MMA Debut of 12-Year-Old Momo vs. Adult Draws Outrage Abroad, Support at Home
May 10, 2017
Twelve-year-old Momo Shimizu is preparing to make her amateur MMA debut.
In the United States, the headlines hit mixed martial arts websites, message boards and social media like a coordinated strike against decency: 12-year-old set to fight 24-year-old adult in mixed martial arts debut.
At first glance, it seemed like literal #FakeNews. But it wasn't—and isn't.
On May 20, 12-year-old Momo Shimizu will make her amateur debut against Momoko Yamazaki in Tokyo during a card promoted by Japanese organization Deep Jewels.
When it became clear the fight would actually happen, the second wave of reaction came: concern, outrage, repulsion.
Yet in Shimizu's home country, this story is barely registering a blip on the radar screen.
"What's the reaction? There's almost nothing," Shu Hirata, a managing partner of On the Road Management and longtime foreign marketing operations manager for Deep, told Bleacher Report.
"It's been done before here, and fans are used to seeing kids doing kickboxing and beating adults. If anything, there's more of an expectation that she's the next big thing. So her coach [Sadanori Yamaguchi] actually appreciates the concern from the U.S. side, because nobody is too concerned in Japan."
omfg I have such a big problem with this!!!!!!! I don't even want kids taking blows to the head in practice until they are over 13. https://t.co/Rw2QKm3sAZ
There, they see it as the inevitable destination of a life spent training in the martial arts.
Shimizu—who is most often referred to only as "Momo" in Japan—first started training at the age of three. She told Bleacher Report that she simply wanted to follow along with her older brother, Res, when he began karate lessons.
She quickly fell in love and has been training three hours a day, six days a week since kindergarten. While she'll be making her amateur MMA debut, she's had over 100 matches in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, kickboxing and karate combined, she estimates.
All of this sounds like ample preparation, but then again, she's 12, having just started the seventh grade.
While Hirata acknowledges concern is a normal reaction, he thinks it's important for the sporting world to understand the amateur rules in place designed for safety.
The duo, who will compete at the 95-pound minimumweight limit (Momo is 4'11"), will wear protective head gear, shin guards and large gloves with extra padding to both blunt impact and create more difficulty in passing through a defensive guard. There will also be no elbow strikes allowed, and no striking at all on the ground. The fight itself will only consist of two three-minute rounds.
It will essentially be kickboxing in the standup and jiu-jitsu on the ground.
"Of course there's always a danger as you can never say it's 100 percent safe," said Hirata, who has managed notables in his career including current UFC strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk. "But if we're talking about the danger of brain concussion, in that sense, I personally think kids' football, soccer, even playground activities could cause more danger of getting hit to the head."
The modest gym in which Momo trains is only 600 square feet, but it has developed three successful pro fighters.
Dr. Shawn Klein, a lecturer of philosophy and a sports ethicist at Arizona State University, said the pivotal issue is not Momo's age but her ability to offer consent. At 12, children are still developing emotionally, cognitively and physically, and they don't fully understand the future consequences of their actions.
"I would think on average, it would be wrong for a 12-year-old to do this, but I think there can be exceptions if you have a 12-year-old who is exceptional across the board," Klein said.
"If you have a young person who is capable of great maturity and forethought and advanced physical abilities in the ring, it seems like you would want to allow her to engage those capacities while making sure it's safe."
Momo's team says she is exactly that type of person—a savant in the training room who also draws top grades in the classroom.
She trains at Hakuhinkai Karate, a small but well-respected gym in Toyohashi that has only eight total students including three professional fighters: 19-year-old Naoki Inoue, who is 10-0 and recently signed with the UFC; 22-year-old Mizuki Inoue, who made her pro debut at 16 and holds a 12-4 record; and 18-year-old Yukari Yamaguchi, who is 1-0.
It is a gym that prizes defensive skill and head movement. Within it, Momo is considered a prodigy.
While Momo's opponent has five fights on her resume (2-3), Hirata said the bouts came as amateur ones in an organization that routinely squares off untrained people, and that Yamazaki is believed to have little experience or training aside from those bouts.
"I think Momo is going to smash Yamazaki," Hirata said.
Yamazaki's motivations for competing against a child remain a mystery. Because they are amateurs, neither fighter is getting paid for the match, although it will air for a fee on Deep's digital streaming service, DeepFightGlobal.com.
In Japan, there is precedent both for this kind of fight and its expected result.
Yukari Yamaguchi was 13 at the time she made her amateur MMA debut in 2011, easily defeating 33-year-old Nana Ichikawa via armbar submission in just 80 seconds. Last year in Deep Jewels, 12-year-old Karen Date defeated 28-year-old Ayumi Misaka via hammerlock submission.
Such fights are possible in Japan because neither the country nor its prefectures have an athletic commission to regulate bouts, leaving promoters to pair off whoever they want. However, there is an unspoken agreement within the fight community prohibiting professional bouts with anyone younger than 15.
According to Hirata, Momo has been asking to compete in amateur MMA since she was 10, with her coach declining that request until now.
Hirata said outside observers should understand how much thought and care went into the decision.
For the fight to take place, Momo's coach, parents and schoolteachers all had to give their full approval.
Momo takes a break during a training session.
"That does help assuage some concern that we might have about whether she's being taking advantage of, being exploited, that it's not some sort of circus spectacle that is going to do some long-term damage to her development both as a fighter but more importantly as a person," Klein said.
"So if she has good support around her and folks who are concerned with long-term interest as well, that's helpful. That's the biggest thing about 12-year-olds. Certainly, they can think through a lot of things. They can be bright and precocious, but that long-term vision of life is not there."
Momo confirms that when asked about her own future. She wants to continue fighting for Deep Jewels and thinks an eventual run at Invicta FC sounds good. The UFC? It's too big and too far away to imagine right now.
The way she sees it, she's just another seventh-grader doing something she loves to do. And in that, in her youthful insecurity, her age becomes her.
"I don't have firm confidence to win this fight," she said. "But I don't think I would definitely lose or anything like that."
