tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55072667754864224462024-03-12T22:35:09.076-07:00CJ's ReportI write about MMA, Kickboxing, Muay Thai. I also translate blogs and articles from Japanese to Englishcharliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04181810450067771465noreply@blogger.comBlogger152125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5507266775486422446.post-60520264050816273722017-11-28T14:04:00.001-08:002017-11-28T14:04:45.083-08:00Mizuki out with injury<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://cdn.fansided.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/229/files/2014/11/8-MizukiInoue-850x560.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="527" data-original-width="800" height="210" src="https://cdn.fansided.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/229/files/2014/11/8-MizukiInoue-850x560.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Mizuki Inoue has been forced off of the Invicta 26 card with an injury to a ligament in her left elbow. She is expected to recover fully within three months. Given the opportunity to fight inside of Japan with a taped elbow, Mizuki refused, stating that she is only interested in fighting for Invicta FC and the UFC. At Invicta 26, Mizuki was expected to return from over a year long absence that resulted from dual knee surgeries. With the news of her being forced off of next weeks card, some people seemed concerned that she had re-injured her knee. That is not the case as the surgeries were both successful and her knees are back at 100%.charliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04181810450067771465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5507266775486422446.post-31730121752793722642017-10-12T09:00:00.000-07:002017-10-12T09:00:46.979-07:00Miyuu Yamamoto Interview<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
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<a href="https://d1uzk9o9cg136f.cloudfront.net/f/16782696/rc/2017/07/30/e8083bf142b4acc19ca47306a04db01665f7ce89_xlarge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="533" height="400" src="https://d1uzk9o9cg136f.cloudfront.net/f/16782696/rc/2017/07/30/e8083bf142b4acc19ca47306a04db01665f7ce89_xlarge.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Below is our interview with Rizin's Miyuu Yamamoto. Miyuu is competing in Rizin's women's tournament and will face Irene Rivera on October 15th in the first round. We would like to thank Miyuu for taking the time to answer our questions.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">--------</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">1. You made your debut after a very successful wrestling career and after you were 40 years old. Can you talk about why you got into MMA? What was the decision process like?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Miyuu</b>: I was training for the 2016 Olympics but I couldn't compete at the Olympic trials (somehow) even though I got my Canadian citizenship. It hurt me pretty bad but I didn't wanna stop training. Because I work hard everyday. So I decided to continue wrestling for the 2017 worlds. But my heart wasn't there and I couldn't focus on my training. At the same time Mr. Sakakibara was asking me to fight for Rizin. I guess that was the right timing for him to ask me lol I was looking for a new passion, like a new mountain to climb. It seems like a big decision to make but it wasn't for me lol. Just like a kid who found a new toy <img alt="😁" class="CToWUd" data-goomoji="1f601" goomoji="1f601" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/e/1f601" style="margin: 0px 0.2ex; max-height: 24px; vertical-align: middle;" /></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">2. What is it like being in the Yamamoto family? Many outside of Japan may not realize that your father was an Olympic wrestler, your sister was a world champion wrestler, your son is very rlented wrestler and MMA athlete, and your brother is Kid Yamamoto?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Miyuu</b>: Hmmmmm surrounded by people with strong personalities lol (I definitely am one of them lol) Training is great! My bro is our coach and I still can't believe and it amazes me that I train with my son! I never thought my life would be like this! I just can't thank god enough. This is the best part of my MMA life. I was living in Canada, my son was living in Hungary, my bro (KID) lives in Japan but now were are all living in the same place!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">3. What is it like training for and fighting on the same events as your son, Erson?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Miyuu:</b> Sorry, if I answer in the same way but it's amazing! Like I said, I never thought something like this would happen but oh my life! This makes me thing that everything has a reason, I couldnt make the Olympics because of this! The best thing was waiting for me <img alt="😊" class="CToWUd" data-goomoji="1f60a" goomoji="1f60a" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/e/1f60a" style="margin: 0px 0.2ex; max-height: 24px; vertical-align: middle;" /><img alt="🙏" class="CToWUd" data-goomoji="1f64f" goomoji="1f64f" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/e/1f64f" style="margin: 0px 0.2ex; max-height: 24px; vertical-align: middle;" />🏽</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">4. In your last fight, you picked up your first win. Your wrestling looked great, but you also seemed to have real punching power. What was it like getting your first win and can you talk about the fight a bit?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Miyuu</b>: I believed in myself, my team and everything I'd done for that fight. But still that was a crazy happy feeling lol, my corner was crazier lol. My son, BJJ coach and Muay Thai coach were my corner. If you watch my fight again you'd laugh because they were crazy lol. Anyways, yes I wanted to keep standing for the fight. Because I've worked on my boxing too. But the last round Cassie kept coming forward (she is such a fighter <span lang="EN-US"> </span><span lang="EN-US"><span style="margin-left: 0.2ex; margin-right: 0.2ex;"><img alt="👍" class="CToWUd" data-goomoji="1f44d" goomoji="1f44d" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/e/1f44d" style="margin: 0px 0.2ex; max-height: 24px; vertical-align: middle;" /></span>🏽) so it was like a reaction to take the shot. A habit. But I was happy that I finally won a fight.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://d1uzk9o9cg136f.cloudfront.net/f/16782696/rc/2017/07/30/165f6914b99af4145bfb7b85ccd7af787ddb35bd_xlarge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="212" src="https://d1uzk9o9cg136f.cloudfront.net/f/16782696/rc/2017/07/30/165f6914b99af4145bfb7b85ccd7af787ddb35bd_xlarge.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Miyuu when the fight was over</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">5. Your next opponent, Irene, has a record of 6-4 and is quite larger than you. Can you talk about your opponent and the fight and how you expect it to go?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Miyuu</b>: Well I think almost everyone has a larger record because I'm a rookie <img alt="😜" class="CToWUd" data-goomoji="1f61c" goomoji="1f61c" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/e/1f61c" style="margin: 0px 0.2ex; max-height: 24px; vertical-align: middle;" />. So I'm just gonna drag them into "my fight" and show the world what I got. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">6. If all goes well, you may fight Rena again in the tournament. How would you fight a second fight with her differently? Are there any other fighters that stick out to you in the tournament?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Miyuu</b>: Yeah, we will probably fight again in this tournament. It wouldn't be the same for sure. We both have progressed, like her grappling and wrestling have gotten better and my standing has gotten better. That's all I can say for now lol. Those girls are good fighters and I will be prepared for anyone.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">7. Can you talk about your training? It looks like a lot of Krazy Bee has moved down to the new gym in Okinawa, what has that been like? What is your schedule like? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Miyuu</b>: Yes, we just opened up the new Krazy Bee gym its called Krazy Bee Itoman (That's where the gym is in Okinawa). It is not as big as Krazy Bee Tokyo and we just started, but all my coaches are great. Our head coach, Kid, is great <img alt="👍" class="CToWUd" data-goomoji="1f44d" goomoji="1f44d" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/e/1f44d" style="margin: 0px 0.2ex; max-height: 24px; vertical-align: middle;" />🏽. He teaches us not only MMA training but also how to take care of our bodies. He studies a lot about nutrition and condition training and stuff. We have Muay Thai, BJJ, no-gi, wrestling and boxing. Just like any other fighter.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">8. You competed on the highest stage of wrestling, what are the similarities and differences to MMA?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Miyuu</b>: They are both the same in that we have to beat anyone standing in front of us lol. Differences are MMA has so many more painful possibilities to get hit with lol. And it's very different feeling when I walk into the MMA ring. I can't explain exactly but you really have to be ready for war. That's pretty crazy and exciting feeling, I can't get that feeling from wrestling. It's just different.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">9. Can you talk about what you do in your free time, what stuff do you do outside of the gym?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Miyuu</b>: Chasing my kids lol. They make me crazy in many ways (driving me crazy and crazy happy lol). Raising the kids is what I'm doing when I'm not trying lol. Go to the beach of being lazy at home. Watching the movies in my bed....just like a regular mom I think? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">10. Is there anything you would like to say or anyone you would like to thank?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Miyuu</b>: I would like to thank so many people that support me and my family. My brother KID, I know its not easy to teach family members (I talk back to him sometimes...that's because I'm his sis but that's wrong because he is my coach) but he is still here for my son and me. He doesn't give up on us. I'm the luckiest fighter that I have an amazing coach like hi,</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">And my kids...Erson, Ernon and Mia. Sometimes I feel bad that their mom is always choosing a crazy lifestyle that they have to deal with. But they know I love to live on the edge and I can't live without them lol. They are my everything! They got my back <span lang="EN-US"><img alt="😜" class="CToWUd" data-goomoji="1f61c" goomoji="1f61c" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/e/1f61c" style="margin: 0px 0.2ex; max-height: 24px; vertical-align: middle;" /></span><span lang="EN-US"><img alt="❤" class="CToWUd" data-goomoji="2764" goomoji="2764" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/e/2764" style="margin: 0px 0.2ex; max-height: 24px; vertical-align: middle;" /></span><span lang="EN-US">️</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">And my dad, mom, other family members, coaches, teammates, friends and fans! I wouldn't be here without them! Huge thank you to all <span lang="EN-US"> </span><span lang="EN-US"><img alt="🙏" class="CToWUd" data-goomoji="1f64f" goomoji="1f64f" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/e/1f64f" style="margin: 0px 0.2ex; max-height: 24px; vertical-align: middle;" />🏽</span><span lang="EN-US"><img alt="❤" class="CToWUd" data-goomoji="2764" goomoji="2764" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/e/2764" style="margin: 0px 0.2ex; max-height: 24px; vertical-align: middle;" /></span><span lang="EN-US">️</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">P.S. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">In case if you didn't know I will win the tournament (shhhhhh)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>charliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04181810450067771465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5507266775486422446.post-81575922622876926542017-10-11T08:43:00.000-07:002017-10-11T08:43:00.064-07:00Andy Nguyen Interview<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.tapology.com/letterbox_images/34496/default/Andy_Nguyen.jpg?1502169918" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="602" height="212" src="https://images.tapology.com/letterbox_images/34496/default/Andy_Nguyen.jpg?1502169918" width="320" /></a></div>
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1. Can you talk about how you got involved in MMA?<br />
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<b>Andy</b>: I've always been a tomboy. I Saw a sold out MMA event at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and there were two female fighters at 115lbs and I wanted to do it. It was 7 years ago when MMA got legalized in South Carolina.<br />
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2. You train with the Karate Mafia MMA. What is it like training there and with Andrea Lee?<br />
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<b>Andy</b>: She's my best friend. She's so informative. So is our coach which is her husband, Donny Aaron. She's sweet and we laugh allot. I've been training there for 2-3 years.<br />
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3. How did you find out that you will be part of the Rizin Women's Grand Prix? What would it mean to you to win the $90,000 grand prize at the end of the year?<br />
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<b>Andy</b>: I knew about the tournament like 6 months ago. Winning the whole tournament is something I've never dreamed of. I saw Cro Cop win at age 40 or something New Years Eve & I was so impressed. I can buy my mommy a house so she doesn't have to work anymore.<br />
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4. This won't be your first fight for Rizin. Can you talk about your first experience fighting for Rizin? There is also a chance that you may face your old opponent Miyuu again, what are your thoughts on that?<br />
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<b>Andy</b>: Rizin was breathtaking. I cherished each moment. You can see me breathing deeply during the weigh ins. (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yc-U9yzskTg" target="_blank">Video</a>) They were so professional and helpful. They know how to throw a New Years Even Fight Party. Miyuu is like wine. She gets better with age.<br />
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<a href="https://d1uzk9o9cg136f.cloudfront.net/f/16782696/rc/2016/12/31/e1b349382ff90a1327d58c402a0f20cda2bd14a1_xlarge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="213" src="https://d1uzk9o9cg136f.cloudfront.net/f/16782696/rc/2016/12/31/e1b349382ff90a1327d58c402a0f20cda2bd14a1_xlarge.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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5. In your last fight you came out with a cowboy hat to American woman (at Rizin), any hints on what your next entrance will be like? You've been doing some promotional work for the Japanese fans. What has this been like? What are your thoughts on the Japanese fans?<br />
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<b>Andy</b>: Well it is a different venue. Hopefully its long enough for a strip tease lol. Yeah, I bought a VIP ticket (front row) & they will sit next to my sponsor. Just showing the Japanese fans they are appreciated. Japanese fans are very conservative and respectful. Not like a bunch of drunks from UFC lol.<br />
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6. Your first fight will be against Rena. Rena is one of Rizin's big stars. Can you talk about fighting her? What are your thoughts on her and how do you think the fight will play out?<br />
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<b>Andy</b>: She's a great undefeated fighter. She's young, beautiful & hungry. I'm old but I'm starving.<br />
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7. You are coming off of a tough loss, are you changing anything up before the tournament, if so what?<br />
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<b>Andy</b>: I had a bad elbow. I should have not taken the fight. I was on prednisone. I even asked the doctor to clear me. I was fighting 65-70% of my potential for 5 rounds. I don't regret it, I'm healthier now.<br />
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8. What are your goals in MMA?<br />
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<b>Andy</b>: To be the best I can be and retire with great experience and credentials so I can pass my knowledge to the future of WMMA.<br />
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9. What do you like to do in your free time when you are not training?<br />
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<b>Andy</b>: Travel, shop, and comedy shows. It doesn't have to be big names. I've had more fun with smaller names.<br />
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10. Is there anything you would like to say or anyone you would like to thank?<br />
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<b>Andy</b>: Thank you for welcoming back in to Japan! I love you guys and I cannot wait to put on a show!<br />
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<br />charliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04181810450067771465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5507266775486422446.post-55945215547271160242017-10-10T08:24:00.000-07:002017-10-10T08:24:53.710-07:00Alyssa Garcia Interview<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://usatmmajunkie.files.wordpress.com/2017/05/alyssa-garcia-josh-barnett.jpg?w=1000&h=600&crop=1" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://usatmmajunkie.files.wordpress.com/2017/05/alyssa-garcia-josh-barnett.jpg?w=1000&h=600&crop=1" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of MMAJUNKIE</td></tr>
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Below is our interview with Alyssa "Tiny Tim" Garcia, who will be facing Maria Olivera on October 15th in the first round of the RIZIN Women's Grand Prix. Please enjoy and thank you to Alyssa for taking the time to answer our questions.<br />
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1. Can you talk about how you got involved with MMA? What was the process like?<br />
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<b>Alyssa</b>: I was wrestling in college, right out of high school, and I was at a CC so it's a men's team and the lowest weight class was 125. So I trained and competed a little with them but my shoulders were giving out, so my brother said "do jiu jitsu". I was hesitant at first because I am such a fan of wrestling and the grittiness of the sport. I started training and teaching kids wrestling at a local gym and three months into training I had my first amateur fight, and fell in love! 8 months after that I had my first pro fight!<br />
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2. This won't be your first fight for Rizin. What was it like fighting for them the first time? Also, how did it feel to fight inside a ring?<br />
<br />
<b>Alyssa</b>: Holy Shit, talk about being thrown to the wolves! I was sent over there to lose, and I used that to my advantage. My coach Josh who has fought for Pride, knew what to expect. Me on the other hand had no idea I'd be fighting in front of 20,000+ people until we landed in Japan! I absolutely loved the experience with RIZIN and the Japanese fans, they love and appreciate us as athletes. I received gifts, was asked for my autograph, asked to take photos, I mean they know the sport and appreciate it. Fighting in a ring was a lot better than I expected, I actually like it better. I used it to my advantage!<br />
<br />
3. What are your thoughts on the tournament? How did you find out you were going to be part of it and what would the $90,000 grand prize mean to you?<br />
<br />
<b>Alyssa</b>: My thoughts on the tournament is "Alyssa Garcia the first ever RIZIN Women's GP World Champion" has a nice fucking ring to it! I'm going in there with confidence, knowing these women all want it, maybe as much as me but not more than me! I train hard, I'm still young and fairly new to the sport but I'm using that to my advantage. They hit me, I'm going to hit harder and faster! I'm very appreciative of this opportunity and when RIZIN asked us to be apart of it about a month and a half ago we jumped on no questions asked! That 90k prize is obviously something we could all use, but it's also a symbol that I'm headed in the right direction. I was working three jobs before I go this RIZIN GP call, so it would help a lot. To be fighting for a check that big says I'm closer and closer to being a full time fighter and all this hard work is paying off like I knew it would.<br />
<br />
4. You will be fighting Olivera out of Brazil. What are your thoughts on your opponent? How do you see the fight going?<br />
<br />
<b>Alyssa</b>: Olivera, she's tough. But I've fought tough, and won. Besides Rena and I, she's the nest toughest girl in this tournament. So to have her first round is nice. Once I get past her, it's a smooth path to the finals. She knows I'm a wrestler and I know she's a Muay Thai striker and I know what she'll be looking for. She's never fought a real wrestler and she will feel the difference<br />
<br />
5. If you win your fight, there is a chance you'll face Kanna Asakura again. Can you talk about your first fight with her and how you see a potential rematch going? Does anyone else in the tournament stick out to you?<br />
<br />
<b>Alyssa</b>: My fight with Kanna was a fight where all odds were against me. I was coming back from a year and a half, I was fighting in the biggest arena of my life in front of her fans, and we knew why we were being sent over there. I stuck to the game plan and everything went as planned, I should've finished that choke in the first round but I believe it was ring rust holding me back. I no longer have ring rust so there's no reason for me not to finish that fight if we meet up again.<br />
