Stepping in on late notice, the always exciting Raquel Pa'aluhi will be facing Kaitlin Young tonight. Known for her aggressive style, Raquel took nearly a year off from fighting to really focus on her jiu-jitsu and grappling. She's also made some drastic changes in her training and life. This fight, in my opinion, has all of the makings of fight of the night. Both fighters are known for their aggression and both fighters have made significant changes in their training and outlook. I had the opportunity to talk with Raquel last night before her fight.
CJ: You've taken some time off to work on your grappling. Can you talk about Abu Dhabi and your other accomplishments?
RP: Last year, I won the Abu Dhabi trials and I ended up going but there was a lot of problems and miscommunication. So much crap happened that I wasn't able to compete because of some weight issues. I did compete in and get 3rd at Worlds and I won the no-gi Worlds.
I really started focusing on the gi after my loss to Nunes. I feel like my grappling has gotten a lot better and that I've really fallen in love with jiu-jitsu. It really consumed me and I took some time off to focus on it. It took me on a journey that I didn't expect to take but that I needed to take. I think my jiu-jitsu is one of the best at 135 now.
CJ: Can you talk about the changes in your training?
RP: I went to a fight camp at X'Treme Couture and at Drysdale. I trained at the same time that Miesha was training for her fight, but my fight fell through so I was was kinda sitting there. Now that I know what's here, I thought I'd be hurting myself if I went back home. So I went home for 10 days, called my dad and mentioned that I wanted to stay in Vegas. My friends said they would help me out, my dad sold my car for me, while I was home I packed my stuff and sold what I didn't.
CJ: What should fans expect to see tomorrow?
RP: Whatever happens, I'm going to be aggressive. I always fight the same fight. my gameplan is not a secret. I started out as a wrestler but I'm not afraid to punch. Most of my finished come when I take people down and punch on them.
I think Kaitlin and I are both in a place where we need to win. We are both in the same place record wise where we have more losses than wins. I think a win will put me in a good place because we have both fought tough opponents.
CJ: You're record is pretty deceptive considering the people you fought and how close the fights were.
RP: Yeah, I feel like I had good fights against the girls I lost to. My fight against Nunes was also a late notice.
CJ: Do you see yourself in the UFC?
RP: I would think if I can get 2 or 3 more wins, I can be in the UFC. If I win (tonight) I would like to get a couple more fights with Invicta, to help me with what isn't necessarily ring rust, but just to get comfortable in the ring.
CJ: Is there anyone in the UFC you would like to fight?
RP: I've not been worrying about other fighters. It has been part of my journey. I've been worrying about becoming a complete martial artist. It doesn't matter who I fight.
My dad's given name was the Hawaiian word for martial arts. We've always excelled in martial arts and it goes deeper than being Hawaiian. We are a line of fighters.
Be sure to watch Raquel fight tonight on UFC Fightpass
In tonight's co-main event, Mizuki Inoue will be facing off against Karolina Kowalkiewicz. Having fought her entire career in Japan, Mizuki burst onto the international scene last year when she defeated Bec Rawlings. Throughout the fight she showed the hand and head movement that has made her popular. Since that fight, Mizuki has not been idle. She has been competing in grappling competitions, won two Girl's S-Cups (shootboxing) and became the Deep Jewels Champion. Her striking seems to have improved even more and her underrated grappling has also improved. Before the fight, I had the opportunity to talk to Mizuki about what she's been doing and about the future
CJ: Congratulations on winning the S-Cup again. Is Shootboxing something that you would like to keep doing?
MI: Being the back to back champion has made me a lot more confident. If I get the chance, I'd like to do it again.
CJ: Is there a potential Rena fight in the future?
MI: (Coach Yamaguchi) There was talk that Rena might go up a weight class, but we don't know. If she moves up in weight it wouldn't be a problem, of course she would fight her.
CJ: At this year's S-Cup your teammate, Yukari Yamaguchi won the 105 tournament, how did it feel watching one of your training partners do so well?
MI: It was only her second pro-fight, she was able to win. We train together so I felt very comfotrable about her going into the tournament.
CJ: You recently became the Deep Jewels Champion, with your victory over Tomimatsu, can you talk about that fight?
MI: It was what it was, Tomimatsu actually pushed me in some striking exchanges so I need to look back and learn from that fight. I think she may have adjusted from the first fight but I also think that I might have not been as serious as I needed since I had won the previous fight.