Everyone around her says she's ready. They believe in Momo, even if they understand the visceral reaction that has poured out surrounding this unconventional matchup.
To them, it's understandable. To them, our reaction is fair, if misplaced. Momo, they say, is exceptional, and thus the regular rules may not apply.
"We appreciate the concern, because if you hear anyone say a 12-year-old is going to fight a 24-year-old, your natural reaction should be concern," Hirata said. "But people have to see the ability of Momo. This might be one of the best prodigies coming out of Japan. Just wait."
Rizin out of the Shadows: Does MMA Need Former Pride Boss Nobuyuki Sakakibara?
Sep 30, 2016
Nobuyuki Sakakibara during PRIDE Fighting Press Conference With Tommy Lee - January 11, 2006 at Hyatt West Hollywood in West Hollywood, CA, United States. (Photo by Jean Baptiste Lacroix/WireImage)
Guarding entrances to Buddhist shrines across Japan, the Shinto gods Fujin and Raijin often serve as protectors for their peaceful surroundings. Thunder and lightning don’t roll through without wind power, so Raijin has long been aligned with Fujin, making them a common pairing in the natural order of things.
It was here that Nobuyuki Sakakibara and the team that worked alongside him during his years running the Pride Fighting Championships found inspiration for Japan’s next big mixed martial arts venture.
Aficionados of Japanese MMA, both foreign and domestic, tend to appreciate the side of the sport that draws from unconventional strains of influence—like the red demon Raijin. Given his ability to harness thunder and lightning, Japanese children have long been warned to curl up and hide for fear that Raijin would devour their bellybuttons. For Sakakibara’s purposes, it was the process of recovering from the effects of the Shinto god’s handiwork that suited him.
Raijin became Rizin, which, like it sounds, is an attempt to get up off the deck.
Sept. 25's first round of the Rizin World Grand Prix, an open-weight tournament with prize money totaling $500,000, brought together a smorgasbord of mostly unheralded fighters from different parts of the world including Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic, Kazuyuki Fujita, Teodoras Aukstuolis, Szymon Bajor, Joao Almeida, Amir Aliakbari, Karl Albrektsson, Valentin Moldavsky, Jiri Prochazka, Mark Tanios, Baruto Kaito and Hyun Man Myung. Other fights featured intriguing prospects such as Kron Gracie and Erson Yamamoto.
Returning to Japan where he was a major star, Silva has taken on the unofficial roll of brand ambassador for Rizin.
“This is not the UFC,” Silva told media Monday. “The only thing that can bring you back to this promotion is a good performance, not a win. There’s no place for fearful fighters here. You come to fight, or you stay at home. I hope you perform better way in December, or you’re not coming back anymore.”
When Sakakibara visited California for business in May and chatted with reporters, he sought help getting the word out that his event is something promoters should want to send their fighters to. Several heeded the call. Late last year, Bellator MMA allowed Mo Lawal to participate in Rizin's first attempt at crowning a tournament champion. He won.
March 27, 2007—the day Pride Fighting Championships was officially no longer Japanese—will cling to its co-founder "to the day I die” Sakakibara said during a visit to Los Angeles earlier this year.
News of the deal between Pride and the UFC was hailed as the unifying moment MMA might become a global enterprise, rivaling soccer for the public’s attention under one big league. Like the AFL-NFL merger did for professional American football during the 1960s, the UFC-Pride dynamic represented an honest to goodness chance to control all corners of the MMA world, Fertitta told the Associated Press.
The stateside plan for Pride, such that it was, required the highly produced style of big-budget Japanese MMA to operate in a market tainted by rumors of scandal. This wasn’t the ideal scenario from the perspective of the UFC, but it had long sought a promotional Robin to its Batman. When the time was right, Pride's best would clash with the UFC’s top fighters for a so-called Super Bowl of MMA, and it seemed possible when Sakakibara agreed to part ways with Pride for a reported $70 million.
The UFC, however, sent mixed signals. Several top fighters were quickly siphoned off into the UFC ranks, though not all of them made the move. Fans who were hoping to see Randy Couture vs. Fedor Emelianenko would never be so lucky.
By October 2007, the Pride office in Tokyo was shuttered when staff loyal to the Japanese side were laid off after they chose to hitch their wagon to K-1's promoter, Fighting and Entertainment Group, and form Dream, which went belly up four years later.
Dana White said the UFC attempted but failed to arrange for a new terrestrial television deal in Japan for Pride. When Fuji TV backed away from Pride in 2006 after reports of organized crime ties to the Sakakibara-led organization hit the news, that important arrangement became untenable. It was also suggested that Sakakibara and some of the people around him were not interested in participating in background checks and other due diligence deal-closing activities.
White said it was like he and his company were unwelcome in Japan.
The fallout prompted a legal showdown between Zuffa and Sakakibara over breach-of-contract claims. Background checks cast aspersions on the Japanese businessman, labeling him "not a person of suitable character" to work with the Fertitta brothers, who in their other lives were Las Vegas casino owners mindful of gaming licenses, according to the Spectrum Gaming Group, LLC, which performed background investigations (h/t Bloody Elbow). Sakakibara responded that he had cooperated and participated in the background check process.
Sakakibara said: "If that came from Dana or Lorenzo that would be something I could respond to. However at that point I’ve already sold my assets. I’m not even on the same boat. It was their decision to continue or not to continue Pride. It was up to them. There is nothing for me to speak about regarding being an unsuitable character.
"I don’t feel that ‘scandal’ is the right way to describe it because there’s absolutely no specific evidence of what went out there as a rumor. The fact is Fuji TV stopped airing Pride, which led to many speculations. There is no specific evidence of anything. So me, personally, I don’t feel guilty for any of those scandals. If I did and if any of it were true I probably would not even be able to come back to this moment. So I am here and one of the reasons I’m back is I feel I have to prove everybody wrong and I have to earn my trust."
The UFC's acquisition of Pride sent a clear message about the state of MMA. After the smash debut of The Ultimate Fighter in the U.S. in 2005, business trended up throughout North America, while everything about Japanese MMA trended down—a sharp reversal from the preceding decade. It didn’t take a genius to envision that the vast majority of the sport’s best fights would be earmarked for the Octagon.