<br />
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<br />
6. You're coming off of a loss. Can you talk about anything you've changed or adjusted going into the tournament?<br />
<br />
<b>Alyssa</b>: Yes, my last loss was me beating me. That armbar was not there, I was safe and got cocky, excited, I thought "let's be flashy" so I picked her up and slammed her, and lost position! I gave her that armbar. The changess I've made are my mindset. Play it smart, relax, and execute.<br />
<br />
7. Is there a story behind the nickname "Tiny Tim"?<br />
<br />
<b>Alyssa</b>: I was at one of my very first wrestling practices in high school and dislocated my knee! I had chopped all my hair off, I looked like a little boy. With a gimp knee I still went to practice to watch the practices and learn a little something by watching. I was like 4'10 so my crutches were too big, so I could only use one crutch. So picture, my little boy hair cut, a knee brace, and one crutch, My coach called me Tiny Tim from Christmas Carol limping into practice, and it stuck!<br />
<br />
8. Can you talk about what its like to train with Josh Barnett? Also, can we expect to see you rocking the singlet again?<br />
<br />
<b>Alyssa</b>: Training with Josh is a lot like eating veggies, you hate it but if you want to be the strongest kid you gotta do it! I'm just kidding, it's amazing. The dude's fight IQ is of the charts sometimes. He's made me into the fighter I am in such a small amount of time. He's really upped my fight game, my wrestling and my mentality to the next level. As much as that big ol nerd, is a big ol nerd, I love him and the UWFxUSA team and training with these monsters and weirdos has been one of the greatest things I've been apart of. Well you'll have to wait and see about the singlet, I like to keep secrets! ;)<br />
<br />
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<br />
9. Outside of MMA what kind of stuff do you like to do? Do you have any hobbies ect?<br />
<br />
<b>Alyssa</b>: I mainly just work and train. I'm a big fan of films, I'm a bit of a movie buff. I like good reads too, mostly novels and my comics. I'll be taking some comics with me on that long ass flight to Japan! I like music and collecting music when I can. but everyone knows one of my favorite hobbies is pissing off and annoying Josh any chance I get! It's just so funny!<br />
<br />
10. Is there anything that you would like to say? Anyone you would like to thank?<br />
<br />
<b>Alyssa</b>: I'd like to thank my friends and family who understand and support why I never have time to see them! I'd like to thank Manny, of Tanler pest control who's supported me since the beginning, Rick Alarcon of ATTC who's helped me so much along the way, Jose Camacho of Damage Control who's been with me for a long time also and been an important part of my camps! Defila who's making my awesome fight gear and made that awesome singlet last Rizin event i was in, and CMMA who's let the UWFxUSA team get so much work in there consistently.<br />
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<br />charliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04181810450067771465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5507266775486422446.post-69669389528124915242017-08-26T22:37:00.000-07:002017-08-27T20:19:32.126-07:00Reactions to McGregor FightRena Kubota (Rizin / Shoot Boxing)<br />
<br />
That was great fight😢❤️<br />
I'm happy because of all the excitement towards martial arts!<br />
I want this kind of passion in Japan too!<br />
I must do my best✊🏻💥💥💥<br />
<br />
And then such a passionate fight can unfold here as well (lol)<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-cards="hidden" data-lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="ja">
素敵すぎる闘いでした😢❤️<br />
格闘技が盛り上がって嬉しい!<br />
日本でもこの熱を出したい!<br />
頑張らなきゃ✊🏻💥💥💥<br />
<br />
そして熱い闘いがコチラでも<br />
繰り広げられてました(笑)<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%E3%81%8A%E3%81%AF%E3%81%8E?src=hash">#おはぎ</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%E3%83%95%E3%83%AC%E3%83%B3%E3%83%81%E3%83%96%E3%83%AB%E3%83%89%E3%83%83%E3%82%B0?src=hash">#フレンチブルドッグ</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%E3%81%BF%E3%81%BF%E3%81%A1%E3%82%83%E3%82%93?src=hash">#みみちゃん</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%E3%83%81%E3%83%AF%E3%83%AF%E3%83%80%E3%83%83%E3%82%AF%E3%82%B9?src=hash">#チワワダックス</a> <a href="https://t.co/fyU9Xu6SRp">pic.twitter.com/fyU9Xu6SRp</a></div>
— RENA (@SB_RENA) <a href="https://twitter.com/SB_RENA/status/901674112153600000">August 27, 2017</a></blockquote>
<br />
Kyoji Horiguchi (Rizin)<br />
<br />
Yup~ That was a good time!<br />
One's gotta be able to dream!<br />
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<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
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いや〜楽しかった!<br />
夢を与えられる存在にならないと!</div>
— Kyoji Horiguchi (@kyoji1012) <a href="https://twitter.com/kyoji1012/status/901680816484442112">August 27, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<br />
Kenji Osawa<br />
<br />
McGregor's dream came true after all! Those two men gave us a fight!<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
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マクレガーやっぱり夢見させてくれる!2人が男をあげた試合だった!<br />
<br />
大興奮のメイウェザーvsマクレガーは水曜9時abemaTVの格闘chで! 場所: シャトーamebahttps://www.instagram.com/p/BYSR8yQjOf3/</div>
— Kenji Osawa大沢ケンジ (@kenjiosawa) <a href="https://twitter.com/kenjiosawa/status/901678902808076288">August 27, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<br />
Shizuka Sugiyama (Deep Jewels)<br />
<br />
Only 4 more rounds!<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="ja">
あと4R!</div>
— 杉山しずかshizukasugiyama (@Cisyumm) <a href="https://twitter.com/Cisyumm/status/901667732051050497">August 27, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<br />
Erson Yamamoto (RIZIN)<br />
<br />
Really? This is amazing~<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
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マジか〜。つえ〜。</div>
— 山本 アーセン (@GUM_ERSON) <a href="https://twitter.com/GUM_ERSON/status/901670680021712896">August 27, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<br />
Tenshin (RIZIN / Kickboxing)<br />
<br />
I've realized my goal!<br />
I want to have a fight like that in Japan!<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="ja">
夢を見させてもらいました!<br />
日本でこういう試合がしたい!</div>
— 那須川 天心 (@TeppenTenshin) <a href="https://twitter.com/TeppenTenshin/status/901669800241373186">August 27, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<br />
Yachi Yusuke (RIZIN)<br />
<br />
Mayweather was strong 😆❗️<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="ja">
メイウェザー強かったなー😆❗️</div>
— Yusuke Yachi (@usk_yachi) <a href="https://twitter.com/usk_yachi/status/901684217699909632">August 27, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<br />
Takafumi Otsuka<br />
<br />
It's been a long time since I've seen Mayweather go on the attack like that! That was fun ^_^<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="ja">
あんなに攻めるメイウェザーを観るのは久しぶり!楽しめた^_^</div>
— 大塚隆史 Takafumi Otsuka (@takafumi_otsuka) <a href="https://twitter.com/takafumi_otsuka/status/901669771879505920">August 27, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<br />
Takeya Mizugaki (Former UFC and WEC)<br />
<br />
McGregor vs Mayweather gochisousamadeshita! (what Japanese say after eating a meal)<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="ja">
マクレガーvsメイウェザーご馳走様でしたー!!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DAZN?src=hash">#DAZN</a></div>
— Takeya Mizugaki (@takeya_miz) <a href="https://twitter.com/takeya_miz/status/901674037964750849">August 27, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<br />
Kid Yamamoto (UFC)<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
Conor McGregor win👊 <a href="https://t.co/AGtTG7WmEY">https://t.co/AGtTG7WmEY</a></div>
— kid yamamoto (@KID_KRAZYBEE) <a href="https://twitter.com/KID_KRAZYBEE/status/901637741586382849">August 27, 2017</a></blockquote>
Hayato "Mach" Sakurai<br />
<br />
They aren't fighting like they want to kill eachother. This is a game. Coming to one's hometown with the purpose of conquering the hometown, that is a strong profession.<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="ja">
これは殺し合いじゃない。ゲームなんだ。郷にきたら郷に従え<br />
のように専門職がつよい</div>
— 桜井マッハ速人 (@s_mach_hayato) <a href="https://twitter.com/s_mach_hayato/status/901621494819692548">August 27, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<br />
Syuri Kondo (UFC)<br />
<br />
They are both amazing!!!<br />
This is unbelievable!!!<br />
What an amazing fight!!! It was too fantastic😭<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="ja">
どっちもすごい!!!<br />
<br />
やばい!!!<br />
<br />
すごい戦い!!!素敵すぎる😭<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/8%E6%9C%8827%E6%97%A5?src=hash">#8月27日</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MayweatherMcGregor?src=hash">#MayweatherMcGregor</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%E3%83%A1%E3%82%A4%E3%82%A6%E3%82%A7%E3%82%B6%E3%83%BCvs%E3%83%9E%E3%82%AF%E3%83%AC%E3%82%AC%E3%83%BC?src=hash">#メイウェザーvsマクレガー</a><br />
本日10時 <a href="https://twitter.com/DAZN_JPN">@DAZN_JPN</a> にて生中継➡︎<a href="https://t.co/MrRsZUfQxR">https://t.co/MrRsZUfQxR</a></div>
— 近藤 朱里 syuri kondo (@syuri_wv3s) <a href="https://twitter.com/syuri_wv3s/status/901668989775970305">August 27, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>charliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04181810450067771465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5507266775486422446.post-5985810270281807442017-04-30T20:22:00.001-07:002017-05-01T14:21:37.985-07:00Momo vs Yamazaki: Perspective <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">MMA veteran Kenji Osawa and Momo</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In May, Deep Jewels 16 will take place. Outside of Japan, attention has been drawn to an amateur fight on the undercard between Momo and Momoko Yamazaki. Attention has been drawn to the fight because of the ages of the competitors as Momo is 12 and Yamazaki is 24. While any competition with such an age gap is bound to raise eyebrows, it is important to understand the circumstances surrounding the match.<br />
<br />
First off, it is important to understand that the match is under Deep Jewels amateur rules. Both competitors will wear shin guards, knee pads, thicker gloves, and head gear. Strikes to the head are only allowed on the feet, while strikes like elbows are not allowed. Having witnessed a number of these matches, in effect, the match is divided into two hemispheres. On the feet, the match looks like an amateur kickboxing match, whereas on the ground, it looks like a grappling match. In addition, this match is taking place at a Deep Jewels event. In their professional fights, fights are regularly stopped for nose bleeds and "technical submissions," so it is safe to assume that the refs will be even quicker to stop a fight under the amateur rules.<br />
<br />
Second, for those unfamiliar with the Japanese martial arts scene, this match may look like a squash match. I would have to agree, but on a different result. This match is clearly a match designed to build Momo, not Yamazaki. Momo trains at a strong gym with strong fighters and looks to potentially have a bright future. Yamazaki is a 24 year old, untrained, hostess. While it it true that Yamazaki has a 2-3 amateur record going into this fight, those stats are misleading. Her two wins are against opponents who have a combined record of 0-4 and all of those fights were in the Outsider promotion, a promotion that puts less emphasis on skill and more on brawls. Yamazaki was marketed as the hostess with a troubled past. In contrast, Momo has been training at Hakushinkai 6 days a week, four hours a day since she was 3.<br />
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<br />
Third, while this may seem like weird match making, Momo is following in the foot steps of her fellow gym mates and other young talent. Momo trains at Hakushinkai, a small but strong gym in Toyohashi, a 3 and 1/2 hour train ride from Tokyo. I had the opportunity to visit the gym two years ago and meet Coach Yamaguchi. He made a strong impression on me. Yamaguchi teaches mainly young athletes and above all stresses defense. This can be seen in two of his students, Mizuki Inoue and Yukari Yamaguchi, both of whom have excellent head movement and have been notably hard to hit.<br />
<br />
Yukari started out, entering into Karate tournaments when she was 12. She then made her amateur mma debut when she was 13 against a 32 year old. She won the match via armbar. She then fought professionally in Shoot Boxing at 16, where she defeated Deep Jewels Champ and One FC title challenger V.V. Mei and Mio Tsumura in one night to become a Girl's S-Cup Champion.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yukari vs Mei</td></tr>
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Mizuki made her amateur kickboxing debut when she was 14, her pro Shoot Boxing debut at 15, and her mma debut at 16. Interestingly, she fought and defeated Emi Fujino (29 at the time) when she was 15. She also fought in contact karate tournaments when she was 15. She then fought Alex Chambers when she was 17 and Bec Rawlings when she was 18.<br />
<br />
Naoki Inoue, who will be making his UFC debut this year, made his amateur Shoot Boxing debut when he was 13. He also fought in two amateur mma matches when he was 13 and made his pro debut at 15. He is now 10-0.<br />
<br />
What this pattern shows, is that Coach Yamaguchi tends to start athletes he feels are able in amateur completion around 13 or 14. Two of these three became world champions and one is making his UFC debut soon.<br />
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Matches like this are not that uncommon in Japan. Muay Thai phenom Saya Ito has been competing from a very young age. During her amateur days she fought Tenshin Nasukawa twice, without padding. In these matches, the top amateur female fought the top amateur male. Both eventually become world champions.<br />
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Recently, Japanese mma veteran and long-time trainer, Kenji Osawa made a trip to Hakushinkai with a camera crew to film a segment in preparation for Naoki's UFC debut. During his trip, Kenji had the opportunity to see and train with Momo. When asked about what he thought, he responded that "when I sparred with her, I could tell she trains everyday. She is very strong and I think, for her to be able to experience [this fight] will be a big plus for her future. Some fighters in Muay Thai became incredibly strong because they fought from a young age, so I have nothing but high expectations for Momo's future."<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coach Yamaguchi</td></tr>
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Below is a message from Coach Yamaguchi:<br />
<br />
"Hello to everyone in America, I am Yamaguchi, the chairman of Hakushinkai Karate. I heard there is an argument taking place in America about one of my students Momo fighting an adult, therefore, I would like to state my opinion and understanding in regards to this matter.<br />
<br />
First of all, her fight is going to be held under amateur rules in the preliminary part of the event and Deep Jewels amateur rules are very safe. Some of the reports published in America have false information such as Momo will be fighting a professional fighter. That is not true at all. Momo is fighting an amateur fighter with no pro-experience. Also, Momo has been training 6 days a week since she was in kindergarten. So far she has competed in over 100 amateur BJJ, Kickboxing, and Karate matches, therefore, she has far more experience in combat sports than her upcoming opponent Ms. Momoko Yamazaki.<br />
<br />
Since Momo is just three centimeteres shorter and three kilograms less than Yamazaki, I have decided to accept the offer from Deep Jewels because I believe Momo is fully capable of fighting Ms. Yamazaki. As far as I know, in the past, Jewels has done fights between 13 year olds vs adults, 12 year olds vs adults, and in those fights, the younger fighters won by submission.<br />
<br />
Hakushinkai Karate may not have a large number of professional fighters but one of my students, Mizuki became a professional champion at 16 and received an offer from the UFC whens she was 18. Another student of mine, Yukari, also won a professional title at 16 and recently, Naoki, my other student, signed with the UFC at 19.<br />
<br />
If you look at these proven track records of teenage fighters from my dojo, and if you can imagine the effort my students have been putting into training, I hope, all of you out there realize that this matchmaking by Deep Jewels is not something crazy. In addition, I've never forced my students to fight or compete. Momo is very excited about fighting for the promotion she has admired for years and she has been training very hard.<br />
<br />
Because of the reasons stated above, I believe there is going to be no problem for Momo to fight Ms. Yamazaki. But if you ask me, are you sure its not dangerous? Then, I can't say its not dangerous at all because, in any combat sport, there is always a possibility that a competitor could be in danger or lose the fight in a lopsided manner. All combat sports can be dangerous but I believe the possibility of Momo getting hurt is the same as boxing or wrestling bouts between two competitors in the same weight division. In Japan, there are many young-teenagers competing in BJJ, Judo, Wrestling, and Boxing, and the sport that combined all of these skills is MMA, but I don't believe that this means MMA is more dangerous than these combat sports.<br />
<br />
Again, the upcoming fight of Momo will be held under amateur rules and my understanding of these rules is that they are very safe for the competitors. I would also like to thank those who have raised their concern for my student, Momo. If I am one of those in the general public, that doesn't have a lot of knowledge about MMA, I would probably think along the same lines. However, because of the reasons stated above, I would appreciate it if you can understand that Momo's upcoming fight is not something very dangerous. I will probably come to the U.S. again in the near future with one of my students so I would greatly appreciate it if you in America could understand my opinions.<br />
<br />
Osu,<br />
<br />
Sadanori Yamaguchi<br />
Hakushinkai Karate<br />
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charliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04181810450067771465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5507266775486422446.post-91943137144654621372017-04-05T18:37:00.001-07:002017-04-05T18:37:25.225-07:00Ayaka Hamasaki Profile<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo from www.genkifights.com</td></tr>
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Name: Ayaka Hamasaki (浜崎 朱加)<br />
Birthday: March 31, 1982<br />
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Birthplace: Yamaguchi-Ken, Japan</div>
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Height: 5"1 (158cm)</div>
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Weight: 105lb (47.6kg), 115 (52kg)</div>
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Gym: AACC</div>
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Record: 14-2<br />
Notable Wins: Herica Tiburcio, Yuka Tsuji, Mizuki Inoue, Ham Seo Hee, Amber Brown, Jinh Yu Frey<br />
<br />
<br />
Ayaka Hamasaki, is the Invicta FC 105lb Champion, has defended her title twice, is the first Japanese fighter to win an American MMA title, and has been named the atomweight of the year three years in a row. In other words, she is a very impressive fighter. However impressive she is, not a lot is known about this fighter, at least outside of Japan. I first saw her compete in a grappling match against Saori Ishioka in 2011 and have followed her career since. Over that time, I have had the opportunity to interview her several times. The information in this article comes from those interviews, other interviews, people that known Ayaka, and Ayaka herself.<br />
<br />
<b><u>The Pre-MMA Years</u></b><br />
<br />
Ayaka Hamasaki was mischievous growing up, sometimes skipping school. This annoyed her teachers, who wanted her to join the Judo club, where some of her friends were. Ayaka lived in a dorm near her high school, with roughly 30-40 other kids. In addition, the school had an athletic focus, requiring all of the students to join a sports club. So with little choice in the matter, Ayaka joined the Judo club. In her own words, Judo was heart breaking. Practices were hard, intense and constant. During the school year, Ayaka trained in the morning, went to classes and trained again in the evening. During the summer time, she trained 2 to 3 times a day. During winter break, she trained. Judo was a constant in her life.<br />
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After high school, Ayaka continued with Judo through college, where she placed second in the All Japan Junior Judo Championship, losing to a future world champion. Ayaka would not reach any higher though, as she was sidelined with an injury. She continued with Judo even after graduating, however after a year and a half she quit. Having competed in Judo from high school till she was 23, Judo was not something that Ayaka necessarily enjoyed. Judo sometimes made her angry. However, she recognizes that Judo transformed her life and for that she is very grateful.<br />
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<b><u>Post Judo</u></b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Rina Tomita liked MMA and was a fan of Miku Matsumoto. Miku was making waves in Japan, competing for and eventually headlining Deep events. At one of those events, Rina asked Miku where she could train, what gym did Miku recommend. As she lived and trained far away from Tokyo, Miku told Rina to go train with Megumi Fujii at AACC. Three months into training at AACC, Rina wanted to get physically stronger. So she met with a personal trainer named Ayaka Hamasaki. As they talked, Ayaka learned that Rina was training at AACC. While Ayaka knew about MMA, this is the first time she heard about women competing. As a result of their meeting, Ayaka went with Rina to AACC. Once there she met Megumi. Ayaka didn't know about Megumi, but was immediately impressed by her physique.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ayaka, Rina, Megumi</td></tr>