CJ: Do you think a victory over Karolina will put you in a spot to fight for the title?
MI: Eeeh, I think its still too early for that.
CJ: You've fought and beaten Bec Rawlings and Alex Chambers, both of whom are on TUF, have you been able to watch and what do you think?
MI: They are very good fighters, fighters that I would like to fight.
CJ: What are your thoughts on your opponent tonight?
MI: Karolina is a very good striker that is also good on the ground. I think that the fight might turn into a ground battle, which is ok with me because I want to show what I can do on the ground.
CJ: Is there anything you'd like to say?
MI: It's going to be a good fight
CJ: How are you handling all the press related stuff?
Tonight the #4 ranked atomweight in the world, Amber Brown,
will be stepping into the Invicta cage for the first time. Amber somewhat came
out of nowhere in 2013, when she stepped up to fight Emi Fujino on late notice
in a heavier division. When I spoke to her then, she told me to expect a war. She was right. In a losing effort, Amber bloodied Fujino and came close to
finishing the fight. Two months later, she fought Kikuyo Ishikawa. In the top
5, Kikuyo was a tough opponent for anyone. Amber wore her down with strikes and
big knees and in the end set up a fight ending armbar. That fight was in July
of last year and Amber hasn’t fought since. She’s going to be stepping into the
cage with Liz McCarthy tonight in what promises to be an exciting match. Before
her fight, I had the opportunity to talk to her;
Brown mounted Fujino
CJ: Your last fight was an impressive victory over then
ranked Kikuyo Ishikawa, but that was more than a year ago. How have you
improved since then?
AB: I’m not even the same fighter that fought Kikuyo, I’ve
been in the gym working on everything. I’ll be a different fighter, they might
expect the same fighter, but it has been a long time and I’ve been training.
CJ:
That was a great fight, can you talk about that fight?
AB:
It was awesome, she was ranked number 5, I came in and got the armbar. It was
amazing. I don’t even know if I was ranked in the top 30 at the time, so to go
out and win like that was amazing.
CJ:
Since it’s been awhile since your last fight, what should people expect to see?
AB:
I’m going to be aggressive, forward pressure in her face, she should expect the
knees, maybe go to the body more, I wanted to do that against Kikuyo but I
really wanted to hit her in the head. I’m a lot better at everything now,
everything has come a long way.
CJ:
What does a win tomorrow night do for you?
AB:
I’m looking for the title of course, I feel like a couple more wins will get me
a title shot.
CJ:
Who do you think would be a good match to get you closer?
AB:
Jodie (Esquibel), she’s up there and had a good win in her last fight/
CJ:
How do you see a fight with the champ going?
AB:
She’s a pretty good striker, her kicks are her thing but I’d take her down and
beat her up.
AB:
I am ready, so ready, I finally get to fight, It’s been a long time. I want to
thank all my coaches that have helped me prepare over the past 15 months.
I'd lik to thank Amber for taking the time to speak with me.
You can watch her fight tonight on UFC Fightpass for Invicta FC 9
With a stable full of young fighters, the relatively unknown gym Hakushinkai has had a very productive August, as two of their fighters brought home championships. At 19, Mizuki Inoue brought home the Deep Jewels Championship and a 16 Yukari Yamaguchi won the 48kg Girls S-Cup Tournament. Both Championships are prestigious and both girls looked very impressive in-route to those victories. In an interview, Mizuki talked about her coach a little bit. Her coach, holding a Karate background, believes that if you want to be the best fighter, you must be able to compete in MMA. Like many fighters, Coach Yamaguchi was affected by the Gracies, in that he saw Minoki Ichihara, a Karate fighter, get defeated by Royce Gracie. This loss is probably the main influence for his ideas regarding MMA. As a result, the Hakushinkai Karate students also train in grappling and compete in a variety of combat sports.
Photo Courtesy of Lady Go!