By design or based on the reality on the ground, the state of the sport at large, especially in Japan, mattered much less than the state of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. This was Zuffa’s history as it drove UFC to mainstream popularity. Against any competitor that grew into a viable option for fans and fighters, the Zuffa plan was simple: let it fail under its own inflated weight or make a play to buy.
In regard to Pride, the UFC worked both tracks.
Of course, it was the Las Vegas-based company that benefited most from its drive to coalesce the best mixed martial artists under one tent. Four years after dealing a body blow to the Japanese side of the business, Zuffa clamped down on another American competitor, Strikeforce, which was similarly brought into the fold in 2011 before being shelved so its top competitors could compete in the UFC, where they have since enjoyed considerable success.
Following the expiration of a seven-year non-compete clause, Sakakibararesurfaced intent on righting a wrong.
“I told my staff, the fighters, everybody involved that Pride will continue,” he said, recalling his words the day the deal was announced at Roppongi Hills. “So I’ve been holding this emotion of guilt this whole time and I was determined to come back and give back what I can to the people I have let down. So if there’s anything I can do to ask for forgiveness or give back to the people I let down, I was willing to do anything I can to do it for my last challenge.”
He won't blame the UFC for Pride's closure. There’s no point.
“There were probably several reasons why that they couldn’t continue Pride, so I don’t blame anyone but myself,” he said. “It was my fault that I could not fulfill my promise.
“The main reason I came back was because Pride died. I think our goal is to let go of Pride and reconstruct and recreate a new atmosphere, a new product and a new vision. That’s the way to be successful. To let Pride go.”
Founded one year ago, the Rizin Fighting Federation represents Sakakibara’s effort to rebuild himself and the industry many believe he failed. Accountable for the demise of Pride—and the subsequent regression of MMA in Japan in its absence—Sakakibara said there remains tremendous potential for the sport in Japan and across Asia.
“Obviously, Japan is not as big as the U.S., but in terms of consumption and the ability to pay, which comes to the fighters and investment in the sport with sponsors, Japan still has the ability to do so,” Sakakibara said. “Yes the Asian market has grown, but a lot of these countries still need development and education toward investing and funding into the sport. How I look at it is Japan still has big potential. Obviously, all the Asian countries have big potential for the future, but as of right now Japan still has the capital to be the center of Asian MMA.”
Key to Rizin's concept is taking on the roll of a "federation" rather than a run-of-the-mill MMA promotion where everything is contained in house. By doing so, Sakakibara sees Rizin creating what the UFC-Pride merger failed to do: a place for fighters, regardless of the organizations they represent, to participate on neutral territory against all comers. Sort of like the UEFA Champions League.
“If you compete as a promotion, the largest company is obviously going to win and prevail,” Sakakibara said. “Our goal is to tie all of the promotions together, not in a vertical way but in a horizontal way. We want to be the bridge for each promotion to cooperate at the same scale. That is our goal, and we think that is the key aspect to be the federation instead of a single promotion.
"We want fighters competing in their respective country and organization to look forward to and be motivated by participating in our sporting event that we host," he explained. “Ideally, it would be absolutely great to have a no-namer from some country become a superstar and be recognized all over the world and get a UFC contract the next day. That would be an ideal situation from our point of view."
As business stands now, however, Sakakibara's vision is fantasy.
The UFC, with its mainstream reputation as the only place where fights really matter, has little incentive to share talent with anyone. The last time it did, Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell, among UFC's fiercest fighters ever, participated in but did not win one of the greatest events in MMA history, Pride's 2003 middleweight grand prix. Since then, UFC has maintained its status as an autonomous league, eventually re-emerging in the Japanese fight market in 2012, where it held an event per year until 2016.
“From my point of view, I want UFC to be more aggressive,” Sakakibara said. “Not just once per year. I want the UFC to do more events in order to revitalize and stimulate the market.”
That can happen, he said, if the fights are top-shelf. Casual Japanese fans grew accustomed to watching the best in MMA and won’t be satisfied if their countrymen, most of whom Sakakibara described as “mid-tier,” simply take on opponents from other parts of the world.
“Right now what we’re seriously lacking is talent that’s ready for international competition in the big guys, especially 205 and above,” he said. “I’ve been out of the industry for eight or nine years, and yes there are new stars such as Conor McGregor—big draws—but in the heavyweight division there’s still a lot of the former Pride fighters in the top rankings. I’m not saying that in a bad way, but we really need to create new stars and new names."
Rizin could meet this threshold if it discovers the next Kazushi Sakuraba, but that's much easier said than done. Beyond UFC veteran Yushin Okami, few Japanese fighters above the 185-pound threshold have emerged who can regularly win against higher-end competition. This is why Sakakibara holds higher expectations for finding female stars than male ones—yet another difference in the sport since his departure.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2uMC2_b6FY
Three MMA bouts featuring women took place at Saitama Super Arena on Sept. 25, including the co-main even in which 25-year-old Rena Kubota (2-0) looked impressive. Twenty-three-year-old 115-pound prospect Kanako Murata, one of Japan’s top amateur wrestlers, pushed her record to 4-0 over a representative of the Combate Americas promotion, Kyra Batara. And heavyweight Gabrielle Garcia stomped her way to another win.
With a nod to the Pride days, Rizin has instituted a set of rules that don’t line up with the “UFCnized” bouts that permeated MMA over the last decade. Ten-minute opening rounds in a ring rather than a cage. Yellow cards for inactivity that result in 10 percent purse penalties. Liberal rules that allow for knees to the head of a grounded opponent and soccer kicks.
There's no question Sakakibara has already impacted the state of MMA in Japan since his return. During Year 1 at the helm of Rizin, the sport returned to terrestrial television for the first time since Pride went down. Sakakibara, who ran a lower-level professional soccer club in Japan during his days away from the fight game, relied on his relationships inside Fuji TV to navigate skepticism about him and the business. In addition to live fights, Fuji TV features shoulder programming designed to reintroduce MMA to casual audiences.