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Ayaka didn't want to become a professional fighter. She wanted to exercise and work-off some stress. Even though she was lifting weights through her job as a personal trainer, Ayaka missed the workouts from her Judo days, where she got to use and move her whole body.<br />
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When she first started training, Ayaka made an impression on those at the gym. Megumi and Abe-sensei didn't think that Ayaka would go pro, but there was a consensus that she showed promise. While she lacked many of the skills a fighter needs, her background in Judo and her explosive power would provide an excellent foundation. In the beginning, her lack of technique was apparent. It looked like she hated striking, shadowboxing especially, and when Ayaka rolled with Rina, Rina would beat her.<br />
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Megumi remembers rolling with Ayaka, both with the gi and then without the gi. Ayaka's movements and responses to her movements impressed her. Knowing about her background, Megumi thought that this kid has got what it takes to make it.<br />
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After training for a bout a month, Rina couldn't beat her anymore.<br />
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<b><u>The Grappling Matches</u></b><br />
<br />
After training for about 3 months, Ayaka started to think about competing in some grappling matches. In addition to her Judo background, she had been going to grappling practice at AACC. Eventually, someone asked her if she'd like to compete and she started competing in 2008.<br />
<br />
At 29, Ayaka competed in her 5th grappling match, this time against the young up-and-coming pro-wrestler, Hikaru Shida. Hikaru is a successful pro-wrestler now, but at the time her bjj coach thought that she had the best grappling of any pro-wrestler he had trained. In his mind, she was capable of doing both pro-wrestling and real fights. Going into the fight, he had seen Ayaka compete in person, at a blue belt bjj tournament, where Ayaka lost. In his opinion, she was a good grappler but lacked basic bjj techniques, like how to break an opponent's guard. While it is true that Ayaka was still developing, it took her only 48 seconds to submit Hikaru.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ayaka defeated Hikaru in 48 seconds</td></tr>
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<b><br /></b>
<b><u>Amateur MMA</u></b><br />
<br />
While Ayaka was coming to AACC, she was only coming to the grappling practices. However, after some time, she was invited to come to the striking classes. Even though she didn't know how to do anything, she really enjoyed it. Around the same time, Ayaka went to an MMA event for the first time and saw Megumi fight. Even though she had just started striking, after seeing Megumi fight, she wanted to give it a try. This is how a year and a half after walking into AACC, Ayaka made her amateur debut.<br />
<br />
She made her debut in 2009, fighting twice in one night for Jewels. She finished the first fight via submission and the second fight went to a draw. Three months later she won another amateur fight. Two months later she won two more amateur fights in the same night. All-in-all she went 4-0-1 as an amateur, with 3 submissions.<br />
<br />
<b><u>The Pro-Debut</u></b><br />
<br />
Ayaka's last two amateur fights occurred in one night. It was a Shooto event hosted by Yoichi Suzuki, the head of Alive Gym. He was obviously impressed by what he saw, as shortly after the event, Ayaka received an offer for a professional fight. Even though she never had a goal of fighting professionally, when the offer came, she talked to Megumi about it. They quickly decided to accept the offer. It was just a step up from what Ayaka was already doing.<br />
<br />
Ayaka made her pro-debut against Konkua Sasaki in 2009. Kinuka was a veteran of Smackgirl and had amassed a record of 3-7, a common Japanese phenomenon at the time, before the fight. Ayaka didn't know anything about her opponent. Despite her record, Kinkuka did not go down easily, actually dropping Ayaka in the opening round. But Ayaka kept coming forward and submitted her in the 2nd round. 2009 had been a big year for Ayaka, fighting 5 times as an amateur and making her pro-debut.<br />
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<b><u>The Jewels Years</u></b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Shooto was not the only organization that saw potential in Ayaka. Yuichi Ozono, the head of Jewels, noticed her as well. She had fought for Jewels several time as an amateur. When he saw her fight, he saw how good she moved. Megumi had been known as the "Queen of the Quick Kill", and he saw the similar quality in Ayaka. He knew that she could compete on the world stage.<br />
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This is how she was brought into the Jewels tournament to decide the first 52kg champion. In the first round of the tournament, Ayaka quickly won her match by submission in 48 seconds. In other matches, Mika Nagano defeated Celine Haga, Ham Seo Hee won her match, and Sakura Nomura won her match. The 2nd round and final match would be fought on the same day. In the 2nd round, Ayaka defeated Sakura, and Ham defeated Nagano. 5 matches later, Ayaka defeated Ham be decision to become the inaugural Jewels 52kg Champion. She had been fighting professionally for a little more than a year.<br />
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Afterwards, Ayaka fought Mizuki Inoue, who had also won a tournament. Ayaka dominated the match with her grappling, repeatedly taking Mizuki down then going for numerous submission attempts. This set up a Ham rematch, since Ham had beaten Saori Ishioka and V.V. Mei sine their last fight. In what was a highly anticipated rematch, Ham got injured in the first round. At the end of the round, she was not able to stand and it was obvious the fight was over.<br />
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After dominating the young talent in Mizuki, with whom she was very impressed, and having a disappointing result in the match with Ham, Ayaka fought what she considers to be the most important match of her Jewels career. In her next match, she fought Yuka Tsuji. If you are unfamiliar, Tsuji is a legend on the Japanese MMA scene. Arguably the biggest star during Smackgirl, Tsuji defeated a who's who of talent, amassing a record of 23-2, with 16 submissions and 2 ko's, before the fight with Ayaka. In addition to her fighting skill, Tsuji was a widely recognized figurehead of women in MMA in Japan. Tsuji had headlined the Inoki Bom-Bay-Ye 2003 event in front of over 43,000 people and on Japanese TV. Equally impressive, is that she headlined the event over names like Alistair Overeem, Fedor, Josh Barnett, Semmy Schilt, Alexander Emelianenko, Lyoto Machida and Rich Franklin. Even more, Ayaka was going to fight Tsuji in her hometown of Osaka. She trained very hard for this fight, thinking only about winning.<br />
<br />
The support for Tsuji was incredible, but it didn't phase Ayaka. In her mind, she's never the hometown favorite, so it didn't bother her.<br />
<br />
Ayaka destroyed Tsuji. She submitted her with a double-wrist lock in the first round. Afterwards, a teary eyed Ayaka hugged her mentor Megumi. When asked about it, she remembers that she had never fought a fighter that was on the level of Tsuji before and that even though she didn't think it would affect her, she was so happy that she couldn't help but cry when she won. While Tsuji may have been the hometown favorite, people climbed into the ring to be with Ayaka. Her seniors and juniors from college had traveled from all over Japan to see the fight. Afterwards, they all took a picture together in the ring. Gong magazine later dubbed the double-wrist lock that she won with, the "Hama-Lock". A play on one of the submission's names and her name. The name closely resembled Megumi's "Megu-Lock". In many ways, Ayaka's defeat of Tsuji announced the arrival of a new generation.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The "Hama-Lock"</td></tr>
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<b><u>Invicta FC</u></b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Two months after the biggest win of her career, Ayaka got the chance to do something she never thought she would, fight abroad. The promotion was Invicta and it was their second event. Ayaka was looking forward to testing herself abroad. Some fighters might have been nervous, but Ayaka wasn't. In what is a common characteristic in all of her fights, Ayaka took the fight for what it was, excited, not nervous. An opportunity to challenge herself. And this fight did present a lot of challenges. Ayaka had never fought under the unified rules before, never fought in a cage before, and still did not consider herself a world level fighter.<br />
<br />
In the fight, Ayaka fought Lacey Schuckman. Thinking back on the fight, Lacey's physical strength sticks out the most to her. At the time, Ayaka, like Megumi, didn't cut weight. Instead she walked around at roughly 52kg (115). Nevertheless, Ayaka was able to take Lacey down numerous times throughout the fight and in the end, won via a hard fought submission. She had been in positions where she could have thrown elbows, but she was still getting used to the new rules, elbows still felt unnatural. Even though she won, Ayaka left the match feeling like she still had a lot to learn.<br />
<br />
After defeating Emi Fujino in Japan, Ayaka's next fight in Invicta was supposed to be against Carla Esparza for the Invicta 115 title, but Carla had to withdraw because of an injury. As a result, Ayaka was slated to face Claudia Gadelha. This fight would be an important moment in Ayaka's career. She was looking forward to fighting a larger opponent, as she thought it would be a good test for future fights against larger non-Japanese fighters. A week before the fight it was in jeopardy. A week before the fight, Ayaka was informed that she would not be allowed to tape her knees. Ayaka needed to tape her knees but didn't feel like she could pull out for that reason. She had trained really hard, but she knew the tape would be a problem. Ayaka lost the fight via TKO in the 3rd round. Thinking back on the fight, Ayaka remembers how strong Claudia was, she couldn't do anything.<br />
<br />
<b>Surgery and Return to Japan</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
A month after her fight with Claudia, Ayaka had surgery to fix her knees. She didn't want to tape her legs anymore. The surgery would put her out of commission for a little more than a year, making the future uncertain. A lot of changes had occurred during her rehabilitation. Megumi Fujii had retired and moved to the other side of the country, Hitomi Akano and Rina Tomita had also retired. When Megumi left, other women also stopped coming to the gym, 9 in total. Ayaka felt lonely in the gym, being one of the only women left. Outside of the gym changes, Jewels had been absorbed into Deep becoming Deep Jewels, leaving Ayaka's future in Japan uncertain. She also didn't know what division she wanted to fight in. She had never tried to make 105 before, but it was an option. When I spoke to her during her rehabilitation, she didn't know who she wanted to fight for or at what weight, but she wanted to fight in Japan.<br />
<br />
Even though she said that she wanted her next fight to be in Japan, she was originally slated to make her return fight on the Invicta FC 9 card, against Herica Tiburcio, but visa issues led to Herica not being able to compete, so the match was scrapped. Her return would be for Deep Jewels, against fellow Invicta and Jewels veteran Sugirock. Interestingly, Ayaka was uncharacteristically nervous, as she was coming off of the surgery, she would not be taping her knees, and she was dropping down to 48kg(105), something she had never done before.<br />
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Even though she hadn't fought for a year, Ayaka looked very good in her atomweight debut, dropping Sugirock with strikes and tko'ing her in the first round. While Ayaka had looked good at 115, she seemed to have more power at 105.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPcVuaZ0a26nGJxF1urbfPBzm_9KuNzIJ04z2gIH-7pS4uDgGr2caxk94BrW-cVScxQ5MC2Noe61dVNoidqiElWhwsygcx8ou9JBdeQ8EQI2L18F-WUVZcs0RHHGwCVepNVxR6W0f54fMm/s1600/306fce3a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPcVuaZ0a26nGJxF1urbfPBzm_9KuNzIJ04z2gIH-7pS4uDgGr2caxk94BrW-cVScxQ5MC2Noe61dVNoidqiElWhwsygcx8ou9JBdeQ8EQI2L18F-WUVZcs0RHHGwCVepNVxR6W0f54fMm/s320/306fce3a.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ayaka drops Sugirock with punches<br />
Photo courtesy of Lady Go!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Next, she fought again in Japan, this time against V.V. Mei. V.V. Mei had also been testing herself abroad and had previously fought in an action packed war against Megumi. This fight was part of a Deep New Year's Eve event at Saitama Super Arena. The event had severally highly promoted womens' fights on the card, showing that like in the U.S., things were changing in Japan. Women were becoming more and more part of mainstream MMA and Ayaka was in the top women's fight on the card. She won a fairly dominant decision and in doing so, was named the 2014 Atomweight of the Year.<br />
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<b>The Championship</b><br />
<b><br /></b>While Ayaka was looking very strong at 105 in Japan, she wanted to fight in America, she wanted to make another run for the Invicta title, this time at 105. Ayaka had been previously slated to fight Herica Tibrucio, but the fight didn't come to fruition. In the meantime, Herica had become the Invicta FC 105 champion. The fight was rescheduled, this time for the title. Because it was for the title, the fight felt special to Ayaka and as a result, she felt a little nervous before the fight, but she was excited.<br />
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In what she describes as a troubling trend in her Invicta title fights, Ayaka had a rough first round against Herica. Herica hit her with a hard body shot and seemed to have a deep choke locked in when the round ended. In the following rounds, Ayaka repeatedly took Herica down, who while active on the bottom, was resigned to acting defensively. In the end, Ayaka won a 2-1 split decision to become the champion. To be honest, she was surprised. She thought she had done enough to win a clear decision. She doesn't speak English so didn't know what was going on and was worried when she heard that it was a split decision.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPh8KvGb-vsfBfrq0cjfukRrtg-1goyfAoEk_VhNyrFAseUgQwgOVCLsqr7NN4Bh06W-aQHhO1FCYgmXkiQYzXcUl_TtGN9wvS19_Vik4B6vwSNK-RkZQ-HjIgv-IgRGxiK6_XOmGXo1cb/s1600/013_Herica_Tiburcio_vs_Ayaka_Hamasaki.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPh8KvGb-vsfBfrq0cjfukRrtg-1goyfAoEk_VhNyrFAseUgQwgOVCLsqr7NN4Bh06W-aQHhO1FCYgmXkiQYzXcUl_TtGN9wvS19_Vik4B6vwSNK-RkZQ-HjIgv-IgRGxiK6_XOmGXo1cb/s320/013_Herica_Tiburcio_vs_Ayaka_Hamasaki.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy of All Elbows</td></tr>
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Even though though she was the champ, it didn't set in immediately. It didn't really set in till afterwards, when she was eating with her friends. People had traveled from all over to watch Ayaka fight for the title. The head of Inspirit, a long time sponsor of hers, Shooto Legend Rumina Sato, and friends from around America came to watch the fight and to celebrate afterwards. In winning the title, Ayaka had become the first Japanese fighter to win an American title and it was a big deal. Japanese fighters like Tatsuya Kawajiri were congratulating her on Twitter, she graced the cover of magazines, and an event was planned to celebrate her victory.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBGX3YuZeCAj_nKBcrtZcxpAcdv5OReyaBRNE24sxm-O1z5nSGZY9ImXx_xDxwhGCF-e0_gfoGd0p5YUuTyVFEuRuw2FkRsAtdfpuOk5Q4BKnL7IfdkCL2qLpLMK71y1y-3czUGGDTPBVT/s1600/a0a9186e-s+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBGX3YuZeCAj_nKBcrtZcxpAcdv5OReyaBRNE24sxm-O1z5nSGZY9ImXx_xDxwhGCF-e0_gfoGd0p5YUuTyVFEuRuw2FkRsAtdfpuOk5Q4BKnL7IfdkCL2qLpLMK71y1y-3czUGGDTPBVT/s320/a0a9186e-s+%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An advertisement for the event. Amongst those who showed up were: <br />Kenji Osawa, Funaki, the Pancrase CEO, the Deep head, and the former Jewels head.</td></tr>
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Ayaka was once again named the atomweight of the year, in 2015.</div>
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<br />Ayaka wouldn't fight again for almost another year, this time against Amber Brown. Amber came to a lot of people's attention when she fought Emi Fujino and Kikuya Ishikawa in Japan. Afterwards, she had been signed to Invicta, where she won three fights in a row to earn this title fight. A physical fighter known for her endurance, Amber looked to be a solid challenge for Ayaka. The fight was an amazing fight. The fight went back and forth, but Ayaka was able to get Amber to reluctantly submit near the end of the third. Prior to the submission, Ayaka had transitioned from numerous arm locks as the two rolled around. In her corner, was a new face, Rena. While not especially popular outside of Japan, Rena is a big star in Japan. A multiple time Shoot Boxing champion, Rena made the transition to MMA and is now one of the faces of Rizin in Japan. It is a perfect match, training wise as Ayaka has a grappling background and Rena is a world-class striker. Hamasaki is usually in Rena's corner now when she fights. As mentioned above, there was a time period when a lot of the women left AACC, but now new talent was starting to come. Some of their attraction to the gym, has to be attributed to Ayaka.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgimsJ6vfaHtKjULuuai5Ot0ARNQJp-1-uiBUlh3YIvbijbro-eTTka0KiKQeisOiQT_2-de4gKLPSM1r8KnZSnkS2VQ4lHydgpFnYzqcvYxVGyVkqQruzo05zWXECQh_SzDgo19p8rTht1/s1600/pjimage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgimsJ6vfaHtKjULuuai5Ot0ARNQJp-1-uiBUlh3YIvbijbro-eTTka0KiKQeisOiQT_2-de4gKLPSM1r8KnZSnkS2VQ4lHydgpFnYzqcvYxVGyVkqQruzo05zWXECQh_SzDgo19p8rTht1/s320/pjimage.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ayaka began gracing more and more Japanese magazines on a regular basis.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Ayaka didn't wait long to step back in the cage again, this time against Jihn Yu Frey, who had defeated Herica Tiburcio in her last fight. Frey's power had been on display in the fight, where she dropped Herica with a punch near the end of a round. Frey's power was evident in the first round of the fight with Ayaka. As Ayaka jokes, she's had some bad first rounds in her title defenses, but Ayaka started to fight her way back. Unfortunately the fight was marred with controversy. Ayaka connected with a very solid punch that cut Frey above the eye. To some, the punch appeared to have badly phased Frey, but we will never know. The ref stopped the fight due to the cut, leaving a sour taste in everyone's mouth, the fans, the corners, the media, Ayaka, and Frey.<br />
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Before the Amber fight, Rena had started training with Ayaka. After the Frey fight, Emi Fujino and Ayaka Miura started coming to train with Ayaka. People wanted to train with the champion. Increasing opportunities for women, opened up training partners for these women. A couple years before, these women couldn't train together because it was very likely they would have to fight each other. Not anymore. Ayaka fights for Invicta, Rena fights for Rizin, Emi fights for Road FC, Miura fights for Pancrase, and V.V. Mei fights for One Championship, meaning that all of these former rivals can now train together. Iron sharpens iron, and by these top women now being able to train together, their own skills will only rise.<br />
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Ayaka was once again the atomweight of the year, in 2016.<br />
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<b>The UFC Dream</b><br />
<br />
In her last fight, Ayaka once again tried to make a run at 115 in Invicta, this time against the former champ Souza. When asked why, the answer is simple, she wants to fight in the UFC. For her, as a mma fighter, UFC is the dream. One must imagine that it is somewhat frustrating for her to see past opponents and past Invicta 105ers get shots in the UFC, but for her, the call has yet to come. She may have lost, but do not count Ayaka out. She came back better than ever after her first defeat and one should expect her to come back even better after this loss. Once she is healed up, we should expect to see the easy going, motorcycle riding, cat loving, nerves of steel Ayaka back to her winning ways.<br />
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charliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04181810450067771465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5507266775486422446.post-85403152259095968182017-03-13T07:05:00.000-07:002017-03-13T07:05:14.144-07:00Weekend WMMA Wrap-Up<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPAuBNKaAxhajMLYRsE806CIPeh6e1AkuzWlC3sExYpGap9yCIj2BF1HjTAx8fbd46AkgNOGfCNrbDxv3qiYqUfJqCOf-1n0p3H3Urnvc2bqRSRtQFlhbD2Z8zv19pgR9fFp0FUE2IfWjb/s1600/ONE%253ARoad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPAuBNKaAxhajMLYRsE806CIPeh6e1AkuzWlC3sExYpGap9yCIj2BF1HjTAx8fbd46AkgNOGfCNrbDxv3qiYqUfJqCOf-1n0p3H3Urnvc2bqRSRtQFlhbD2Z8zv19pgR9fFp0FUE2IfWjb/s400/ONE%253ARoad.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Road FC: 37 XX and ONE: Warrior Kingdom</div>
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There were a lot of female fights in Asia this weekend, thanks to Road FC, ONE, and Pancrase. </div>