Turning 20 this month, Mizuki Inoue is one of the senior students at Hakushinkai. As one of the seniors, a lot of people didn't know what to expect when she started competing professionally. Now we know that Mizuki possesses some of the best technical striking in the sport and has a very underrated ground game. Having broken her leg, Mizuki was forced to train with only her hands for a time, and as a result her boxing is especially refined. However despite her striking prowess, all of her MMA finishes have come via submission. Having stated that she wants MMA, Shoot Boxing and Kickboxing titles, Mizuki is now 2/3's the way finished; having competed in and won the Girls S-Cup 2 times and having won the Deep Jewels 115 Championship over the weekend. I've had the opportunity to see Mizuki fight several times and there is something about her. She picks fighters apart with stiff jabs and straight rights to the body that seem to break them. Having defeated 2 of the TUF 20 contestants, her age and language ability kept her off of the show. With her Title victory over the weekend. DJ's Saeki stated that promotions have been contacting him about Mizuki and that her next fight will most likely be outside of Japan.
Courtesy of Lady Go!
At 16, Yukari has more experience that a lot of her opponents and represents the new-generation of martial artists. As the daughter of Hakushinkai's coach, she's been practicing Kyokushin Karate for over 13 years, Kickboxing for 10 and BJJ for 7. Under her father's guidance, she's been training 6 days a week since elementary school. She stated in an interview her philosophy towards training, "I've never thought about quitting. If you don't train hard, you can't win championships, so I train hard." Like Mizuki, Yukari is an excellent striker. As an ambidextrous fighter, she is able to fight naturally in both stances. She started out Orthodox, switched to Southpaw, switched back to Orthodox and is now back in Southpaw. Though predominately right-handed outside of the ring, she prefers to use her left in some instances, like using chopsticks. Having gone 3-0 in Kickboxing/Shootboxing and having competed in a number of grappling events, Yukari seems to be following the same path as Mizuki and it's just a matter of time before she makes her MMA debut.
Courtesy of Kinya Hashimoto
Here is a video of them competing at a grappling event 2 years ago.
Fast forward to the 29 minute mark to see the beginning of Yukari's match, Mizuki's match follows it immediately.
Championship: Deep Jewels 115lb Champion (2/16/2014 - Present)
CJ: Before, people outside of Japan couldn't really watch Jewels or Deep Jewels fights. However Deep Jewels 4 was and 5 will be available on the internet. Since some fans outside of Japan may not know a lot about you, can you introduce yourself and your fight style?
ET: So, I retired from pro-wrestling because of an illness, and I'd always been a fan of Shooto so I joined a gym and I'm still there, Matsudo Paraestra. In the beginning, I started out with Jiu-Jitsu, but then I started to think that MMA looked pretty cool so I started that as well. My fight style, well I'm a brown belt in Jiu-Jitsu so I try to pin my opponent down and now I have added boxing to my skill set.
CJ: You used to Pro-Wrestle and are a big fan of it, can you talk about that?
ET: As soon as I graduated from high school, I entered Yoshimoto Girl's Pro-Wrestling JD. My sensei was the most famous and amazing wrestler in Japan, Jaguar Yokota. However, because of an illness I had to have three operations and it forced me to retire. Now, I love the independent organizations. There is a organization called 666 that I like and I also like AJPW that does death-matches. I go and watch all the time.
Emi the Pro-Wrestler
CJ: It is pretty known that you like metal music. Your sister is in an awesome band as well. Can you talk about this and do you have any interesting stories?
ET: My younger sister, Rie a.k.a Suzaku is a famous metal guitarist. She's still independent and has released CD's and DVD's. If you look her up on Youtube you can find some. Everyone in my family likes metal, in summer when our clothes are being washed there are a lot of black-metal t-shirts on the line!
CJ: In 2008, you got injured. A lot of people abroad might not know about this so can you tell us about it and your recovery?
ET: During a match for Pancrase, my small intestine was ruptured and I was immediately taken to the hospital. I was in the hospital for three weeks, I couldn't eat so I lost 16 pounds. After that I started weight training and returned to practice, that winter I entered a grappling tournament and won.
CJ: In 2013, you fought and lost to Mika Nagano. However, later that year you defeated her in a rematch, what changes did you make?
ET: In the first fight, I feel like I lose because of the takedowns. So I really worked on my boxing and wrestling going into the rematch. I was able to do what I wanted to do, so I won the fight.
CJ: Recently WMMA has changed in Japan. Can you talk about your training and who/where you train?
ET: My home gym is Parestra Matsudo, so I train there, then CAVE gym is near where I work so I train boxing and grappling there as well. In particular, I am taught by the King of Pancrase Ishiwatari and Shooto's Bantamweight Champion Miki. In addition, I go to train at other gyms, and I take part in V.V. Mei's women's training sessions.
