels and faces Mongolia’s Esui in a featured bout at Jewels: “Eleventh Ring” on Friday.
As one of the top stars in Jewels, Hiroko Yamanaka planned to welcome Olympic medallist Randi Miller to Jewels on Friday by handing her the first defeat of her MMA career. However, after a last-minute opponent change, Yamanaka was unsure whether she would be able to compete at all.
Weigh-ins were held today at the Official DEEP Gym in Tokyo, Japan for Friday’s Jewels: “Eleventh Ring” event and all fighters successfully made weight. The first Jewels Lightweight (115-Pound) Queen Champion will be crowned on the card when Seo Hee Ham, Mika Nagano, Sakura Nomura and Ayaka Hamasaki all compete for the title.
The second annual Women’s Mixed Martial Arts Awards are currently being constructed for the 2010 calendar year and will recognise many outstanding accomplishments by female fighters in the sport. This year’s awards will feature over a dozen categories including one that is open to the public.