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If you live outside of Korea, Road FC streamed the entire event live on Youtube. The event took place on Saturday morning in the U.S. and it served as a nice showcase for the promotion. Road FC has accomplished what ONE has also accomplished. Both promotions have searched for and discovered young fighters with potential. Jung Eun Park, Ye Ji Lee, and Yuri Shim all picked up wins and looked impressive in the process. Both Park and Lee look to be developing and evolving despite rocky starts to their careers, which might have been cases of too much too soon. Park looked impressive but it was Lee who stood out. At just 17 years of age she avenged her loss to Satoko Shinashi. She used her size and tenacity to keep Satoko on the defensive for most of the fight but in the last round she seemed to tire. Even though she was tired she survived several submission attempts and could be a star for Road in the future. Road FC has also brought in some veterans. Emi Fujino picked up another win and looks to be enjoying her time with the promotion. In other news, it appears that Ham Seo Hee will be fighting for a championship later this year.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C6pG8GYU0AApu_9.jpg:large" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C6pG8GYU0AApu_9.jpg:large" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ye-Ji Lee</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
- Raiko Emiko def. Jin Hee Kang (UD)</div>
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- Ye-Ji Lee def. Satoko Shinashi (UD)</div>
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- Jung Eun Park def. Na Young Park (TKO)</div>
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- So Hee Lim def. Hana Date (UD)</div>
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- Yuri Shim def. Shiho Harada (UD)</div>
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- Xiangje Wang def. Yoon Ha Hong</div>
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Angela Lee successfully defended her title for the first time in Thailand. Angela won the championship last year in one of the best fights of the year and looks to be one of ONE's top stars. Angela finished the previously undefeated Jenny Huang in the third round when Jenny verbally submitted after eating a stream of hard shots on the ground. If you didn't see the fight think of Khabib and Michael Johnson. I have been critical of the new system that ONE has utilized for deciding their weight divisions. When they restructured their weight divisions they essentially erases the actual 105 division, of which they had a number of fighters. This has forced a number of natural 105ers into their new Atomweight division where one can weigh in at 115. The size difference has been noticable. Angela towered over Jenny and Mei, both of whom are natural 105ers. Angela has looked very impressive up to this point in her career, so I would like to see ONE either create a new division for the old 105ers or bring in more natural 115ers as they develop the division. Outside of that, Angela is a star and seems to always have exciting fights.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C6p9f1xVsAAn9L3.jpg:large" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C6p9f1xVsAAn9L3.jpg:large" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Angela Lee</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
- Angela Lee def. Jenny Huang (Submission to strikes, 3R)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
- Rika Ishige def. Audreylaura Boniface (TKO, 1R)</div>
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<br />
Ayaka Miura picked up a UD win in her Pancrase debut, but it was an unimpressive performance. Her coach, Ryo Chonan also seemed critical of her performance. The match consisted of Ayaka repeatedly throwing and landing head-and-arm throws. Once she landed the throw, she would spend the remainder of the round in the scarf hold position hammer fisting her opponents face. It wasn't until the third that she attempted an arm-triangle choke and also an arm-lock but it was too little to late and the match probably didn't have the affect that she was hoping for. It seems that she has been brought into Pancrase as a potential opponent for Syuri Kondo, to fight for a 115 title, but if she continues to underwhelm, Pancrase might find someone else.<br />
<br />charliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04181810450067771465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5507266775486422446.post-11427386510146128022017-03-10T16:11:00.000-08:002017-03-10T16:11:59.622-08:00Angela Lee Interview<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/vUGvlubdipxh1Cwdv5aYm_CJX1Q=/0x263:3907x2461/1600x900/cdn0.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/49611497/angela-lee-muaythai.0.0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/vUGvlubdipxh1Cwdv5aYm_CJX1Q=/0x263:3907x2461/1600x900/cdn0.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/49611497/angela-lee-muaythai.0.0.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ONE Champ Angela Lee<br />
Courtesy of mmamania</td></tr>
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<b><br /></b>
Angela Lee will be defending her ONE Atomweight championship this weekend against the undefeated Jenny Huang. Angela burst onto the scene in 2015, is undefeated, and has finished 5 of her 6 opponents. At just 20 years of age, a star has emerged in ONE's atomweight division. Angela won the first women's championship for the organization, was the first woman to headline an event for them, and will be headlining again this weekend. I had the pleasure of interviewing Angela and you can read our interview below. Be sure to watch her fight Jenny Huang this Saturday on the ONE website for $9.99<br />
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<b>CJ:</b> Can you start by talking about your last fight? Having had time to watch it what stands out to you? How badly did the punch effect you in the opening of the third?<br />
<b>AL: </b>My last fight was with Mei Yamaguchi on May 6th of this year and it was for the inaugural One Women's Atomweight title. We both fought very hard and it was a very technical and entertaining fight for fans around the world. I came into the third round flat on my feet and she came in with that punch right off of the bell. It definitely caught me off guard, but I was able to stay calm, defend myself, and then attack with numerous submissions.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/T_D0l4f2wIotFEypds6gbC6BuDw=/0x0:1280x853/1310x873/cdn0.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/49512059/IMG_7286.0.0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/T_D0l4f2wIotFEypds6gbC6BuDw=/0x0:1280x853/1310x873/cdn0.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/49512059/IMG_7286.0.0.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Angela Lee<br />
Courtesy of MMAfighting</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>CJ:</b> You train at two locations. I read that for your last camp you spent 5 weeks at Evolve and 3 weeks at United. Can you talk about your training and what each gym offers you? Will you stick to this formula for future fights?<br />
<b>AL: </b>I have been training all my life with United MMA. United MMA is my family's gym and we're based out of Oahu, Hawaii. My Dad is my Head Coach and has decades of coaching knowledge and experience, that he is constantly tweaking and improving. At United MMA, I can focus primarily on MMA. From the vast arsenal of striking and clinching, to wrestling and judo, to submission grappling and ground & pound, we feel that the seamless transitions from one range to the other is what makes all the difference in MMA.<br />
<b>AL: </b>My brother and I recently joined the Evolve Fight Team last September. Evolve MMA is based out of Singapore and is known for their world class instructors who are all experts in their craft. The team consists of numerous world champions in different disciplines from Muay Thai, to Brazilian Jiu- Jitsu, to Wrestling. At Evolve MMA, I am able to train with the best fighters in the world and solely focus on improving these individual arts. I am extremely happy and grateful to be apart of these two teams. For future fight camps, I will most likely spend an equal amount of time at each gym (4 weeks at United MMA and 4 weeks at Evolve MMA).<br />
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<b>CJ: </b>In 2015, you really burst out of the gates, fighting 4 times and as of now, 2 times in the first half of 2016. Can you talk about your quick turn arounds? What is the benefit to fighting so often? Any negatives?<br />
<b>AL: </b>Last year, I fought 4 times in less than 7 months and the reason my Coach allowed me to fight so often was because I took little to no damage and the fights all ended in less than 2 rounds. For me, it's simple: I love to fight. Fighting back to back meant that I would get to do what I love more often and so I was very grateful for the opportunity! I loved that I was always in fight camp because it enabled me to stay close to my fight weight and most importantly, keep that fighting mindset. Of course, that isn't for everyone and there are some fighters who prefer a long rest period after each fight. I think it all comes down to circumstances, personal preference, and how you look at it.<br />
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<b>CJ: </b>You've had all your professional fights for One. What has that been like? How did you get your first fight with them lined up?<br />
<b>AL: </b>ONE Championship is an awesome organization. They treat their fighters very well and I'm very happy to be in ONE. My relationship with ONE started when my Dad/ Coach reached out to the VP and Matchmaker, Matt Hume. My Dad had trained with Matt 20 years ago in Seattle, so when we heard of ONE Championship and did some research, that is when we made the connection.<br />
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<b>CJ: </b>You and your brother both have dynamic submission games, including twisters and neck ties, can you talk about the evolution of your grappling game?<br />
<b>AL: </b>Our submission game definitely stands out amongst others in the organization but I feel that's because our entire game as a whole is very dynamic. I feel that our MMA game is on another level and that's all thanks to years of brilliant coaching from our Dad. He taught us how to fight for MMA and self defense purposes, not just to score points.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/cms/binary/11577682.jpg?size=640x420" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/cms/binary/11577682.jpg?size=640x420" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Angela Lee with a Twister</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>CJ:</b>You're already the One champ and quickly becoming one of One's biggest stars. Can you talk about this? What are your goals moving forward?<br />
<b>AL: </b>I am so stoked to be living my dream! I wake up everyday with gratitude because I am so thankful for all of the many blessings in my life. I'm very happy in ONE Championship and I hope to help expand the Women's divisions as well as bring in new talent into the organization. I have a feeling that Women's MMA is about to take off in Asia and I plan on leading the way for more up and coming aspiring female fighters to pursue their passion.<br />
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<b>CJ: </b>Looking at the numbers, One is putting on more and more women's fights. Can you talk about this from your perspective?<br />
<b>AJ: </b>From last year to now, that there has definitely been a big jump in the number of female fighters being signed as well as WMMA fights being held in ONE Championship. I am thrilled about this and very excited about all of the progress that has been made so far.<br />
When I fought Mei Yamaguchi at ONE's 42nd event, we made history in being the first ever female fight to headline a card. By winning that fight, I became the inaugural Atomweight Champion and simultaneously had the honor of becoming ONE Championship's first female champion. This is only the beginning for a new era of WMMA in ONE Championship and Asia.<br />
<br />
<b>CJ:</b> One recently implemented a new weight class classification system and a new weigh in procedure, which you've gone through now. Can you talk about the changes? How have you adjusted?<br />
<b>AJ:</b> ONE Championship has taken the lead in implementing a much more healthier and safer weigh in procedure. Athletes now fight at their walking weight instead of cutting the weight of 1 full weight division the night before. Instead of changing all of the weight classes, ONE changed each weight class limit to the maximum of the previous weight class above it. For example, I fight at Atomweight which is normally 105lbs in other organizations. In ONE Championship however, the Atomweight limit is now from 105lbs-115lbs. I previously fought at Strawweight (115lbs) and would usually cut about 4-5 pounds in the sauna. For my title fight in May, I had to modify my training regime and keep to a very strict diet to get my walking weight down to 115lbs, but it was definitely worth it. I like the new system because it's very beneficial for fighters in the long run and will definitely prolong their "fight life" (years in the sport).<br />
<br />
<b>CJ:</b> What do you do when you aren't training? Do you have any hobbies?<br />
<b>AL: </b>I love to spend time with my family, watching movies, trying new places to eat, and going to the beach with my American Bulldog puppy, Rocky.<br />
<br />
<b>CJ: </b>Evolve hosts a number of great fighters. Have you had the opportunity to train with Dos Anjos, Aoki, Askren or any of the Muay Thai champions there? If so what was it like?<br />
<b>AL: </b>At Evolve MMA I train with numerous world champions daily. Everyone there, including Rafael, Shinya, and Ben are amazing people and I feel very lucky to be able to train, share knowledge, and learn from some of the best in the world.<br />
<br />
<b>CJ: </b>Are there any fighters that you look up to or enjoy watching?<br />
<b>AL:</b> My Brother, Christian Lee. That boy is an absolute beast! He tears through the competition with his skill and tenacity. It's always such a treat being in his corner and watching him fight. Christian is an unstoppable force that's taking the Featherweight division by storm. He will be the champion in the very near future... Mark my words!<br />
<br />
<b>CJ: </b>Thank you for your time, is there anything you would like to say? Anyone you'd like to thank?<br />
<b>AL: </b>Yes, I'd like to thank my family, my gyms: United MMA & Evolve MMA, ONE Championship, my friends and fans all over the world! Thank you for your continuous support! You guys are the best!charliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04181810450067771465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5507266775486422446.post-10399592074026441272017-03-08T16:37:00.000-08:002017-03-08T16:37:39.175-08:00Road FC 3/11<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhbgMCmXz8jcfnCe1VNVd5xJraQl2lFRVpu9bsC3ETma1eEJvHnUEJmFWO6F22cwHMIILAzLjWLRkJdUQhfSxzRAMbDOfxUAfSLYzCTSdgnYdFHguiv46enkAUmQoyseNPOo9jmbHGTpYc/s1600/road+fc+poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhbgMCmXz8jcfnCe1VNVd5xJraQl2lFRVpu9bsC3ETma1eEJvHnUEJmFWO6F22cwHMIILAzLjWLRkJdUQhfSxzRAMbDOfxUAfSLYzCTSdgnYdFHguiv46enkAUmQoyseNPOo9jmbHGTpYc/s400/road+fc+poster.jpg" width="281" /></a></div>
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<br />
In 2010, Road FC held their first event. In 2013, Celine Haga fought Masako Yoshida in Road FC's first female fight. In 2014, Ham Seo Hee returned to Korea to fight for Road FC. This Saturday, Road FC will hold their first all-female fight card. Road FC has been developing their female divisions over the past 4 years, with women taking part in more fights each year. In 2016, 8% of Road FC's professional fights were fought by women and if this weekend's event is any indication, Road FC is going to go past that number this year as well.<br />
<br />
One of the exciting thing about Road FC is that they have signed a bunch of young fighters who are still developing. For those who are unfamiliar, the fighters that I would keep an eye out for are Jeong-Eun Park,Ye-Ji Lee, Emi Fujino and Satoko Shinashi. Park and Lee are young up and comers and Fujino and Shinashi are established veterans. Lee will actually be fighting Shinashi in a rematch. Lee had a rough start to her career as she lost to Shinashi and Hisae Watanabe but she has since picked up two wins and looks to avenge her loss. <br />
<br />
The card will be going down this Saturday and will definitely be worth a watch.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />charliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04181810450067771465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5507266775486422446.post-33018967881163224082016-11-14T08:37:00.004-08:002016-11-14T08:48:49.145-08:00A conversation with Saya<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicN64Q5RCoMbROz5ylmmdZADo-U6oGlm8mfV6UQrndoCcneOd_46hpRA83h2nDnqJLc7BKZRfxoF6k0Knv0LKlBMqV8wtqFz3IVhp1q7FV_nxra1nGO4S0dY3JAJHRS2LJ8s3_MXNGMiCd/s1600/10991072_810968152309480_3219449064892937458_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicN64Q5RCoMbROz5ylmmdZADo-U6oGlm8mfV6UQrndoCcneOd_46hpRA83h2nDnqJLc7BKZRfxoF6k0Knv0LKlBMqV8wtqFz3IVhp1q7FV_nxra1nGO4S0dY3JAJHRS2LJ8s3_MXNGMiCd/s320/10991072_810968152309480_3219449064892937458_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Saya Ito, Picture Courtesy of <a href="http://blog.livedoor.jp/ladygo1999/" target="_blank">Lady Go!</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
As some of you may know, Saya Ito is a Japanese senior in high school, who also happens to be one of the best 100lb fighters on the planet. Earlier this year, she became the WPMF Champion by defeating fellow Japanese fighter Little Tiger. There was some interesting lead up to the fight because it seemed to many that Little Tiger was avoiding Saya, which led to Saya going to a press conference and calling Little Tiger out. Saya proceeded to beat Little Tiger that night and later again, but injured her foot and has been noticeably absent from action. In addition, she relinquished her title. Some people, myself included, were curious to hear more about what happened to Saya. That curiosity led to the following conversation:<br />
<br />
<b>CJ</b>: So, when did you injure your leg, was it in the first Little Tiger fight?<br />
<b>Saya</b>: It was injured for a long time before the fight with Little Tiger. However, since I started taking more fights with a shorter turn-around, it got even worse.<br />
<br />
<b>CJ</b>: Where exactly did it get injured?<br />
<b>Saya</b>: At first it was the top of my right foot, the instep. It broke in the Little Tiger fight.<br />
<br />
<b>CJ</b>: Do you remember when in the fight?<br />
<b>Saya</b>: No, I don't remember.<br />
<br />
<b>CJ</b>: Do you remember when it started giving you trouble?<br />
<b>Saya</b>: No, I don't remember when it started hurting, I just remember that it had been hurting for a long time.<br />
<br />
<b>CJ</b>: Can you talk about your second fight with Little Tiger?<br />
<b>Saya</b>: My foot felt perfect during the fight. However, after the fight the same spot started to hurt again.<br />
<br />
<b>CJ</b>: You tried really hard to get the first fight with Little Tiger. What was it like beating her twice?<br />
<b>Saya</b>: I was happy about it, I didn't think that she could beat me.<br />
<br />
<b>CJ</b>: Why were you so confident that you could beat her?<br />
<b>Saya</b>: Because it was a Muay Thai fight.<br />
<br />
<b>CJ</b>: You're saying you'd beat her because it wasn't a kickboxing fight?<br />
<b>Saya</b>: That's right.<br />
<br />
<b>CJ:</b> Do you think you want to fight her again next year? (She is the current WPMF Champion)<br />
<b>Saya</b>: I don't think that I want to fight her.<br />
<br />
<b>CJ</b>: Do you think you will fight next year?<br />
<b>Saya</b>: I think so. I graduate from high school in March, so I am thinking about it.<br />
<b>CJ</b>: I see.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://livedoor.blogimg.jp/ladygo1999/imgs/4/e/4eb22ddd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://livedoor.blogimg.jp/ladygo1999/imgs/4/e/4eb22ddd.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy of <a href="http://blog.livedoor.jp/ladygo1999/" target="_blank">LadyGo!</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>CJ</b>: Is it ok if I ask you some questions about your WPMF title?<br />
<b>Saya</b>: That's fine.<br />
<br />
<b>CJ</b>: Why are you no longer the champion?<br />
<b>Saya</b>: I couldn't defend the title, so I gave it up.<br />
<br />
<b>CJ</b>: Was that your idea?<br />
<b>Saya</b>: I couldn't fight, so I voluntarily gave it up. In reality, I wouldn't have been able to defend the title in at least six months.<br />
<b>CJ</b>: I see.<br />
<br />
<b>CJ</b>: Some people thought that the WPMF might have stripped the title from you.<br />
<b>Saya</b>: The head of Weerasakreck wanted me to have another rematch with Little Tiger. But I thought that fighting her three times in a row didn't really make sense, so I didn't do it and my coach and I returned the belt.<br />
<br />
<b>CJ: </b>Is her coach an important figure with WPMF?<br />
<b>Saya</b>: I don't understand the question.<br />
<b>CJ</b>: I ask because it seems like Little Tiger is always able to get shots at the WPMF title. (laughter)<br />
<b>Saya</b>: That's right (laughter)<br />
<br />
<b>CJ</b>: Do you still want to train and fight in Thailaind?<br />
<b>Saya</b>: I think so.<br />
<br />
<b>CJ</b>: Back to the title, so did you give up the title because you didn't want to have a rematch with Little Tiger or because of your injury?<br />
<b>Saya</b>: For both reasons. To start with, my foot was no good, then I told them there wouldn't be a third fight with Little Tiger, I told them I didn't understand what the meaning or purpose of fighting her again was so I refused to do it.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://livedoor.blogimg.jp/ladygo1999/imgs/b/8/b8960d56.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://livedoor.blogimg.jp/ladygo1999/imgs/b/8/b8960d56.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Saya Ito vs Little Tiger<br />