Ishiwatari, Emi, Miki
V.V Mei's Women's Training
CJ: When you heard that you were going to have a rematch with Mizuki, what was your reaction?
ET: My opponent was overweight in the first fight, so before the rematch she had to lose the weight and maintain it. I really want to get past that first fight, so when I think of my opponent, it can't be anyone but Mizuki. Since you lose a fight because of yourself, I am going forward and without fail will get my revenge, I will go in with a fighting spirit.
CJ: Since you've fought her before, do you feel like you understand her fight style now? Will it be easier in a way for you to prepare for your next fight?
ET: Since we've already fought once, I can measure her up pretty easy, I also understand there are certain things that if I don't get better at them, I won't be able to win.
CJ: Would you ever like to fight in America?
ET: YES! Outside of Japan, Martial Arts's popularity is swelling up and they have respect for Martial Artist. In Japan, the athletes I have access to is restricted, so if I have the chance I'd love to fight abroad.
CJ: On your blog you post about Ramen a lot. What can you tell us about Ramen?
ET: I love ramen. In particular I love Jirou Ramen. It gets greasy with the fat, people are divided. They either like it or dislike it, since I love Jirou Ramen, I want to go to eat at all of the Jirou Ramen restaurants! Since I will get fat, I'll do it after my fight!
A picture from Emi's Blog
CJ: Finally, can you give us some metal recommendations?
ET: My biggest recommendation is my sister Rie a.k.a Suzaku, I also listen to Arch Enemy, Children of Bodom, EDGUY and In Flames quite a bit. There is a metal festival called LOUD PARK in October that I always look forward to going to!
Comment/Fan Message
ET: A lot of people still don't know a lot about Women's Martial Arts in Japan. We have really acquired and learned our skills, we won't lose to men. Our fights are more exciting and I think our genre is getting more and more popular. For the sake of spreading Women's Martial Arts, this lady will continue to do her best for a bit longer!
The Deep Jewels 5 weigh-ins occurred a couple of hours ago and they went off without incident. Mizuki made weight easily, perhaps proving that last time was a fluke. The only fighter to miss weight was Yuko "Amiba" Oya, who after a trip to the sauna made weight. Deep Jewels 5 goes down on Saturday and it will be available on USTREAM.
All the pictures used are the property of Deep Jewels
The female Japanese mma scene used to boast an impressive 115lb division, but as some of these fighters came into contact with significantly larger opponents abroad, a number of them have started cutting weight, not common in Japan, and moved down to 105. As a result, Deep Jewels can now boast an impressive 105 roster. Including fighters like Ham Seo Hee, Mei Yamaguchi, Saori Ishioka, Naho Sugiyama and now Ayaka Hamasaki.
Former 115 Champion, Ayaka Hamasaki will be returning to action after a year-long absence in which she had surgery and rehabilitation on her knee. Previously she had to use a lot of tape on her legs, but in her last fight with Claudia Gadelha she was told that she couldn't use any, so the decision to operate was made. Prior to her fight with Gadelha, Ayaka was undefeated and held impressive victories over Yuka Tsuji, Mizuki Inoue and Ham Seo Hee. It would be safe to assume that her fight with the significantly larger Claudia, who weighed 136lbs in her last fight, played a role in her decision to test out 105. Possessing a strong Judo base, Hamasaki's game plan usually involves taking her opponent down and getting in side-control. From side control she tries to trap an opponents arm or go for an armbar or the "Hama-lock".
Former 105 Champion, Naho Sugiyama looks to continue her resurgence with what would be the biggest win of her career. Sugirock, as she is called, ruled over the 105 division for a long time in Japan and defeated a lot of top talent but with other fighters moving down and new fighters coming, a lot of exiting fights for her have opened up. Stylistically, she prefers to circle around her opponents, throwing short punch combinations and low kicks. This is all to set up a takedown. She will time a double leg when an opponent gets too aggressive but most of her takedowns come from the clinch or from a successful sprawl. From there she has a number of submissions and gnp she likes to employ. It will be interesting to see if she can trip the Judoka to the ground or if she will prefer to strike with Ayaka, as she possesses the more diverse striking game.