Fuji TV executives were pleased with the early results last New Year’s Eve, according to Rizin representatives. Ratings doubled what the network produced the year prior thanks to nearly five hours of live MMA content that peaked at 5.5 million households. Sept. 25's card improved on that slightly, hitting a peak of 5.6 million households and averaging 4.4 million over the course of the broadcast.
Compared to monstrous ratings during Japan's golden days atop the fight world, that’s a tiny number, yet it should be viewed as a solid start.
“The fact is terrestrial television has supported MMA once again and have decided to partner with me once again,” Sakakibara said. “So I’m truly grateful for those staff at Fuji TV who decided to make this happen even with the doubt and skepticism going on within the network.”
The Japanese audience is trending older, mostly men in their 30s and 40s who would be the core of the old Pride fan demographic.
“A lot of the people who know the past have come back,” Sakakibara said. “That’s a fact. What we need to do is work on reaching the new generation.”
The logo for the Rizin Fighting Federation implies “eternity” and features three points shooting out from what appears to be a rising sun. These three “arrows” represent how people should view Rizin.
First, it’s a place for the fighters who built MMA, such as former Pride stars Silva and Cro Cop, to finish their careers as they please. Second, Rizin intends to become a platform to nurture new young talent. And third, through its grand prix tournaments, it aims to discover stars who can attract wider audiences.
“In order to take the sport to the next level, I want to try to do something to evolve MMA,” Sakakibara said.
But does that mean kakutogi (combat sports) needs Sakakibara like it need Antonio Inoki, the pro wrestling cultural icon whose influence in the 1970s created the conditions for MMA to flourish in Japan?
“We’ll all find out if I was necessary after I attempt what I want to do,” he said. “You’ll know the result after looking back at what’s done. I can’t really answer if the Japanese MMA industry needs me, but what I do know is this industry definitely needs someone or something to challenge new things.
"Right now it feels like everyone has fallen into the Unified MMA system, and it seems like everybody is scared to take the next step, the leap of faith for a new adventure. Someone needs to be like Antonio Inoki and become totally stupid and do a challenge. And then those types of challenges will be looked back at.
"I would like for people to look back at what I’ve done and say, ‘Yeah he did the right thing and was absolutely necessary at the time.' I hope to be able to be that person."
All quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.
Gabi Garcia Knocks Out Lei'D Tapa at Rizin in the Best Worst Fight of 2015
Dec 31, 2015
If you stayed up late or woke up early for Rizin Fighting Federation’s second event, you got treated to the best worst fight of 2015.
Noted Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace Gabi Garcia (1-0) made her long-awaited MMA debut against professional wrestler Lei’D Tapa (0-1). And it was glorious.
Tapa nearly stunned the MMA world when she leveled Garcia early in the fight.
Garcia survived and continued. They got into another exchange, and Tapa thought she was out of danger. But Garcia is huge. Her massive wingspan allowed her to flail her right hand backward and connect flush, dropping Tapa. Garcia pounced and finished with hammerfists.
To be fair, both women were making their MMA debuts without any prior striking experience. To expect high levels of striking would have been naive, but the resulting mess gave fans plenty of entertainment.
There is no division for these two women. There just isn't enough talent in the world for women at this weight, but it was an entertaining sideshow for Rizin’s second event. And there will remain interest in Garcia’s MMA career. There is no one like her in this sport.
Rizin is the perfect promotion for Garcia. Japan loves these types of fights, and Rizin will be able to pay willing participants to stand opposite the ring from her. Tapa showed that Garcia is vulnerable, and that will add a bit more intrigue to Garcia’s next fight in terms of whether she has improved or will get dropped again.
The Brazilian wasn’t able to dominate this fight like many people, myself included, expected.
When MMA technique is this poor, it usually results in more entertainment than some mid-level fights, and that is exactly what we saw out of Garcia vs. Tapa. Technique was null and void. Garcia’s Sound of Music backfist, however, will be a memorable moment from the best worst fight of 2015.
Megumi Fujii's Final Bout Ruined by Eye Poke, Loses to Jessica Aguilar
Oct 5, 2013
Megumi "Mega Megu" Fujii was at one time considered the top pound-for-pound women's fighter in the world, and she is still widely considered the greatest female to ever compete in mixed martial arts.
On October 5 her career concluded with one final fight.
Most fighters get to fight a can, someone they have had a long rivalry with or another fight that generally makes sense for them to leave on. Rarely do fighters take on the elite of the division as their final fight. They want to go out on top. Fujii wanted to go out fighting the best.
Fujii would take on Jessica Aguilar for a second time at the 2013 Vale Tudo Japan reunion event.
Aguilar won by doctor stoppage after the second round. Fujii suffered two eye pokes in the first round, and she was never the same. The second eye poke virtually closed her eye, but Fujii battled on. After taking a few hard punches in the second round to the eye she could not reopen it at all to continue.
It is a crying shame that her final bout was marred by an accidental eye poke that so drastically changed how this fight would go, and caused it to be stopped prematurely. Regardless, Fujii's fighting spirit was on display when she kept fighting through the devastating poke.
Aguilar was apologetic and emotional for how the fight transpired.
Mega Megu was trained in part by former UFC heavyweight champion Josh Barnett. Her grappling skills were second to none. She routinely submitted her competition as she won fight after fight after fight. The women's MMA legend competed in Smackgirl, HOOKnSHOOT, Shooto, BodogFight, Jewels, Bellator and others.
She defeated a laundry list of names as she ran her career total up to 22-0. That list includes current Invicta Strawweight champ Carla Esparza at Bellator 24.
Then it was the fight everyone had been waiting for: Fujii vs. Zoila Frausto for the Bellator 115 pounds Title.
Frausto (now Frausto-Gurgel) won by a controversial split decision. It appeared that the stateside judging even claimed Fujii's undefeated record. The Florida commission continued its bang-up job by giving Fujii her first career loss.