Courtesy of <a href="http://blog.livedoor.jp/ladygo1999/" target="_blank">LadyGo!</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>CJ</b>: Is it ok if we move onto some questions people asked?<br />
<b>Saya</b>: That's fine!<br />
<br />
<b>Q:</b> Was it difficult training while going to high school, Japanese high school can be pretty difficult.<br />
<b>Saya</b>: It wasn't that it was difficult, I was just very busy.<br />
<br />
<b>Q</b>: What do your friends think of you being a fighter?<br />
<b>Saya</b>: They support me.<br />
<b>CJ</b>: Do they come to your fights?<br />
<b>Saya</b>: There are times when they come.<br />
<br />
<b>Q</b>: Is there any manga or anime that you like?<br />
<b>Saya</b>: I like Drangonball Z! (laughter)<br />
<b>CJ</b>: Which character do you like?<br />
<b>Saya</b>: Goku!<br />
<br />
<b>Q</b>: Since you've been injured, have you still been training?<br />
<b>Saya</b>: Not really, I have been concentrating on studying for school.<br />
<b>CJ</b>: That's right, are you thinking of taking the entrance exams?<br />
<b>Saya</b>: I'm still thinking about it.<br />
<br />
<b>Q</b>: Can you talk about what is unique about Thai fighters, what makes them different from Japanese fighters?<br />
<b>Saya</b>: When I first trained in Thailand, the first thing that came to my mind was the difference in the amount of training.<br />
<b>CJ</b>: Did you notice anything different about their style?<br />
<b>Saya</b>: Do you mean their fight style?<br />
<b>CJ</b>: Yes.<br />
<b>Saya</b>: Since Japan has a lot of kickboxers, I think Japanese fighters tend to come forward more aggressively.<br />
<br />
<b>Q</b>: Do you still want to fight around the world?<br />
<b>Saya</b>: I think so.<br />
<br />
<b>CJ</b>: If you go to college, do you think you'll take a break from Muay Thai?<br />
<b>Saya</b>: It will depend on the circumstances at that time.<br />
<br />
<b>Q</b>: What is the difference between Japanese and Thai judges?<br />
<b>Saya</b>: In Japan, there are not a lot of points given in the clinch. In Japan, they also give more points for punching.<br />
<b>CJ</b>: Yes, I've heard that in Thailand they do not give a lot of points for punches.<br />
<b>Saya</b>: Yes, that's right, I don't think they give a lot of points for punches in Thailand.<br />
<b>CJ</b>: I've also heard that the first round isn't that important in Thailand, what is it like in Japan?<br />
<b>Saya</b>: In Japan, there are Japanese judges so the first round is also important.<br />
<br />
<b>CJ</b>: Before you talked about how busy you were with school, your job, and training, what was your schedule like?<br />
<b>Saya</b>: From Monday to Friday, I went to school then trained. On Saturday and Sunday, I worked at my part-time job. On days that I didn't have work, I met up with my friends or went to watch fights.<br />
<br />
<b>CJ</b>: Thanks for answering all these questions. Is there anything you would like to say?<br />
<b>Saya</b>: It's not a problem. When I return, I would like you all to continue to support me!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />charliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04181810450067771465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5507266775486422446.post-81696014895612322602016-09-28T18:32:00.002-07:002016-09-29T07:34:22.613-07:00Kunlun Female MMA Stats<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY5ebEJQOqFpcM2vojKIzmdrWWsXVnDq-Uqu7QVUHp2u113kzuJCBkWlVLDU75K9W0BZQIVXB-Cg0nVT9GhOED27NHwhp6NnBgGryCu_mdg5GPNh7O9ccNsOZuk2dhP1tbK3Q6avdUlExj/s1600/Kunlun+Fight_logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY5ebEJQOqFpcM2vojKIzmdrWWsXVnDq-Uqu7QVUHp2u113kzuJCBkWlVLDU75K9W0BZQIVXB-Cg0nVT9GhOED27NHwhp6NnBgGryCu_mdg5GPNh7O9ccNsOZuk2dhP1tbK3Q6avdUlExj/s320/Kunlun+Fight_logo.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Kunlun Fight, a Chinese promotion, has been developing female talent within China. This is an atypical case because Kunlun is not a MMA promotion, it is a Kickboxing promotion. However, Kunlun does have a variety of fights under other rules, including MMA fights. Kunlun has only been putting on MMA fights for roughly three years and has not been on a lot of people's radar. However, the promotion has put on 30 female mma fights and has helped develop a couple solid fighters, most notably Maryna Moroz, who fought for the promotion twice and is now in the UFC.<br />
<br />
When I look at the data, it seems that Kunlun wants to create a couple of Chinese stars. In order to accomplish this goal, they are willing to fly in women to fight these women. There are three women that stick out, Jin Tang, Jingnan Xiong and Weili Zhang. They combine for roughly half of the fights in the promotion. Outside of them, women are usually brought into the promotion for one fight, most frequently from the Ukraine. This is not a strange practice. Numerous promotions in the area do this, the idea being that you fly in a foreigner to fight the local fighter to get the crowd behind the local fighter and to develop a fan base.<br />
<br />
Kunlun recently took their show on the road and had an event in Japan, where Weili Zhang defeated Emi Fujino by TKO (Cut). Prior to the cut, it was an exciting fight and with what I have seen in other promotions, it seems clear that more and more contenders are going to begin emerging from China, with Weili Zhang potentially leading the way. The charts below illustrate that while Kunlun is putting on more and more fights, they are maintaing a nice percentage of female fights with 25% of their MMA fights in 2014, 15% of their fights in 2015 and 24% of their fights in 2016 so far involving women. While Kunlun is doing a good job of developing certain fighters, it would be nice to see them expand what I will call their "permanent roster".<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAqwCCBcy81ZqJwBdKMdB1QDjGUfk0HXVgjSB8cOatMtpsQkp8r75pH63K41x9lkAealO1SArWPw8KJ1gBCIQ_LO0lQyuwx3fNZ8Ipm32dcHy6uGSfHQBZB_DTfhpmv3llmxZLVopFdbm6/s1600/Kunlun+ffights.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAqwCCBcy81ZqJwBdKMdB1QDjGUfk0HXVgjSB8cOatMtpsQkp8r75pH63K41x9lkAealO1SArWPw8KJ1gBCIQ_LO0lQyuwx3fNZ8Ipm32dcHy6uGSfHQBZB_DTfhpmv3llmxZLVopFdbm6/s320/Kunlun+ffights.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2016 is not over</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPxycBiKrMInq80gJwXu-WAKIUK4NZoXP-TdTZh6u9pCpX06x6Vlo_dlT6ayAuL8cpCsZwXwKPaLuSOa4SI6-Xw5j8OZqxNKVdQZaixwC7ZOeG2nutlcIRkZesQFCIhYySp6L6IBlMru52/s1600/Kunlun+total+fights.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPxycBiKrMInq80gJwXu-WAKIUK4NZoXP-TdTZh6u9pCpX06x6Vlo_dlT6ayAuL8cpCsZwXwKPaLuSOa4SI6-Xw5j8OZqxNKVdQZaixwC7ZOeG2nutlcIRkZesQFCIhYySp6L6IBlMru52/s320/Kunlun+total+fights.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2016 is not over</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
List of women who have fought for Kunlun:<br />
<br />
<br />
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 207px;">
<!--StartFragment-->
<colgroup><col style="mso-width-alt: 5162; mso-width-source: userset; width: 121pt;" width="121"></col>
<col style="mso-width-alt: 3669; mso-width-source: userset; width: 86pt;" width="86"></col>
</colgroup><tbody>
<tr height="15" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td height="15" style="height: 15.0pt; width: 121pt;" width="121">Munkhgerel Bayarmaa</td>
<td align="right" style="width: 86pt;" width="86">1</td>
</tr>
<tr height="15" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td height="15" style="height: 15.0pt;">Karla Benitez</td>
<td align="right">1</td>
</tr>
<tr height="15" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td height="15" style="height: 15.0pt;">Mara Romero Borella</td>
<td align="right">1</td>
</tr>
<tr height="15" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td height="15" style="height: 15.0pt;">Julia Borisova</td>
<td align="right">1</td>
</tr>
<tr height="15" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td height="15" style="height: 15.0pt;">Daria Chibisova</td>
<td align="right">1</td>
</tr>
<tr height="15" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td height="15" style="height: 15.0pt;">Emi Fujino</td>
<td align="right">1</td>
</tr>
<tr height="15" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td height="15" style="height: 15.0pt;">Viktoria Godomchuk</td>
<td align="right">1</td>
</tr>
<tr height="15" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td height="15" style="height: 15.0pt;">Svetlana Gotsyk</td>
<td align="right">1</td>
</tr>
<tr height="15" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td height="15" style="height: 15.0pt;">Feier Huang</td>
<td align="right">3</td>
</tr>
<tr height="15" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td height="15" style="height: 15.0pt;">Inna Hutsal</td>
<td align="right">1</td>
</tr>
<tr height="15" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td height="15" style="height: 15.0pt;">Samantha Jean-Francois</td>
<td align="right">1</td>
</tr>
<tr height="15" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td height="15" style="height: 15.0pt;">Yoo Jin Jung</td>
<td align="right">1</td>
</tr>
<tr height="15" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td height="15" style="height: 15.0pt;">Eugenia Kostina</td>
<td align="right">1</td>
</tr>
<tr height="15" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td height="15" style="height: 15.0pt;">Rochelle Lestino</td>
<td align="right">1</td>
</tr>
<tr height="15" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td height="15" style="height: 15.0pt;">Marina Lvova</td>
<td align="right">1</td>
</tr>
<tr height="15" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td height="15" style="height: 15.0pt;">Yana Lyashko</td>
<td align="right">1</td>
</tr>
<tr height="15" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td height="15" style="height: 15.0pt;">Liliya Kazak</td>
<td align="right">3</td>
</tr>
<tr height="15" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td height="15" style="height: 15.0pt;">Maira Mazar</td>
<td align="right">1</td>
</tr>
<tr height="15" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td height="15" style="height: 15.0pt;">Maryna Moroz</td>
<td align="right">2</td>
</tr>
<tr height="15" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td height="15" style="height: 15.0pt;">Anastasiya Rybalochko</td>
<td align="right">1</td>
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<td height="15" style="height: 15.0pt;">Aya Saied Saber</td>
<td align="right">2</td>
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<td height="15" style="height: 15.0pt;">Natalya Safronova</td>
<td align="right">1</td>
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<td height="15" style="height: 15.0pt;">Colleen Schneider</td>
<td align="right">1</td>
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<td height="15" style="height: 15.0pt;">Jin Tang</td>
<td align="right">13</td>
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<td height="15" style="height: 15.0pt;">Ekaterina Tarnavskaja</td>
<td align="right">1</td>
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<td height="15" style="height: 15.0pt;">Liubov Tiupina</td>
<td align="right">1</td>
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<td height="15" style="height: 15.0pt;">Fabrina Vanessa</td>
<td align="right">1</td>
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<td height="15" style="height: 15.0pt;">Jingnan Xiong</td>
<td align="right">9</td>
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<td height="15" style="height: 15.0pt;">Malihe Younes</td>
<td align="right">1</td>
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<td height="15" style="height: 15.0pt;">Weili Zhang</td>
<td align="right">5</td>
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<br />charliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04181810450067771465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5507266775486422446.post-32600490242562981782016-09-27T19:06:00.002-07:002016-09-27T19:19:29.148-07:00One Female Fight Stats<br />
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One of the top promotions in the world, One Championship, a Singapore based promotion, has been putting on an increasing amount of fights in Asia. Starting with 10 fights in 2011, One has increased the number of fights each year to a total of 106 so far in 2016. One has also been developing female talent in the region. When one thinks of One, fighters such as Angela Lee and Ann Osman come to mind and have been heavily promoted by the Organization. What is interesting and important about One, is that they are developing female fighters in areas that we do not traditionally see a lot of fighters emerging from. For example, One has signed the first Taiwanese female mixed martial artist, Malaysian, Cambodian, and Indian female mixed martial artists. Another piece of information that sticks out, is that One tends to bring female fighters back. Other promotions can have the tendency to bring in fighters to fight a promotional fighter and then not bring them back, but more than 50% of the women who fought for One fought for them at least twice.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2016 is not over</td></tr>
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While a majority of the women signed by One are not making their mixed martial arts debut, One is giving a lot of women the opportunity to fight on a big stage and to gain valuable experience. One of the most memorable fights in One's history is the title fight between Angela Lee and Mei Yamaguchi. In addition to the fight, Angela Lee is arguably One's most visible star and most popular fighter. This year One signed Angela Lee to a large contract, showing their intent to keep her as one of the faces of the growing promotion. In my opinion, One was actively looking for a female star to promote. One originally threw their weight behind Ann Osman, who has fought for the promotion 7 times, but when Angela Lee burst onto the scene with her exciting submissions, they quickly threw their weight behind her, who has fought for the promotion 6 times, and led to them crowning their first female champion.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Total Fights and Female Fights</td></tr>
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At a recent Asian MMA Summit, both Angela Lee and Ann Osman spoke about women in MMA, showing at least an intent by One to continue to expand and develop female fighters within their promotion and the region. Having interviewed several of their fighters, I got the sense that these women's success in One has led to more women coming to their gyms and training, which will most likely lead to more female fighters in the future. If this is true, One's investment in these women seems to be paying off. Hopefully, as more female fighters become available in the area, a greater percentage of One's fights will include women. My only issue is that with One's new weight procedures and classifications, I wonder what is going to happen to their 105ers.<br />
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Women who have fought for One:</div>
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<td height="15" style="height: 15.0pt; width: 143pt;" width="143">Walaa Abas (2) </td>
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<td height="15" style="height: 15.0pt;">Amira Badr (1) </td>
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<td height="15" style="height: 15.0pt;">Vy Srey Chai (2) </td>
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<td height="15" style="height: 15.0pt;">Nicole Chua (1) </td>
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<td height="15" style="height: 15.0pt;">Kirstie Gannaway (2)</td>
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<td height="15" style="height: 15.0pt;">Renecca Heintzman 1</td>
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<td height="15" style="height: 15.0pt;">Natalie Hills (2)</td>
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<td height="15" style="height: 15.0pt;">Jenny Huang (3)</td>
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<td height="15" style="height: 15.0pt;">Ana Julaton (4)</td>
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<td height="15" style="height: 15.0pt;">Angela Lee (6)</td>
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<td height="15" style="height: 15.0pt;">Sherilyn Lim (1)</td>
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<td height="15" style="height: 15.0pt;">Irina Mazepa (2)</td>
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<td height="15" style="height: 15.0pt;">Jujeath Nagaowa (2)</td>
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<td height="15" style="height: 15.0pt;">Istela Nunes (1)</td>
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<td height="15" style="height: 15.0pt;">Adek Omar (1)</td>
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<td height="15" style="height: 15.0pt;">April Osenio (3)</td>
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<td height="15" style="height: 15.0pt;">Ann Osman (7)</td>
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<td height="15" style="height: 15.0pt;">Elena Pashnina (1)</td>
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<td height="15" style="height: 15.0pt;">Ehpriyanut Phouthong (1)</td>
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<td height="15" style="height: 15.0pt;">Desi Rahayu (1)</td>
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<td height="15" style="height: 15.0pt;">Aya Saied Saber (3)</td>
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<td height="15" style="height: 15.0pt;">Tharoth Sam (3)</td>
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<td height="15" style="height: 15.0pt;">Mona Samir (1)</td>
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<td height="15" style="height: 15.0pt;">Ella Tang (1)</td>
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<td height="15" style="height: 15.0pt;">Lena Tkhorevska (1)</td>
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<td height="15" style="height: 15.0pt;">Jeet Toshi (4)</td>
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<td height="15" style="height: 15.0pt;">Mei Yamaguchi (2)</td>
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<td height="15" style="height: 15.0pt;">Haiat Farag Youssef (1)</td></tr>
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charliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04181810450067771465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5507266775486422446.post-26016926282066576972016-09-16T19:54:00.006-07:002016-09-20T08:17:45.473-07:00Yan Xiaonan Interview<br />
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Name: Yan "Fury" Xiaonan<br />
Age: 27<br />
Height:5"5 (166cm)<br />
Weight: 115 (52kg)<br />
Record: 7-1 (5 via KO/TKO)<br />
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An exciting striker, Yan Xiaonan is arguably the best female fighter on Road FC's roster. Do not let the 8 fight record fool you, Yan has been fighting for a long time and has fought some tough opponents, notably Jin Tang and Gina Iniong. She made her pro-debut in 2009, but took almost a 5 year break between 2010 and 2015. With women's mma becoming more and more popular across the globe, Yan was drawn back to the cage in 2015 and has most recently been fighting for Road FC. An explosive Sanda fighter, Yan is not only one of the best fighters on Road FC's roster, she is one of the best fighters from China in general.<br />
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<b>CJ</b>: Can you talk about your fighting background and how you decided to go pro?<br />
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<b>YX</b>: I was a student at the Xian Sports Institute training under coach Zhao Xue Jun since I was 16 years old and twice went to the national games in Sanda. Before going to Xian I was at the local sports school in my home town in Pan Jing Liao Ning. I also took part in MMA events in Xian that was organized by Ultimate Wrestle, they did about 30 events back in 2005 to 2010. They are actually the first MMA event in China. The Ultimate Wrestle MMA event was held every month and sometimes twice a month and there I got my first experience in MMA in their event.<br />
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I love martial arts and as a child growing up my dad also trained me in martial arts thus I can say that martial arts is our family sport. During my time at the Xian Sports Institute, I competed in many Sanda events at the city level, provincial level and have won some provincial titles. I went to the National Games twice in Sanda. Most fighters finish after going once, however, I love Sanda so much I trained for a second chance to go. I also in took part in MMA events such as Ultimate Wrestle. Many of my teammates that were older competed in the Art of War thus many of our team members were also training in Beijing to fight in MMA events internationally and I just love watching them fight with limited rules. In 1999 I was offered an opportunity to fight in Martial Combat in Singapore and since then I have been fighting in MMA events.<br />
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<b>CJ:</b> Looking at your record, there is a big gap between 2010-2015, what happened? Why did you stop? Why did you come back?<br />
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<b>YX: </b>In 2010 I was fighting in Martial Combat and Ultimate Wrestle. I distinctly remember 2010 in Ultimate Wrestle as I beat Tang Jin in first minute of bout, they had pride rules so we can stomp on our opponents. It was much more aggressive than fighting now because they do not allow stomp on fighters and soccer kicks when down, and also some even now cannot knee head or do elbow strikes. In 2011 I went to Singapore to fight twice in Martial Combat. In 2012 I started competing in Muay Thai events and also hold a national title in that. At that time there were not so many events in MMA in China open to girls. The ones that were available I have competed in. In 2015, Alvin at URCC offered me an opportunity to fight and I wanted to get back into fighting in MMA.<br />
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<b>CJ: </b>Your English nickname is "fury", which reflects your aggressive style. Can you describe your fight style for new fans?<br />