Assuming that she is fully recovered, I would say that Hamasaki is the favorite going into this fight. She has more wins over top opponents at this point in her career. That being said, Sugirock hasn't been facing a bunch of slouches. This is a difficult fight to call and should be pretty exciting. The wildcard going into this fight is that it is only two rounds. Two round fights are completely different from three round fights and I for won can't stand them. Two round fights leave a lot of room for draws so hopefully these two decide to not leave it in the judges hands.
Name: Ayaka Hamasaki
Age: 32
Height: 5"2 (157cm)
Weight: 105 (47.6kg)
Pro Debut: 10/25/2009
Record: 9-1
Championship: Jewels 115lb Champion (12/17/2010-8/31/2013) Relinquished due to injuries
CJ: How's the knee? How is the rehab going?
AH: Rehab's going well, my knee's condition is really good.
Pre-surgery Hamasaki with her taped knees
CJ: Can you talk about your training schedule and where you've been training?
AH: My schedule changes depending on the day so it's always different. I only train at AACC, I don't go out to other gyms.
CJ: When we last spoke you said you wanted to fight at 115, what changed? Can you tell us your reasoning? Would you consider a UFC offer?
AH: I thought I was going to fight at 115 but then I thought that I'd like to test myself and see what 105 was like, so I asked them for a 105 fight. If an offer came from the UFC, I don't know what I'd do but I would like to challenge myself and see what it's like.
CJ: With a win would you like to fight for the title? Does the Invicta title interest you? What do you think about fighting Ham again?
AH: If I can, I'd like to get some titles. I don't really have a strong desire to fight Ham again. If I have the chance, I'd like to get the DJ title but my real aim is to get a belt in America. At that aim I cannot lose.
CJ: 105 is a very solid division. What fighters do you think of?
AH: I don't really know the names of a lot of fighters but I know that those 105ers abroad are at a really high level.
CJ: You're fighting the former 105 Champion, Sugirock, can you talk about that?
AH: I think that Sugirock is a very strong and exceptional fighter. Fighting a former champion like her gives me motivation. I think it's going to be a tough fight but I'm aiming for the KO or the Sub.
Former Champions Hamasaki and Sugirock
CJ: You're base is in Judo, can you talk about how you got involved with that?
AH: In high school I really went all out in Judo, but I wasn't all that strong.
Comments
AH: After being injured for a year, I'm really looking forward to my comeback but I'm also nervous, I'm going to do all I can to put on a good fight!
NS: On TV they were showing K-1 and there was an MMA fight with Caol Uno, from the moment that I saw it, I thought "Ah, I want to do this!" Deep down I wanted to do it, so it started out as a hobby at first. I turned pro sort of by accident (lol). It was a whole development, I don't know how the conversation got started but the next thing I knew I was lined up to fight for Valkyrie. The Valkyrie producer said that she had heard that i wanted to fight, but I didn't say that I wanted to or didn't want to fight, so I still don't know what happened.
CJ: Can you talk about your ring name "Sugirock"?
NS: My real name is Naho Sugiyama, but one of my sempai's/coaches was called Yoshirock T, so I received the "rock" from him.
Yoshirock and Sugirock
CJ: Between 2012 and 2013, you had a rough patch. You lost to Jessica Penne in the U.S then lost twice back afterwards. Since then you have rebounded and won 2 in a row. What happened?
NS: I lost in America, then I was defeated twice in Japan, after that I swept the slate clean and started training striking like it was day 1, I think that me winning my last 2 fights is a result of that.
CJ: Can you talk about your upcoming fight with Ayaka Hamasaki?
NS: It was really unexpected, it surprised me. She was the perfect champion and to be frank, I looked up to her a lot. She was the champion in the division above me, she's very balanced and I think she's going to be a really strong opponent.
However, I think there are areas of my game that are better, I'm going to win solidly, then I'm going to challenge Ham Seo Hee again for that belt she's holding.
Former Champions Sugirock and Hamasaki
CJ: Do you think you would like to fight state-side again?
NS: At this moment, I'm not really in a position to say that I want to fight in America again, I need to raise my abilities, when the time comes that I feel like I can attempt it, that's when I'l say i want to fight abroad.
Comments:
NS: There are a number of fighters dropping from 115 to 105 and I think that fights with any of them would make me a better fighter, all I want to do is win soundly. I want to fight for that title one more time.
Don't forget to watch Deep Jewels 5 over the weekend on USTREAM