Fujii rebounded with three straight before returning to Bellator for a fight with Jessica Aguilar who had ascended to the No. 2 position in the division behind Fujii. It would be the true No. 1 vs. No. 2 in the strawweight division.
The two had a tight battle, but it appeared that Fujii may have done enough to win the bout. The Louisiana judges had different opinions. Fujii had lost her second career bout.
Through it all Fujii did not complain. She maintained her status as one of the classiest fighters in the world. However, for fans, it left a lot to be desired as we did not get an answer as to who was truly the best. It appeared that we would not get to see the fight again.
Thanks to Bellator releasing their women we got that chance this weekend.
No matter the losses on her record Fujii will go down as one of the greatest female fighters in MMA history. Her face goes on the “Mount Rushmore” of women's MMA. She receives nothing but the utmost respect from the MMA community, and she has earned every single bit of praise that comes her way. She is beloved for a reason.
It is sad to see her go, but all legends must eventually step aside. Fujii's impact on the sport will not be forgotten, and she will have influenced the next generation of fighters in a major way.
Jessica Aguilar Faces Megumi Fujii in Retirement Match Set for Oct 5 in Japan
Sep 11, 2013
It was just over a year ago when Jessica Aguilar claimed the top spot in the world at 115 pounds when she defeated Megumi Fujii at Bellator 69.
The fight was closely contested as Aguilar looked to beat the legendary Japanese fighter and claim the top spot in the rankings.
When it was all said and done, Aguilar won a razor-thin decision over Fujii, but still controversy marred the victory because the fight was so close and scores from fans and critics alike all seemed to differ on who should have been the winner.
So now with Fujii proclaiming that she will retire after one more fight, the two competitors will get the chance to settle the score once and for all.
Aguilar has signed on to face Fujii in a rematch of their 2012 bout when she travels to Japan on October 5 in the VTJ promotion out of Tokyo, Japan.
Aguilar recently exited her previous home at Bellator MMA when the promotion opted to eliminate the women's division entirely. Since that time other notable names such as Jessica Eye have signed with the UFC, while Felice Herrig landed a deal with Invicta FC.
Aguilar has now signed on for at least one fight when she faces Fujii in Japan with a chance to cement her place atop the 115-pound rankings. She is recognized as the top strawweight fighter on the planet, but picking up a second win over Fujii would certainly solidify her placement.
Facing Fujii in Japan will be no easy test for the traveling American fighter.
Fujii was undefeated as a fighter during her entire career with most of the bouts taking place in Japan until she finally signed with Bellator in 2010. It was there that she was handed her first professional loss in another closely contested bout against former Bellator champion Zoila Frausto-Gurgel.
She then lost her second career fight when she faced Aguilar last year. Since that time, Fujii has only competed once more with a win over Mei Yamaguchi in December 2012.
Now the legendary women's fighter will call it a career facing Aguilar in October before officially retiring from mixed martial arts.
Kotetsu Boku on Japanese MMA, Tattoos, and the Highs and Lows of the Fight Game
Mar 20, 2013
For most sports fans, prize fighting is something truly glamorous, a battle of wills playing out before thousands in densely packed casinos with millions more watching in real time all over the world. It's a shared experience, a celebration of the primal, both a spectacle of masculine pride and a compelling demonstration of humanity's capacity for courage.
Kotetsu Boku, the former K-1 and Dream fighter, has seen that side of the fight game. The One FC lightweight champion has fought in the legendary Saitama Super Arena, on the same card as superstars like Mirko "Cro Cop" Filopovic and, yes, his opponent next month, Shinya Aoki.
He's also seen the dark side of the phenomenon, seen celebrity ravage a man, engulfing his teammate Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto—girls surrounding the young fighter, high pitched screams greeting them everywhere they went, temptations often overwhelming training.
"It was a spectacle, that is for sure," Boku told Bleacher Report in an exclusive interview. "The team around him kept our heads down and just focused on the training needed to succeed in MMA. It was very easy to get distracted with everything that is going on, but we just stayed true to our fighting roots and dedicated ourselves to that. I owe a lot of my success to Kid. He started the Krazy Bee gym which has molded me into the fighter that I am today."
But there's another kind of prize fighting too. This kind plays out on Indian reservations or in National Guard armories. The lights are much less bright, if there are lights at all. There's a desperation there, a hunger.
Instead of men and women dressed in finery, low cut blouses and $300 jeans, the fans in the audience are either grim hardcore fanatics or family and friends. These aren't fights people come to in order to be seen. The participants are just as different.
These are no millionaire superstars taking time off of their busy St. Barts vacationing schedule to grace us with their very presence. The fighters are just as likely to be guys from the meat packing plant or your UPS deliveryman, fighters there for the love of the game or to test themselves for the first time, seeing just how much that love matters when they are being bludgeoned in the face.
Kotetsu Boku has seen this side of the fight game too.
His first fight wasn't at the Yokohama Arena. There weren't thousands of screaming fans waiting for him to make his way to the ring. There were 250, at most, in the Kitazawa Town Hall, a gaudy postmodern building on the outskirts of Tokyo.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I61SLvUNo34
Home to an administrative building, a bus stop and even an incongruous roof top garden, Kitazawa Town Hall was the venue of choice for Tokyo-based combat sports acts that couldn't quite justify the slightly larger and more iconic Korakeun Hall at the Tokyo Dome. This is where the second most popular women's wrestling outfit would wow with high-flying exhibitions and where out-of-shape fetishists would cut each other to shreds in "death matches."
It was also, more importantly for our story, the home of the world's best lighter weight fighters. While Nobuhiko Takada and Kazushi Sakuraba packed the Domes with tens of thousands of fans and dominated the back page sports sections in all the newspapers, anyone under 170 pounds was happy just to have an outlet to fight at all. Boku was right where he wanted to be.
"Shooto is a great promotion. For lighter weight fighters in Japan, it is the promotion that you most want to fight for. I was delighted when I got the call to fight for Shooto in my professional debut. Thankfully, I emerged victorious from that fight," Boku said.