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<b>YX: </b>My name Fury was giving to me during Martial Combat which basically is how I fight. I am aggressive, fast and relentless in going after my opponent. My striking ability comes from top coaches that I have trained under - Coach Zhao Xue Jun, whom is also coach to many of China’s top champions such as: Anhu, Bao Li Gao, Zhao Zi Long, Na Xun, Qing Ge Le, Wang Guan, Bateer and many other top champions. The biggest difference I can tell you is that we like to KO our opponents and consistent training in the basics of power striking skills, cardio and conditioning. <br />
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<b>CJ: </b>As a Sanda fighter do you watch fighters like Cung Le?<br />
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<b>YX: </b>Cung Le is famous in USA and know who he is, he fought my coach NaXun (Mongol King) in Hawaii, however I have not watched many of Cung Le's fights, I have seen him in some Hollywood movie. I have watched fighters like Ernesto Hoost, Badr Hari, Gokhan Saki, Giorgio Petrosyan in Kickboxing. I like to watch Pride fighters like Wanderlei Silva and now guys like Jon Jones and recently Conor McGregor and of course Ronda Rousey and Holly Holm. <br />
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<b>CJ: </b>Which fight of yours should a new fan watch? A fight you're particularly proud of that showcases you.<br />
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<b>YX:</b> Hard to say which fight showcases my skills, probably the one most seen is me fighting Gina Iniong from the Philippines in Martial Combat. My kick went into her mouth, that was a first time for me to have that happen to an opponent and I received some fan mail from Singapore which I still remember. My current fights in Road FC highlights my style, however I think it still needs lots of improvement as I am still waiting to KO my opponent.<br />
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<b>CJ</b>: You've fought some pretty tough fighters (Gina, Jin, ect.), does that boost your confidence?<br />
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<b>YX: </b>I have fought in many Sanda and Muay Thai fights and the experience carries over to MMA fights. I am not too worried about my opponents as I train full time and and prepared to fight. My toughest fight was against Mongolian National Wrestling Champion Bayarmaa Munkhegerel because she had real good take downs and ground skills, she had recently won prize in an international BJJ event at blue belt level and was it a bigger than me thus I was worried about going to the ground with her.<br />
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<b>CJ: </b>Can you describe your average day? Your training schedule?<br />
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<b>YX: </b>I have two training sessions everyday. In the mornings I alternate days to work on strength, conditioning and in the afternoon I train at the Beijing Shaolin School because one of my senior team mates from Xian - Li Zhi Qiang - is a coach there. I also train at CTT for some of my ground game as my ex team mate - Zhang Tie Quan, Li Jing Liang are there. I also train at different camps to learn from different instructors to expand my knowledge and to also to find proper instructors that fits my style. Also its good for me to spar with different fighters and opens my experience to different fight styles. My training sessions are usually two to three hours long, I spend most my time on the basics of foot work, striking, grappling, takedowns, submissions. The usual for all MMA fighters I think, however I stick to my striking more as that is my core competence.<br />
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<b>CJ: </b>Congratulations on getting married! What was it like fighting so close to your wedding?<br />
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<b>YX: </b>Thanks, my husband Zhang Yang supports me very much on my endeavor to chase my dreams to continue my career in MMA. The fight in Road FC was very close to my wedding, I went to Beijing to check in same afternoon as my wedding, however we had to drive about 8 hours and got there evening before weight ins. I did not get to enjoy the food at my wedding as I had to cut a kilo. It was a learning experience for me too as I did not get enough time to train for my fight, there are so many details for my wedding especially when there are so many family members to deal with and also many things to do for a wedding. I felt that I could have fought much better and be more aggressive. My game was a bit compromised from the lack of proper training. My opponent being a Sanda fighter was very tough and put up a good fight.<br />
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<b>CJ: </b>You're one of the top Chinese fighters, can you talk about what representing China means to you?<br />
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<b>YX: </b>I love the sports and competitive aspects of being an athlete. I am proud to representing China, however its not only that which I feel is most important. I am also representing my team, my family, my coaches, instructors and all those that believe in me, they have spent their time working with me and helping me chase my dreams. It is also their dreams that I succeed and winning is the fruit of everyone’s labor. I am just trying to be the best I can, learning and growing as a martial artist and I think that represents what being a true top Chinese athlete is about. I don’t do fake fights, I don’t do special favors, when I step in the ring to do my best and beat my opponent. During my days at the sports institute we just train hard, compete whenever we can and try to win every fight. That I believe is the spirit a true fighter and that is what it means when I win. If I can represent my country and win, I am glad I can. I like to focus on the training and there is so much to learn and many people from all over the world that have helped me grow as an athlete. There are also many top athletes in China that has come from the same system that I have thus when I win a fight, I also feel that my victory is what I am giving back to them all their hard work. I respect all my opponents that have stood opposite of me no matter what country they are from, I have fought fighters from Russia, American, Philippines, Mongolia, Korea, to me they are firstly an athlete with much courage and deserve 100% of my respect. I think that martial arts transcends borders, countries and nationalities, I want to also thank all my Chinese audience fans and international fans for their support and patronage that is making MMA a popular sport.<br />
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<b>CJ: </b>I read that your ultimate goal is the UFC, can you talk about that?<br />
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<b>YX: </b>I want to fight in the top event in MMA and I believe that the UFC is the pinnacle of MMA in the world. I want face top opponents as it is a challenge to myself and my abiilties.. I know that with the proper training and preparation I can compete with the best. A few of my teammates has gone to UFC, Li Jing Liang, Jumabieke, Wang An Ying, Yang Jian Ping, Zhang Li Peng and I know I can compete at that level and win.<br />
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<b>CJ: </b>Can you talk about the WMMA scene in China? Is it growing? Do you see more women in the gym?<br />
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<b>YX: </b>There is a growing number of female MMA fighters in China. Many are crossing over from Sanda. Some of the top ones I have seen are from the Xian Sports Institute and Wuhan Sports Institute. Currently there is a sudden demand of female fighters which is good but also has its drawbacks as some are highly promoted and not up to par with the ones from the sports institutes. The interest of females in this sport is growing very slow in comparison to the west, I think that it will change in the future as more and more athlete from Judo, Wrestling and Boxing will move into this sport. There are many champion female athletes in China as you can see in the Olympics and world games. The environment has to be there for them to make a move into this sport. I hope that I can motivate more females into this sport. I think that by winning I will be able to set an example for many females to follow.<br />
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<b>CJ: </b>What do you like to do when you're not fighting?<br />
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<b>YX: </b>I do the usual girl thing, go to movie, go out with my friends, maybe play some basketball. I am not into make up or fancy clothing. I like things simple and to spend time with my parents. Being with my parents is very important to me, when I was at the Xian Sports Institute I only see them once a year or at a major event thus I got little time to spend with them. During holidays we train, the only time off is Chinese New Years and it is so hard to get a train ticket home. I know they are there for me and support me by giving me space and time to be with my team mates and coaches to train, now that I have more of my own time when I am not training for a fight I will go home to Panjing, Liao Ning to spend time with them. At home I will cook, watch TV and spend time talking with my parents as we have so much to catch up on. Actually I like to cook with my parents cause I miss the food I had growing up. In Xian we eat lots of meat and noodle, when I go home I get to cook up some seafood, make some dumplings, and my relatives will visit and we will watch some of my fight videos.<br />
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<b>CJ: </b>Is there anything you'd like to say? Anyone you want to thank? A message for the fans?<br />
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<b>YX: </b>I want to thank all my fans for watching my fights, my parents their support and importantly my Coaches - Zhao Xue Jun, Na Xun, Wang Han, Zhang Tie Quan and Bill Eng for believing in me and all their time and effort in helping me succeed as a athlete. I want to thank all the organisers that have given me opportunities - Road FC, URCC, Beijing Fight Nights, North East Art of War, Ultimate Wrestle and my competitors for stepping up to fight me.<br />
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<b>CJ: </b>Can we expect to see you in the cage soon?<br />
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<b>YX: </b>Yes, I hope very soon.<br />
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Enjoy</div>
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<br />charliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04181810450067771465noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5507266775486422446.post-2819421772536610112016-07-29T05:49:00.001-07:002016-07-29T05:49:31.729-07:0010 Questions with Jenelyn<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8FUcAa8aLxC56wrcc7tSRa7HTKbgIjGCGop8FPzuuUgot-8cL9cbhu-n8uwvbWQcFRT1V1OyvGHX_35YjqopJEX3XvO6P4jk-PHvFNM6-vKAMgvaHk9aGsNOhb4-E6Fd8TsvO0lLcNA/s1600/UGBMMA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8FUcAa8aLxC56wrcc7tSRa7HTKbgIjGCGop8FPzuuUgot-8cL9cbhu-n8uwvbWQcFRT1V1OyvGHX_35YjqopJEX3XvO6P4jk-PHvFNM6-vKAMgvaHk9aGsNOhb4-E6Fd8TsvO0lLcNA/s400/UGBMMA.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Name: Jenelyn Olsim<br />
Age: 19<br />
Height: 5"4<br />
Weight: 115lb (52kg)<br />
Gym: Tribal Submission Team Torogi<br />
Record: 2-0 (1 sub)<br />
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WSOF-GC will be having an event this Saturday in the Philippines, in an event that is being dubbed the Philippines vs The World. One of the fighters representing the Philippines is a young prospect, Jenelyn Olsim. At only 19 and 2-0, she is full of potential and with the love of combat sports in the Philippines could be a star. Unlike Jujeath, Jenelyn comes from a grappling background and will be looking to submit her opponent, Nayara Hemily this Saturday.<br />
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<b>CJ</b>: What is your martial arts background? How did you get started with martial arts and when did you decide to go professional?</div>
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<b>JO</b>: I'm a grappler. I started with my head coach Christian Gazmin from Tribal Submission. Prior to that I was a basketball player for my college. I started MMA about a year ago, I fell in love with the sport and decided to go pro when the opportunity knocked on my door. </div>
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Jenelyn faces Hemily</div>
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<b>CJ</b>: You're relatively new to the game, all of your pro-fights have been this year. Can you talk about your first two fights? What sticks out to you when you think about them?</div>
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<b>JO</b>: Yes, I know I am so new to the game. I guess my coaches have seen something special in me that they gave me the opportunity to fight. The first fight I had was with a 40 yr old, Dolores Meek, didn't know much about her, all I knew was she was a student of the Catalan Fighting Systems here in the Philippines that had superior striking skills. I took the fight to the ground and finished her on the last seconds of the first round. Got Lucky, I guess. The second fight was a little tougher on the mindset, a veteran of the sport from Australia that I heard auditioned for the Ultimate Fighter reality show, she had a 4-1 record and I was really up against a very stellar all around fighter. My coaches really had my stick to my game plan and I won unanimously :) Another lucky fight. What sticks out to with both fights is the drive, knowing that we Filipino women actually can compete internationally with top caliber women fighters worldwide. That was the vehicle that had me going. </div>
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<b>CJ</b>:<b> </b>How does it feel to be on such a big card for only your third fight?</div>
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<b>JO</b>: My coach always reminds me of this. It is just another day at the office :) We train hard, we fight hard, that's all it has to it. Whatever the outcome is, deep inside, you know you gave it your all.</div>
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Both Jujeath and Jenelyn will represent the Philippines </div>
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<b>CJ</b>: WSOF announced potential tournaments and championships for your division. Are those goals of yours? What are your career goals?</div>
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<b>JO</b>: Come what may! I know I am here for the long haul. Martial arts is not a hobby or a job for me, it is my lifestyle. </div>
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<b>CJ</b>: I think I saw that you're a criminology student. Can you talk about that? What's your goal with that?</div>
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<b>JO</b>: I am. I have another year until I graduate. My brother, Jerry, who happens to be an MMA fighter like me, is also a Criminology student. I guess, you always look up to somebody and want to follow their footsteps. My goal with that? TO PROTECT AND SERVE :)</div>
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<b>CJ</b>: How does it feel to be representing the Philippines at the Philippines vs The World event?</div>
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<b>JO</b>: It is a great honor. For all the fighters that came before me and still are fighting in the sport with me. We always take pride representing our roots, our tribe. If you know what i mean :)</div>
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<b>CJ</b>: Can you talk about your training? What is your training schedule? What martial arts are you training?</div>
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<b>JO</b>: Wow! I have my hands full. I train twice a day, about 3 hours in the morning and 2 hours in the early evening. I mix up cardio, strength and conditioning in the morning, striking MWF and ground game TTHS. My head coach is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps and he runs the camp like boot camp :) My other coach is 3x world muay thai champ so I don't really have a choice but to get better.</div>
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<b>CJ</b>: Can you describe your fight style for the readers?</div>
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<b>JO</b>: At first, I rely more on my grappling and wrestling techniques. But now, with Muay Thai, I really think I've evolved all around. Everyday, I know that there is always room for improvement. </div>
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<b>CJ</b>: When you aren't fighting, what do you like to do? Any hobbies?</div>
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<b>JO</b>: I'm always fighting:) whether be it my off season or no fights to prepare for. My martial arts lifestyle is my hobby. Kidding aside, I like coffee and always wanted to have a dog as my partner. i know i'll get one soon:)</div>
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<b>CJ</b>: Is there anything you'd like to say? Anyone you'd like to thank?</div>
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<b>JO</b>: I am just another girl that wants to do extraordinary things! My coaches and teammates, my family, that drives me to better myself everyday. Thank you coach Cricket and coach Brent. WE ARE ONE!<br />
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We would like to thank Jenelyn for the interview and wish her good luck this Saturday. You can watch Jenelyn fight this Saturday for WSOF GC.<br />
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charliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04181810450067771465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5507266775486422446.post-77175971385955569802016-07-26T18:21:00.002-07:002016-07-26T18:27:35.990-07:0010 Questions with Jujeath Nagaowa<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Name: Jujeath "D' Badgirl" Nagaowa</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Age: 28</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Height: 5"0 (152cm)</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Weight: 105lb (48k)</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Gym: Highland Boxing Gym</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Record: 2-0 (2 via TKO)</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">This weekend, WSOF-GC is putting on a event in the Philippines and for their inaugural show in the country they have signed a skilled boxer and a top prospect in mma, Jujeath Nagaowa. With 8 KO/TKO's in boxing and having finished both of her mma fights by TKO, it is clear that Jujeath is primarily a striker but she is looking into becoming more of a well-rounded mixed martial artists. Both of her mma fights were pretty exciting as Jujeath mixed up her strikes to both the head and the body and attacks in a seemingly relentless manner, which is why when I saw that WSOF-GC had announced that she was fighting this weekend, it caught my attention. As some of you may be aware, I have been compiling statistics relating to the women's divisions in Asia and Jujeath's names was one of the names that I circled as a prospect to keep my eye on. Apparently I was not the only one who noticed her potential as WSOF-GC announced that they had signed her a couple of weeks later. If you haven't, I would suggest watching one of Jujeath's mma fights to get a better idea of what her striking is like.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Without further ado, here is our interview:</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;"><b>CJ</b>: Can you introduce yourself to the readers? How did you get into martial arts and when did you decide to go pro?</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><b>JN</b>: I am Jujeath Nagaowa, a Filipina fighter and a proud Igorot native from Mountain Province & Benguet.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">I started martial arts career thru amateur muay thai in 2006 then shifted to pro-boxing the same year to become the first Filipina pro-licensed boxer to compete. I Enjoyed boxing professionally for almost 10 years then became an MMA fighter as well in between those years specifically in 2014.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;"><b>CJ</b>: You started out as a boxer (2010-2013), then fight twice in MMA (2014). Afterwards you returned to boxing in 2015. Why did you return to boxing?</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;"><b>JN</b>: I've been doing boxing ever since. I just love the sport and it's hard to really get out totally if you're really in love with it. At those times, so many offers I think I shouldn't let go so when it knocked,I just grabbed.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;"><b>CJ</b>: What motivated you to return to MMA?</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">JN: As I always say, MMA is an undeniably very intense exciting and tempting combat sport where you can show what you really got and what you can do really regardless of what your specialty is. I just want to prove myself that I can do more than boxing and anything else. It's a self challenge and at the same time a dream.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;"><b>CJ</b>: Your boxing record is well documented, can you talk about transitioning to MMA? What is your training schedule like?</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;"><b>JN</b>: I always start the day with morning run then killing myself in the gym in the afternoon. All I can say is that MMA training makes you a beast. From the stretching itself,conditioning, very different,. It's just always like an obstacle you need to pass thru every single training.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;"><b>CJ</b>: In press releases WSOF has hinted at future championships and titles for women. Do those interest you? What are your career goals?</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;"><b>JN</b>: I am a dreamer, I dream big but I should walk the right path towards that goal. Definitely,championship thing is a very interesting one but I think it's too early for me to advance my thinking on that stage coz I still consider myself a novice in this career and I really want and need to get some wins first. :)</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><b>CJ</b>: When you aren't training what do you like to do? Do you have any hobbies?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;"><b>JN</b>: I am doing online selling, and taking school for graphic designing. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;"><b>CJ</b>: Can you talk about women's combat sports in the Philippines? Is it becoming more popular? What about MMA specifically?</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;"><b>JN</b>: Combat sports is I think very popular especially boxing and MMA is becoming more on the scene nowadays in the country.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">I hope to see more fighters excel. I think there are so many female fighters, its just that some are not being exposed or given an opportunity.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;"><b>CJ</b>: Are there any fighters that inspire or motivate you? Who do you like to watch?</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;"><b>JN</b>: I'm a fan of Meisha Tate, but I love to watch the fights of any fighters especially females.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><b>CJ</b>: Can you talk about your upcoming fight? What should the fans expect?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;"><b>JN</b>: Just expect same Jujeath, fighting still no matter what. I am just excited to be back on the cage. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;"><b>CJ</b>: Anything you would like to say? Anyone you would like to thank?</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;"><b>JN</b>: I am so thankful for the WSOF for opening it's door to me and for all the concerned individuals who worked for the pursuant of my MMA career. For the people who still believe and trust in me. For everyone and to Him, thanks thanks </span></span><span style="color: #; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><img alt="😊" class="CToWUd" data-goomoji="1f60a" goomoji="1f60a" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/e/1f60a" style="color: #; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; margin: 0px 0.2ex; max-height: 24px; vertical-align: middle;" /><br />
