While many were focused on the UFC and the Canelo fight this weekend, there were some interesting developments on the local scene in Japan as well.
Satomi Takano wins championship, Sawada gets first win
At Shooto 2021 Vol. 7 on Saturday, Satomi Takano fought and defeated Mina Kurobe, winning their Super Atomweight Championship in the process. At just 31 and with close to 30 fights to her name, this is not only her first championship, it is also her biggest win to date. Going in to the fight, she had lost to Mina twice before, once in 2014 and once in 2018. Before the fight, Satomi told us that she would like to fight abroad but felt that she needed to win the championship first. Now that she has the belt around her waist, it will be interesting to see what she has in store next.
Earlier in the day, Chihiro Sawada, who comes from a high-level wrestling background and trains at AACC, fought for the 2nd time this year and picked up her first win. She fought Mika Nakamura, a staple of Shooto these days, and showed marked improvement in her striking and her excellent takedowns. With this win, she moves to 1-0-1 and is set to take part in Shooto’s “Infinity League 2020 Atom Class League.” With her background and accomplishments she is a prospect worth keeping an eye on. It is also worth mentioning that the pioneer Hisae Watanabe, who recently returned to kickboxing, is set to also take part in Shooto next year. At 41 years old, it will be interesting to see how the power puncher does.
Saya Ito wins another championship, future uncertain
In Muay Thai news, the multiple time and multiple promotion champion, Saya Ito returned to her winning ways on Sunday, defeating Rina at BOM Wave 06 to win their Atomweight championship. This win was important, because Saya had never fought above 48kg before. She had mentioned before the fight, that in order to fight abroad, she needed to move up in weight and win this fight, to prove that she can do so abroad as well, where there simply weren’t enough opportunities at Pinweight. She has mentioned a desire to fight for ONE in the past, but she has also mentioned on Instagram the she is taking things one fight at a time and is already thinking about when to retire, leaving people to guess what the future holds for the champion.
Panchan Rina put in a commercial
In some news from outside of the ring, Panchan Rina debuted in two commercials for TCB Tokyo Central Cosmetic Hospital’s hair removal service. With over 50 branches, this could represent a significant sponsorship for the young fighter who successfully made her Rizin debut earlier this year. Here are the 2 commercials:
Rin Nakai made another appeal to the UFC
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