Like many of the Shooto stars, fighting was a form of expression, something he did for the competition and the art more than the money. Which is a good thing, as the money was practically non existent. Even the top Shooto names, men like Kaoru Uno who went on to UFC fame, worked regular jobs (in Uno's case, as a waiter) before heading to the gym at night to hone their real craft.
"That is common for a lot of fighters, not just in Shooto," Boku continued. "We don't get as much money as people think. Most fighters fight out of passion and not with the intention of becoming millionaires. I wondered how Kaoru went to work after his face gets mangled though."
Twenty-nine times Boku has stepped into the ring, often for little more than pride. Twenty times he's emerged victorious. Not bad for a kid one or two generations removed from the kind of brutal prejudice that cost millions their lives.
The Japanese regime during World War II conscripted hundreds of thousands of Koreans during the war, dragging them to Japan and into forced labor camps where many didn't survive. Their own government was little better in the years following the war, cracking down on any sign of dissidence, forcing many to flee to Japan, just a decade earlier their great oppressor.
Today, tensions still exist. It's especially hard for kids, ostracized early in a society that is so homogeneous that even the slightest differences stand out. Boku found his escape in art and athletics and made his way.
"It is definitely better now. I cannot imagine what my parents must have experienced when they just moved here," Boku said. He found inspiration, not just from his parents but from other native Koreans who excelled. "(Former professional wrestling star) Riki Choshu is somebody I looked up to while I was growing up. Being a former Korean representative in the Olympics and becoming such an icon in pro wrestling is not an easy task for anyone. He set the foundation for athletes like me to compete now and I'm grateful to him for that."
He has eschewed the norm in all areas of his life. Fighters aren't supposed to be artists. And yet he he produces work in a variety of mediums.
"Inspiration comes from the weirdest places," Boku said. "Sometimes, a random image just pops into my head and I just get to work on it."
He's also made art a part of himself, using his own body as a canvas. And while tattoos are quickly transcending class and cultural barriers in the west, in Japan, a tattoo is still a controversial statement. Tied to Yakuza gangs, many proper citizens associate them only with crime and violence. In some places they are still a bar to entry. But Boku, himself a tattoo artist, believes that times are changing.
"Some people give me weird looks," he admits. "But it has generally been positive. I think the community might not be used to tattoos in general and not just my particular tattoos. I love tattooing because it gives me a pain which I must overcome for me to express myself and put my thoughts into art. It relaxes me. I am proud of my tattoos and enjoy letting people see them."
Most special is a tattoo right over his heart, an ode to the Korean warrior class from which he sprung.
"Yes the turtle ship pays tribute to my Korean roots. The turtle ship is a traditional Korean warship," Boku explained. "I also have a tiger on the right stomach area with Korean characters. I'm proud to be both Korean and Japanese and I want my tattoos to reflect that."
The Geobukseon, also known as a turtle ship, was used to fight the Japanese for centuries. Emitting smoke to mask its movements and striking terror into foes with its elaborately carved dragon heads, the turtle ships were psychological weapons, not just martial ones.
Today, Boku's psychological gambits take the form of words rather than smoke. And, despite reigning as champion, he believes that mentally it's his opponent, well known submission ace Shinya Aoki, who bears the brunt of the pressure in their upcoming One FC title fight, April 5 at Singapore Indoor Stadium and worldwide on streaming pay-per-view.
"The pressure is on him," Boku claims. "Even though I am the champion, he is the heavy favorite and he is expected to emerge victorious. I feel more at ease and I'm confident that I can cause the upset. I hope he doesn't underestimate me because that would be his biggest mistake. Shinya's a good submission guy but I'm confident that I can avoid his submissions and strike with him on the feet."
You can read more about Boku's opponent, Shinya Aoki, in our exclusive interview here.
The Most Dangerous Man in MMA: One FC's Shinya Aoki Is Ready to Break Bones
Mar 1, 2013
Sitting on the subway, at a noodle stand or even training in the gym, you wouldn't give Shinya Aoki, the Japanese lightweight once considered by many the single best fighter in his weight class, a second look.
Nothing screams "tough guy." There's not even the hint of a whisper.
Slim, bird-chested and wearing glasses—this man just doesn't look like the most dangerous fighter in the world. But, as Royce Gracie proved nearly 20 years ago now, looks can be deceiving. And make no mistake, Aoki remains a terrifying potential foe for anyone at 155 pounds.
That's a statement that probably deserves—nay, demands—an explanation. And it boils down to attitude. There are many athletes who truly consider this a sport. Fighters who, in their core, hate the idea of hurting someone else, of taking away their livelihood.
That's called empathy. They, of course, are fighters themselves. They understand what it would mean to the man across the cage to have his physicality, his very identity, stripped away by a devastating injury.
Shinya Aoki is not that kind of man.
The case in point is a 2009 fight against Mizuto Hirota. To set the stage, it was an inter-promotional bout—Hirota repped Sengoku, Aoki was with Dream. Picture a Japanese version of the Sharks and the Jets and you wouldn't be far off.
As you might imagine, the pre-fight press, all designed to promote this blood feud between companies, amped up a fighter who already lives at a decibel of 10. Aoki was a terror before the bout, telling fighters at the press conference to "shut up" when their answers went long and promising Dream president Keiichi Sasahara that he would take Hirota out.
And then the fight. The details are unimportant. At least until the end. That's when Aoki captured Hirota in a hammerlock and yanked until his skinny arms almost fell off. Hirota was too proud to tap; the referee too slow to intervene. So, in a moment replayed millions of times by sickos the world over, Hirota's arm went snap.
It was immediately obvious he was seriously injured. There was no doubt in anyone's mind. But Shinya Aoki didn't care about that. He stood over Hirota. Screamed. And then shot him the bird, proceeding to run around the ring like he was doing his best Jim Valvano impression. Thoughts of Hirota, or at least his well being, never crossed Aoki's mind.
Here's the scary part for opponents—he'd do it again. In a heartbeat.
"He was very disrespectful to me before the fight. When I had his arm, he had a chance to tap and he chose not to. I'm not going to give up the submission just because my opponent is too arrogant to not tap. So I broke his arm," Aoki told Bleacher Report in an series of exclusive interviews. It's a scene he believes has the potential to be repeated in any one of his fights.