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Watch Jujeath fight this weekend for WSOF-GC, where she will face Yuko Kiryu on Saturday.</div>
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We would like to thank Jujeath for taking the time to answer our questions.</div>
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charliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04181810450067771465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5507266775486422446.post-4520191031957684502016-07-17T22:22:00.003-07:002016-07-18T20:01:19.922-07:0010 Questions with Jenny Huang<br />
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Name: Jenny Huang<br />
Age: 25<br />
Height: 5"1 (155cm)<br />
Weight: 105 (48kg)<br />
Gym: Wu-Jia<br />
Record: 3-0<br />
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Earlier this summer, I was compiling lists of all the fights, featuring women, that promotions have put on in Asia, as part of an effort to analyze the women's divisions development in the region. As I was making the lists, several names stood out, one was 25 year old Jenny Huang. A promising prospect from Taiwan, actually their first female mixed martial artist, Jenny has built a 3-0 record with her most recent victory coming via submission earlier this year. Citing Ronda Rousey as an influence, Jenny is a good example of the young talent currently emerging in Asia. Having made her pro-debut in 2015, Jenny most recently fought for One FC and could become a star for the promotion as the promotion looks to break into the Taiwanese and other markets. Without further ado, below is our interview with Jenny.<br />
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<b>CJ</b>: Can you talk about how and why you got into martial arts? Can you then talk about why you decided to become a professional mma fighter?</div>
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<b>JH</b>: I have always loved fighting. In high school and Elementary School I practiced Judo for 7 years. But after I graduated from my University, I wanted to travel and see the world. I traveled to America for a few months and then I went to Singapore. I know Singapore is famous for fighting and having a lot of good Dojos. But Singapore is expensive and I had to work quite hard just to sustain a rather meager apartment. I was very fortunate to have gained a friendship of many nice people in my job. They encouraged me to train and practice fighting at many different Dojos. I learned about BJJ and MMA and I am very grateful for the time I spent at Evolve. I felt a great deal of pride, strength and encouragement whenever I could do all of these different and difficult moves. But I still wanted more. So I came back to Taiwan and I went to Wu-Jia to continue my training. It took time to convince people of my skills and determination, but my persistence paid off. I am really grateful for my persistence in this sport. Strength and athletic prowess doesn't come easily or quickly to anybody. It is only through constant daily routines that we can improve to incredible heights. It is my drive it is my passion it is my desire to be the greatest female fighter that Taiwan has ever seen. This thing keeps me going every day. Once I saw a little success and I wanted more. I still want more. And everyday I'm constantly working hard and getting closer to my goal.</div>
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<b>CJ</b>: You are a blue belt in jiu-jitsu and a black belt in judo. On your Instagram it looks like you compete actively in grappling, can you talk about that?</div>
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<b>JH</b>: The true champions of MMA are decided by those who master many fighting styles. I relish any chance I get to practice any and every kind of martial art because I am always looking for anything that can give me an edge over my opponent. When you become a professional fighter you need to constantly train. You're always competing against someone else who's trying to bring you down and if you aren't getting stronger, then you're getting weaker. I constantly worry about my skills. Did I get lucky in that fight or am I really improving? Fighting in the ring always reveals you to yourself. It shows me my strengths and it shows me my weaknesses. I don't win every fight I get into and sometimes it's the fights I lose that teach me the most that I need to learn. It can be hard to lose sometimes, but I still hold on to this one thing, this one belief of mine that keeps me going and keeps me fighting. That persistence I have is one of the best secrets I have for success in my life. Whenever I fall I know to get back up again. The strength of my spirit is one of the best secrets to my success.</div>
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<b>CJ</b>: Your grappling is your strong point, but I see you're also competing in kick boxing competition. In your fight with Amira you hurt her badly with your punches. Can you talk about your striking and how it is improving?</div>
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<b>JH</b>: I am always learning new things from every competition I'm in. I also know that you always need to change things up when you're fighting or else your opponent will know what's coming and build a stronger defense as a result. Attending kickboxing matches revealed my striking weaknesses. I know that future fighters might mount a strong defense against my grappling skills in the future which is why I think it's prudent to constantly explore and improve upon new fighting styles.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Courtesy of Sherdog.com</span></div>
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<b>CJ</b>: You're the first pro wmma fighter from Taiwan. Can you talk about that and what it means to you?</div>
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<b>JH</b>: A lot of people make a big deal about me being the first female fighter. Honestly, I don't see myself as doing anything THAT special. Everything I did is something that another woman could do too. If anything I want to tell more women that you can do this. You can do what I can do. I know Taiwanese women are strong. I know they can defend themselves. I am constantly surprised by the skills and strength I see amongst the people I train. The only difference between me and other women is that I had courage to go after my biggest desire. I love to fight but what I really want to tell other women is to find their dream and go for it. Don't let other people discourage you from your dreams. If there is something amazing that you really want to do, then do it. Take that burning desire that you have, cultivate a good plan that will let you pursue it and don't let anyone or anything stop you from getting what you really want.</div>
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<b>CJ</b>: I read that you like Ronda Rousey. Can you talk about how she has influenced you?</div>
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<b>JH</b>: I have always admired the skills and talents of Ronda Rousey. We have a similar background in judo and she has always displayed exceptional skill in the MMA ring. I also admire her for her strong confidence in herself. She always believes that she can do anything and she never doubts her abilities. That strong fighting mentality she has is extremely important for any fighter and part of the reason why I think she is such a famous fighter.</div>
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<b>CJ</b>: One FC has put on some exciting women's fights. What fighters stand out to you? When can we see you back in the cage?</div>
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<b>JH</b>: I gained a lot of respect for Yamaguchi after her fight with Angela Lee. Yamaguchi embraced Lee after Lee defeated her in the ring. The amount of care, concern and respect she has for her opponent shows the best example of true sportsmanship that I can think of.</div>
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<b>CJ</b>: You and your coach, Sun Ming-yen, have talked about how important respect and honor are in fighting. Can you talk about that?</div>
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<b>JH</b>: I have always considered it a great honor to fight in the One FC ring. I know that I am not the normal fighter. I respect others by fighting fair and by displaying a high level of professionalism both inside and outside of the ring. Even after winning a fight I do not gloat or denounce the skills of the other fighter. Fighting isn't about beating the other person, it's about your own personal goal and journey in life. I view fighting as a test of my skills and my current level. When a fight is over, I will still view my opponent with the highest level of respect. I will still wish to be friends with the person I beat or lost to. Hate has no place in the ring.</div>
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<b>CJ</b>: I see you're training with some women in Taiwan, is it becoming more popular? Should we expect more women to start fighting?</div>
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<b>JH</b>: MMA has become more popular in Taiwan. Many girls saw my fight and wanted to join our classes. Even many girls who had no prior experience in martial arts are now very interested in learning how to improve themselves and become fighters. It's already very different than before.</div>
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<b>CJ</b>: When you aren't training, what are you doing, what are your hobbies?</div>
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<b>JH</b>: When I have have free time, sports are always on my mind. I think best when I'm on the move and improving my skills and getting stronger. Work out in the street, practice parkour because I like challenges difficult exercise, If it keeps me moving and makes me stronger then I'm interested in it. Outside of exercise, I'm also interested in music. I really like the piano and the ukulele, play music make me feel relax.</div>
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<b>CJ</b>: Is there anything you would like to say? Anyone you would like to thank?</div>
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<b>JH</b>: I wish to thank my coach who taught me much of what I know. I spent many hard years and hours with him. It was very hard and it wasn't always easy to keep practicing. But I wouldn't be the person I am without his training. I also want to thank the fine people at One FC for giving me this chance to show my skills to the world.</div>
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I would like to thank Jenny Hung for taking the time to answer these questions.</div>
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Please follow Jenny on <a href="https://twitter.com/JennyHuangMMA" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Jenny-Huang-%E9%BB%83%E5%81%B5%E7%8E%B2-1584276651787990" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/jennyhuangmma/" target="_blank">Instagram</a></div>
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<br />charliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04181810450067771465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5507266775486422446.post-37695658847268326852016-07-01T05:32:00.000-07:002016-07-01T06:28:10.184-07:00Lee Ye-Ji Interview<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Name: Lee Ye-Ji</div>
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Age: 16</div>
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Height: 5"1</div>
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Weight: 101</div>
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Record: 1-2</div>
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Lee Ye-Ji will be facing off against Hana Date this Saturday at Road FC 32. A young and active fighter, Lee picked up her first win recently, via submission. At 16 years old, Lee looks to be part of a new pool of young talent that is emerging. While her record is 1-2, it is worth noting that Lee's two losses are to Hisae Watanabe and Satoko Shinashi, a rough two fights for any fighter beginning their career. </div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.5;">CJ: You're still quite young at 16, can you talk about how you got into martial arts? When and why did you start mma?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 14.2667px;">Lee: 2014, when I was in my third year of middle school, my elder cousin’s husband who is the head coach of Wonju Team J recommended me to begin learning MMA. So, I began to learn it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I competed in an amateur tournament 1 month after beginning MMA. And I was fascinated and addicted to the charm of it. My parents objected at first because MMA is an intense sport. But now they’re supporting and cheering me affirmatively.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">CJ: You're coming off of a submission victory, can you talk about that fight?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Lee: My initial strategy was to try to grasp and take in the situation until the after the half of the first round, just throwing punches. Then after the half, I planned to fight it out to the finish. That was my strategy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">But when the match just started, right out of the box, we were clinching and coming to a deadlock. So, I thought that trying out some skills or techniques at that time would not be helpful in managing the match, it would just make me exhausted. So I just throw some more punches and tried to find a chance. And then I found a chance to do armbar on her. I had practiced that armbar every day. So I was able to finish her with an armbar.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">CJ: Your first two fights were Satoko Shinashi and Hisae Watanabe, what was it like facing two older legends right away?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Lee: I knew that I had less experiences and abilities than those opponents. I was a fighter of little experience. My goal was not concentrated on winning the match. I wanted to grow and get through the fights with those veteran fighters. I wanted to become much better fighter.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">As a result, the matches taught me many points. I learned lot from them through the fights. Even if I could go back before those matches, I would still accept them again. Because I think they are what brought me up to the present. Those made me as a fighter. <span style="line-height: 1.5;">If I took matches with fighters who had similar careers and abilities as me, I don’t think that I could become the fighter who I’ve come to be now.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">CJ: Your next fight is against Hana Date, who is closer to you in age and record. What do you think of her as an opponent? How do you think the fight will go?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Lee: I think that she's just an opponent I have to face and strike at during fighting. Just one Japanese fighter.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I will fight whomever I'm told to face and win no matter what happens. Of course I will win this match. Especially, I want a victory because the day after the match day is my birthday and I want to celebrate it that way.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">CJ: At 16, I imagine you're still in school, how often are you at the gym? Can you talk about your training?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Lee: I go to the gym every day. Even when I have no upcoming match, I eat dinner and then go to the gym after regular school hours end. Nowadays, as you know, I have an upcoming match this time, so I leave the class before it is dismissed, earlier than usual. I train and practice. And take a rest for a while in the afternoon. And I practice and train again. Once I have completed the training and practice, it's usually 11:30 PM.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.2667px;">CJ: Can you describe how you like to fight? What areas of mma do you like or dislike?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Lee: Although it's a the women’s MMA match, I want to fight with no reservations and make the audience really enjoy the match.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I go through all the combat sports. Regardless, I really enjoy all the martial arts. However, I have relatively short striking range because I don't have that long of a reach, so I feel easier and more comfortable when I am doing grappling.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">CJ: Are there any fighters you look up to or that inspire you?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Lee: Jeon Chan-Jun who is my coach and director of my team now, because I have learned so many things about MMA from him. I want to follow him and be like him. And sometimes when I feel tired and have a hard time mentally, he tightens control of me to make ma train and practice again. I am grateful to him. Thank you, coach, really.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">CJ: You've been fighting a lot, how many times would you like to fight in a year?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Lee: This the 3rd match of this year for me. I think that it seems that it’s appropriate - 3 matches a year. My maximum could be 4 matches a year? I think I can fight up to 4 matches. OK! I've decided. 3 to 4 matches a year would be the best. If I fight more, I worry it might take its toll on my body. But I don’t want to avoid taking an opportunity when it comes to me. I appreciate all the times when opportunity comes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="m_-965664735029486213__GoBack"></a>CJ: What do you like to do when you aren't training? Any hobbies?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Lee: I train and practice all the time even though I have no upcoming match. Usually I am in the gym. I help the coach and teach a kids' MMA class. When I have time to rest, I meet my friends and I eat meals and have conversation together with them. And I really enjoy watching movies and shopping alone. When I am alone, it helps me to arrange my thoughts and ideas calmly. So, I enjoy being alone sometimes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">CJ: Is there anything you want to say? Anyone you would like to thank?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Lee: I am so happy and excited to take part in this large-scale event held in China, it's abroad for me. As I feel happy and excited, I want to fight well and perform nicely.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">My coach always takes care of me, I want to tell him again that I thank him and I am sorry when I give him problems. I will certainly win this match, so I want to make my coach, parents, and fans happy.</span><br />
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I'd like to thank Lee Ye-Ji for taking the time to answer these questions. You can watch her fight Hana Date at Road FC 32 on July 2. <a href="http://www.epicentre.tv/events/road-fc-032/" target="_blank">Road FC 32 PPV</a>. If my math is correct, it'll air at 8:00 A.M EST on Saturday.</div>
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charliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04181810450067771465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5507266775486422446.post-43460345670346644302016-03-11T13:09:00.000-08:002016-03-11T13:14:08.211-08:00Amber Brown - Pre-Fight Interview<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Esther Lin / Invicta FC</td></tr>
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<b>CJ</b>: <span arial="" font-family:="" quot="" sans-serif="">The first time we spoke, you were getting ready to fight Emi Fujino in Japan on short notice. Interestingly, Fujino is a common opponent between you and Hamasaki. Can you talk that fight and how you have changed since then?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><b>AB</b>: </span><span style="color: #; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">My fight with Emi was my 3rd cage fight my whole life! I was brand new to the game and didn't know much at all. I know I put up a great fight, she had a ton of experience over me. I have grown and flourished into a well rounded mixed martial artist. I have learned so much since then.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amber vs Emi on short notice</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><b>CJ</b>: You looked incredibly dominant in your last two fights. Can you talk about them?</span><br />
<span style="color: #; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><b>AB</b>:I feel that I am a really big, strong 105er. Plus I work so hard everyday in the gym. I feel its all my hardwork paying off.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><b>CJ</b>:Can you also talk about how you got your nickname?</span><br />
<span style="color: #; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><b>AB</b>: My nickname comes from my amateur boxing days, I had to fight a few people that were younger, also its just my style..always in your face and super aggressive.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><b>CJ</b>: We haven’t gotten to see it in your last two fights, but you normally come into these fights with tremendous cardio, as was obvious in your fight with Liz. Have you changed anything for 5 rounds? Do you think cardio will play a role?</span><br />
<b style="color: #; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">AB</b><span style="color: #; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">: I feel that if the fight does go into the championship rounds, even 2 and 3, I will get stronger as the fight progresses. Cardio won't be an issue at all.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><b>CJ</b>: When you first got to Invicta, they were going through some problems and you had to wait awhile. Now you are fighting for the title and are arguably one of their most exciting fighters. Can you talk about what it’s been like fighting for Invicta?</span><br />
<b style="color: #; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">AB</b><span style="color: #; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">:</span><span style="color: #; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">At first it was rough, not getting fights like I wanted, but within the last year or so fighting for Invicta has been great. I am truly honored to be part of the world's greatest women. Fighting amongst the best.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><b>CJ</b>: Can you talk about the title fight? How do you think it is going to play out?</span><br />
<b style="color: #; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">AB</b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">: I plan on Bullying Ayaka, just like I do every opponent. I am going to be aggressive and never back down, I know she is very tough and I have a ton of respect for her. But she has what's mine, and I'll do Whatever it takes to bring that gold back home with me. I feel I can be better than her no matter where the fight goes.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><b>CJ</b>: </span><span style="color: #; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">You seem very proud to be from New Mexico. Can you talk about what representing New Mexico means to you when you fight?</span><br />
<b style="color: #; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">AB</b><span style="color: #; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">: </span><span style="color: #; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">I am very proud of where I come from and I have a great support system behind me from back home. This fight is not only for me, but all of them as well!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><b>CJ</b>: Can you describe an average day for yourself?</span><br />
<b style="color: #; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">AB</b><span style="color: #; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">:</span><span style="color: #; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">My days are so crazy! I wake up, get my daughter ready for school, then head to training for a good portion of the morning/early afternoon. Once we finish with training, head back home (about 40 miles) from the gym then get my daughter from school and turn around to do it all again that evening. Sometimes I feel there is no down time at all, but its going to pay off!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><b>CJ</b>: You have a number of fans in Japan, one of which wanted me to ask you what your plans were after this fight. Do you see yourself moving to 115 and going for the UFC title at all?</span><br />
<b style="color: #; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">AB</b><span style="color: #; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">: </span><span style="color: #; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">I am happy at 105 right now. I want to get this belt and dominate anyone that wants to try and challenge me.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><b>CJ</b>: </span><span style="color: #; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Any sponsors or anyone you would like to thank?</span><br />
<span style="color: #; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><b>AB</b>: I want to thank all my family, coaches, and teammates at FITNHB. Trent Cotney, Hooter's Casino and Hotel, Damage Control Mouthguards, A Reel, Intestinal Fortitude, Dragon Do Fight Gear, Sadie's of NM, Anatolia Turkish and Mediterranean Grill.</span><br />
<span style="color: #; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">All of my fans, friends and family! I love everyone and anyone who supports me!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><b>Be sure to watch Amber fight for the title, live on UFC Fight Pass</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><b>Friday, March 11th</b></span></div>
charliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04181810450067771465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5507266775486422446.post-48829999078239151252016-03-07T18:20:00.000-08:002016-03-07T18:20:49.326-08:00Ayaka Hamasaki on Judo, 2015 Interview<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The following is a translation of an interview conducted in September of 2015.</div>
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<b>Q</b>: Your job, you work for a clinic. It is far away from the heart of the city.</div>
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<b>Ayaka</b>: Yes, that's right. It's a 20 minute walk from the station and it's two hours from here so its like a little excursion every time. (laughter)</div>
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<b>Q</b>: So a round trip is 4 hours...such a long trip, sounds rough.</div>
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<b>Ayaka</b>: In the beginning it was tough (laughter), but I've gotten used to it. Since it is far from the city, I can sit in the train, I'm also able to sit on my way back.</div>
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<b>Q</b>: How do you kill time on the train?</div>
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<b>Ayaka</b>: I'm usually pretty tired on the way back, so I sleep, I also play on my phone.</div>
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<b>Q</b>: The ring doctor for Pancrase also works at that clinic so they are familiar with martial arts.</div>
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<b>Ayaka</b>: I started working there last November, so a year has passed. I usually just think of training. When I have afternoon training, I'm able to take time off. Before I worked here, I worked a series of part-time jobs, if I wanted to fight abroad, it depended on whether or not I could take time off. Even if I could go, I wouldn't have money for the month. Now everything is a lot more stable.</div>
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<b>Q:</b> What kind of part time jobs?</div>
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<b>Ayaka</b>: I worked at a catering restaurant. I worked there for 5-6 years.</div>
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<b>Q</b>: You didn't know about women's mma before joining AACC?</div>
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<b>Ayaka</b>: An acquaintance of mine, Rina Tomita, introduced me to AACC, I didn't know anything about it.</div>
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<b>Q</b>: So you didn't know anything about Megumi Fujii at AACC?</div>
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<b>Ayaka</b>: I didn't know anything about Fujii-san. When I saw her body I was amazed that a woman could have a body like that.</div>
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<b>Q</b>: When you started going back and forth to the gym, was your goal to get involved in mma?</div>
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<b>Ayaka</b>: I went because I wasn't exercising enough and to reduce stress. (laughter) During that time, I was a sports instructor so I was weight training, but it didn't have mean anything. When I heard Tomita was doing mma, I got interested. I asked if there were women. I knew that men did it from TV.</div>
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<b>Q</b>: You weren't getting good exercise as a fitness instructor?</div>
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<b>Ayaka</b>: It wasn't enough. I would start to sweat and stuff, but I wasn't moving and using my body like I did in Judo.</div>
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<b>Q</b>: So you've been addicted to Judo since high school and its been a part of your life since, ever try any other sports?</div>
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<b>Ayaka</b>: No....Judo was heart-breaking. It was a lot of fun to win. But, it is extremely strict, Judo practice. If you don't have the right personality you won't be able to do it. I would get so angry while doing it, I can't really said that I had fun with Judo.</div>
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<b>Q</b>: Didn't you like Judo when you started?</div>
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<b>Ayaka</b>: One trigger was that my friends were doing it. I was pretty mischievous when I was in middle school. Like I stopped going to school for example, cute things like that.</div>
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<b>Q</b>: So you weren't acting out violently or anything? (laughter)</div>
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<b>Ayaka</b>: It wasn't like that (laughter). When I was in middle school, the teachers didn't want to look after me so they recommended that I start doing high school judo.</div>
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<b>Q</b>: I see. So it was Judo for rehabilitation?</div>
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<b>Ayaka</b>: That's right. I didn't really have a choice. When I was in high school, I lived in a dorm, so it wasn't like I could quit. It was an athletic school, so all the kids living in the dorms had to be involved with a school club, there were around 30-40 of us in the dorm.</div>
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<b>Q</b>: In the boys dorms, the 3 years are like gods and the 1st years are like slaves in the pecking order.</div>
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<b>Ayaka</b>: Ah, there wasn't anything like that. There wasn't really a pecking order, with the exception of Judo practice, it was enjoyable. With regards to Judo practice, all I can remember is how strict it was. There was morning training, then school, then evening practice....We weren't able to enjoy ourselves. We trained during summer vacation, we trained during Christmas break (laughter) I was depressed even during summer vacation.</div>
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<b>Q</b>: Since there were no classes in the summer, did you only train?</div>
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<b>Ayaka</b>: That's right, we trained two to three times a day.</div>
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<b>Q</b>: A lot of people in pro-wrestling and marital arts come from Judo, but a lot of them do seem to have a screw loose (laughter).</div>
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<b>Ayaka</b>; Ah, yes a lot of them are pretty amusing.</div>
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<b>Q</b>: There are a lot (laughter).</div>
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<b>Ayaka</b>: No, there aren't that many. There are a lot of normal people too. Just like me, I'm normal! (laughter) Since I started, I did Judo through high school with results, did it through college and even when I started working, until I was 23.</div>
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<b>Q</b>: Even though you didn't like it?</div>
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<b>Ayaka</b>: I didn't really like it a so much. But I didn't hate it, I think I wanted to do Judo on TV or something.</div>
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<b>Q</b>: So you had no interest? (laughter)</div>
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<b>Ayaka</b>: But, I am very thankful towards Judo. Judo transformed my life.</div>
<br />charliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04181810450067771465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5507266775486422446.post-38013192541366584652016-03-07T00:05:00.001-08:002016-03-07T00:07:46.680-08:00Rin Nakai BlogThis is a translation from Rin Nakai's Blog, the original language is Japanese<br />
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Yesterday, they came to drug test me at Matsuyama's Muneta Judo Dojo, they disrupted the middle of practice, I must apologize.<br />
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The surprise test, anytime, anywhere, I cannot know when it is coming, so I apologize to Muneta Dojo. m(_ _)m<br />
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Since I have a lot of work I do, I don't study English, so this is extremely difficult. (☝;Д;)☝</div>
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I got my White Day present early, thank you so much, you must have thought about me having to leave for Australia and got it for me early. I wasn't able to do anything this year for Valentine's Day, I'm sorry (> <) Everything I've been doing both mentally and physically has been geared towards the fight. I will use the money towards the cost of this expedition, thank you very much.</div>
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<br />charliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04181810450067771465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5507266775486422446.post-39931137156123762682016-03-06T00:44:00.004-08:002016-03-06T00:44:52.112-08:00Deep Jewels 11 Results<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy of LadyGo!</td></tr>
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<br />While UFC 196 was going on, in Japan Deep Jewels 11 went down. Veteran Emi Tomimatsu earned a big victory over fan favorite Saori Ishioka. DJ champion and Invicta FC fighter Mizuki Inoue destroyed her opponent as expected. Lower on the card, Kana Inamura, who was the series of a vice video series, won her debut.<br /><div>
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Emi Tomimatsu defeated Saori Ishioka via RNC in Round 2.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Courtesy of LadyGo!</td></tr>
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Mizuki Inoue defeated via Nori Date Armbar in Round 1.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Courtesy of LadyGo!</td></tr>
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Mina Kurobe defeated Hana Date via UD.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Courtesy of LadyGo!</td></tr>
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Mei Umeo defeated Satomi Takano via SD.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Courtesy of LadyGo!</td></tr>
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Pan Hui defeated Real Date via UD.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Courtesy of LadyGo!</td></tr>
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Natsumi Muka defeated Tomo Maesawa via Kimura in RD 1.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Courtesy of LadyGo!</td></tr>
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Kana Inamura defeated Natsumi Sugie via Armbar in RD1.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy of LadyGo!</td></tr>
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charliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04181810450067771465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5507266775486422446.post-80453540844506574702016-02-28T21:30:00.000-08:002016-02-28T21:30:05.690-08:00Ryuto Sawada wants Rizin<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Courtesy of eFight</td></tr>
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<br />It seems that after one event, Rizin is already having an effect on the local mma scene in Japan as top prospect Ryuto Sawata (6-2) addressed the crowd, following his 2nd round TKO victory;<div>
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"People call me elite, and it is because of their support that I can fight. Since I want to repay them by becoming champion, I will not give up until I become it. Also, I really want to fight for Rizin so I must do my best."</div>
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At the age of 20, Sawada, an AACC product, has the potential to become one of the top fighters in Japan. So far he has fought all of his fights for Shooto/VTJ and has addressed his intention to fight for the UFC.</div>
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<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/jBayTVkKD8o/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jBayTVkKD8o?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
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Here is a piece covering Sawada and Fujii</div>
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charliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04181810450067771465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5507266775486422446.post-58381894162685810462016-02-23T17:56:00.003-08:002016-02-23T18:03:12.379-08:00With Tomimatsu-Chan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitSUH062a08cO1_cIGy3hNb7qaSBxN7E_XdvU3Fn9CXJ2N5E1NsCFcGYF6dZSZKVgx3hswthnuH5n86zEjVyHZebTULqxhCo892i6vFe-r9qY_bo-HqTxZtQzvF11ma2KrhHFBGVba8sOU/s1600/o0480036013575359330.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitSUH062a08cO1_cIGy3hNb7qaSBxN7E_XdvU3Fn9CXJ2N5E1NsCFcGYF6dZSZKVgx3hswthnuH5n86zEjVyHZebTULqxhCo892i6vFe-r9qY_bo-HqTxZtQzvF11ma2KrhHFBGVba8sOU/s400/o0480036013575359330.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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On Tuesday, I trained with Tomimatsu-chan!</div>
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It's important to have a female companion to train with.</div>
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Thank you!</div>
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Tomimatsu-chan!</div>
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That being said.</div>
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Tomimatsu-chan and I fought in 2007 for Smackgirl.</div>
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2007...</div>
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This year...</div>
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truly</div>
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I've been fighting for 10 years</div>
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I just became aware of this. lol</div>
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----</div>
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Translation note, chan is a term of endearment as opposed to the form "san"</div>
<br />charliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04181810450067771465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5507266775486422446.post-609340861224277542016-02-23T17:43:00.000-08:002016-02-23T17:44:45.998-08:00Saya Ito, 12 months 12 fights<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(C)鈴木雄一郎/MAT</td></tr>
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On 3/21 I will be defending my WPMF Pinweight title for the first time, next March, when I graduate from high school, even if it sucks, I want to fight once a month.<br />
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I started training at 4, I really want to culminate my Muay Thai life until I graduate, more than now, I want to challenge myself with Muay Thai after I graduate.<br />
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You can call me a pro, but I have the social status of a student so I'm not able to take long brakes from school. I'll be able to tailor my time better after I graduate, so I'll be able to train more and progress more than I can now.<br />
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I haven't fought outside of Japan or Thailand, so I want to fight in Europe, America, Australia, it's my dream to fight in many nations. I'll also be able to fight fighters from around the world for Muay Lock who is going to send out invitations.<br />
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After 3/21 is my spring break, so I'll fight then, after that in two weeks I'm going to fight in Thailand in April. In August, I've scheduled a fight in my hometown.<br />
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Last year, I lost to Sylvie, I lost to her power. At that time I experienced a big barrier, I turned my attention towards the West, from now on, this year, for the aim of stepping up to the next level, if I don't get injured I'm not going to quit, I want to challenge this unknown world.charliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04181810450067771465noreply@blogger.com0