"Of course it is dangerous to fight me. I'm going to try to break every one of your limbs if that is what it takes to defeat you."
The win over Hirota, however, is not the only lasting image of Shinya Aoki. For American fans there is also the disastrous tour of this country. Aoki was controlled by Strikeforce champion Gilbert Melendez and knocked out by then Bellator kingpin Eddie Alvarez two years later. To many, it was a dismissal. Aoki, in the eyes of some fans, simply couldn't cut it against the best in the world.
He's not so sure.
"The traveling is the worst part," he said about his experiences in America. "Traveling across so many time zones for a fight affects your physical and mental state."
It's not presented as an excuse, not exactly. More a statement of fact. And if you think the losses have humbled Aoki, you'd be dead wrong.
Back in his comfort zone in Asia, Aoki is committed to continue to grow as a fighter. And, despite media perception, at least in the English speaking world, he doesn't feel like he's already peaked. In fact, he believes in his heart he's a threat to any lightweight in the world—even the UFC's best.
"I believe that I am among the best. On any given day, I am capable of finishing anyone in the world...A fighter is a fighter. It doesn't matter what country he is from," Aoki said." One FC has so many top fighters that just have not been acknowledged by the media yet. Many of my Evolve teammates for example, are already at the level to win at the highest levels in the world."
It's with the Evolve team in Singapore that Aoki has committed to improving his skill set. Always known as a dangerous grappler, he's been working hard to branch out, realizing that MMA is no place for a specialist these days. He has access to first-rate wrestling coach Heath Sims, a man who worked closely with Randy Couture and Dan Henderson for years, as well as some top-level Thai boxing instructors.
It's his developments in the striking game that Aoki is most proud of.
"I never thought that I would ever be able to knock someone out. It was a very strange feeling, indeed," Aoki said, referring to his Dec. 31, 2012, dismantling of American Antonio McKee. "I am nowhere near my peak yet, especially in striking. I believe that if I train harder in striking, I will improve a lot more."
Fans will watch those improvements in One FC, the rising promotional powerhouse that signed him last year and continues to stand out among what has become a crowded Asian scene. Aoki, who made his name in Pride and then Dream, believes One FC is the heir to those promotions, the company that can help MMA thrive once again in Asia.
"I am thrilled beyond words. One FC is the new Pride. Actually, it is already bigger than Pride ever was. It is the biggest MMA event in Asia and the second-largest in the world," Aoki said. "I think the future of Asian MMA is in One FC. One FC already has so many of the best fighters from Japan and the rest of Asia in its roster. One FC also brings the best fighters from all the different countries to compete against each other and that makes it even more exciting."
On April 5, Aoki will headline One FC's return to the Singapore Indoor Stadium for a title fight with champion Kotetsu Boku. For One FC, April 5 will be the culmination of a long journey. For the first time, the event will be broadcast live on Star Sports across Asia, rather than broadcast on tape delay or as highlights. The event is also available to fans worldwide as a pay-per-view livestream at www.onefc.livesport.tv.
For Aoki, it's more than that. It's the chance to remind the world he's still around and, most scarily, it's also a grudge match of sorts as Boku dispatched with Aoki's teammate Zorobabel Moreira last October.
"I want to bring the belt back to Evolve MMA for my teammates, for my trainers and for me," Aoki said. "I know how dejected Zoro was after that loss and I want to do this for him as well. I'm bringing the title back with me."
If facing down an angry and motivated Shinya Aoki has him rattled, Boku isn't showing it. A decade-plus veteran of the sport, the former Shooto standout understands exactly what Aoki is, and the knockout over McKee notwithstanding, exactly what he isn't as well.
"Aoki is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu artist and has submitted many opponents. I must be careful not to let him dictate the fight. I want to keep the fight standing, where I feel like I'm better than Aoki. I'm confident that I can beat Aoki. I don't intend to give up my lightweight title belt to Aoki or anybody else. I want to be lightweight champion until I retire," Boku told Bleacher Report through a translator.
"On April 5th, I'm going to put on a show for the Singapore fans. This is the largest event in One FC history and we are going live! I'm very excited. Shinya Aoki might be getting more media attention now, but after I defeat him, the entire MMA world will remember the name Kotetsu Boku."
'Star Wars' Creator George Lucas Talks MMA Career of Daughter Amanda Lucas
Jan 28, 2013
Although she could simply live an easy life as the daughter of a famous film legend, Amanda Lucas instead chose to take up the career of a professional MMA fighter.
That journey will be chronicled in the upcoming film LUCAS, directed by TapouT Films founder and noted combat sports videographer Bobby Razak.
Featuring interviews from Amanda and her father George Lucas, the legendary creator of the billion-dollar Star Wars franchise, the documentary will cover several years of Amanda's life with a major focus on her entry into the women's MMA circuit.
She's only been active in the sport for a little over a few years, but 31-year-old Amanda has quickly compiled a 5-1 record as an openweight competitor since May 2008.
Still, none of her victories have come against any notable fighters.
Despite the fact that Amanda is currently ranked by FightMatrix as one of the top 15 women in the featherweight division, all six of her opponents have a combined record of 22 wins and 43 losses.
Moreover, her only "ranked" victory has come against 33-year-old Japanese veteran Yuiga Yuiga.
That's not to say that Amanda hasn't faced any real challenges, though.
During the 2011 Mundials BJJ Worlds in Long Beach, California (via MMA Prime), the young Lucas earned a grappling medal after battling former Strikeforce champion Cristiane "Cyborg" Justino in the purple belt heavyweight finals.
It took several slams, trips and suplex maneuvers, but the overmatched rookie still fought to the end in a gritty, exhaustive effort (and eventual loss).
Amanda's charisma and name value have also drawn a following in the news, leading to several features in outlets such as Sports Illustrated, ESPN and U.K. publication The Daily Mail.
Currently, the biggest feat of Amanda's career has been winning the DEEP Openweight Women's Championship, which she pulled off with a keylock submission victory over 46-year-old Japanese pro wrestling star and fighter Yumiko Hotta.
Matt Hume Explains ONE FC's Blended Rules: Is It the Better Alternative?
Jun 4, 2012
ONE Fighting Championship held its MMA summit over the past weekend, and one of the major topics on the agenda was its judging and refereeing criteria. Famed trainer and fighter Matt Hume, who also acts as referee and chief official for ONE FC, explained the rules that govern fights in ONE FC.
He calls it a blend between Pride and UFC rules.
Hume lambasted the “ten point must” scoring system that is adopted by most of the United States athletic commissions for judging, where at least one fighter must gain ten points for each round. He went as far as saying that “it is a boxing place that has no place in MMA”. He also had a beef with the rule banning “12 to 6” elbows, saying the contact point and the force is similar to elbows thrown from any other angle.
Hume, together with a panel of experts from ONE FC, devised a set of blended rules, drawing rules from both the unified rules often used in North America, as well as Pride rules that were used by the organization till its demise.
Rules changes for ONE FC’s fights
As the panel was devising the rules for ONE FC’s fights, a couple of the criteria they looked at included if the rule would make sense in a real fight and if the rule keeps the sport safe. Matt Hume emphasized that they did not want to take things away from the fighter that they can use in a fight unless necessary.
The first major rule change is elbow strikes to both standing and grounded opponents are allowed. Pride did not allow elbows, while the unified rules allowed all elbows except when it was from a “12 to 6” angle of a downed opponent. Hume, who was also the rule director during Pride’s heyday, believes that elbows are a viable weapon in a fight.
Another rule ONE FC implemented is grounded knee strikes. Grounded knee strikes to the head of a grounded opponent are not allowed under unified rules. Hume felt that this would add excitement to the fight, because the fighter on the bottom cannot just turtle up— he'd have to actively defend himself.
ONE FC also implements an interesting rule called the “open attack”. When a fighter goes to the ground from either a strike or a takedown, the referee would determine if he is conscious and declare it an “open attack” when he has the ability to defend himself. When that happens, kicks to the head of a grounded opponent are allowed.
ONE FC judging criteria
ONE FC adopts a judging criteria that has its roots from Pride, where judging is based on the entirety of the fight. There are five distinct criteria that are ranked from most important to least important.
The most important criteria is if there was a near Knockout or submission, followed by damage done. The third criterion was striking combinations, ground control, generalship and control superior position. Takedowns and takedown defense were fourth, and aggression is the final criteria.
As MMA continues to grow and evolve, so will its rules. Will this be the future for MMA? Only time will tell.
ONE FC: War of the Lions Aftermath
Apr 1, 2012
ONE Fighting Championship’s third event was billed as War of the Lions, and it certainly lived up to its moniker with exciting bouts, quick knockouts and brilliant submissions. In the wake of the success of the event, we grade the fighters involved and look forward to what their next fight in ONE FC could be.
Zorobel Moreira (B+) defeats Felipe Enomoto(C) (Armbar, 1:04 of round 3)
Moreira, the head Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) instructor at Evolve MMA, demonstrated his striking skills in the first two rounds with an array of vicious leg kicks. Enomoto seemed to be wary of trading with Moreira, and the damage to his leg was evident when he crumbled after yet another leg kick but was able to hang on. When Moreira chose to take the fight to the ground, he displayed his BJJ prowess with a beautiful transition from the mount position to an arm-bar and Enomoto has no choice but to tap.
Tatsuya Kawajiri (A-) defeats Donald Sanchez (D) (triangle choke, 3:32 of round 1)
Donald Sanchez was billed as a wrestling, but it was Kawajiri who had the edge there as he took Sanchez down and worked the top position until he locked in a triangle choke and left the match more or less unscathed.
What’s Next: Tatsuya Kawajiri VS Zorobel Moreira.
Kawajiri is currently a featherweight, but there is nobody else for Zorobel Moreira to fight in the promotion, and Kawajiri has to fancy his chances. Moving up in weight could create a size and strength disadvantage, but the Moreira is not the kind of fighter to seize that advantage and the stock Kawajiri might even be able to muscle him around. This should be to crown the first ONE FC lightweight champion.
Ole Laursen (B-) defeats Eduard Folayang (B) (split decision)
This is a back-and-forth affair with Ole starting off strong and being able to take Eduard to the canvas several times. They traded dominant positions several times and had many good exchanges over the three rounds. All three rounds were extremely tight. We went to the Judges scorecard and Laursen, who looked worse than Folayang, prevented an upset by split decision.
What’s Next: Ole Laursen vs Eduard Folayang
This fight was an exciting extravaganza, and it was close the entire way. Clearly there were sections of the crowd who thought Folayang won and voiced their displeasure after the result. In the post-fight interview, Laursen was open to a rematch and the amount of action the first bout provided, seems like a easy call.
For the majority of the three rounds, Monteiro used his superior strength and clinch work to grind Shirai against the cage, with a few punches and knees thrown in to stop the referee from quickly separating them. Shirai demonstrated cleaner boxing techniques but kept getting into clinch range with Monteiro who was more than happy to clinch.
What’s Next: Fabricio Monteiro VS Yoshiyuki Yoshida
Yoshiyuki Yoshida brings vast experience to the cage and was victorious the previous time he was in ONE FC, defeating Phil Baroni. He provides a stiff test for the Brazilian and is another big name for him to potentially add to his list.
Melvin Manhoef and Yoshiyuki Nakanishi ruled a no-contest
They trade shots for awhile with none of them finding its target, thankfully for Nakanishi as Manhoef is famous for his powerful punches. Midway through the first round, the referee stops the fight as both the fighters had cuts on their legs. Manhoef’s cut is incredibly nasty as it goes from the knee to just above the foot and is at least a few centimeters thick. The referee makes the unpopular decision of calling off the fight after the doctor’s advice.
What’s Next: Melvin Manhoef VS Yoshiyuki Nakanishi
Clearly there is unfinished business, and it is very likely that their next fights will be against each other, though that fight might occur in a different promotion, possibly in Japan.
