In what is looking to be a big year for Atomweights, the first round of Deep Jewels’ Tournament is this Sunday. One of the more popular participants is Sakura, an 18 year old who’s compiled a 3-1-1 record in her young career. Having fought for Rizin, the Sky Ticket sponsored fighter is in a position where a win in the tournament could see her popularity skyrocket.
We had the opportunity to meet with and speak to Sakura, you can read the transcript of our conversation below:
You can follow Sakura on Instagram and watch her video blog about the tournament here.
SK: You are known for your grappling, can you tell us how you got started?
Sakura: I started jiu-jitsu when I was in elementary school, but I quit once. I got started again in the spring of my 3rd year in middle school.
SK: When in elementary school?
Sakura: I did it from 2nd to 3rd grade. I quit because I switched to Judo. After awhile I got back into jiu-jitsu in middle school.
SK: Were you always interested in MMA?
Sakura: I wasn’t interested in it at all. I got into Deep Jewels because of grappling. When I went to grapple there, that is when I first saw MMA. I thought it looked pretty cool so I started training pretty soon after.
SK: Do you remember when this was?
Sakura: It was in June and August of…2019? I started training that October and made my pro-debut that December. I knew when I started training that I wanted to fight professionally.
SK: Most recently you fought for Rizin at their New Years Eve show, how was that experience?
Sakura: The venue was really big, I seemed so small in comparison, it made me kind of nervous.
SK: Would you like to fight for them again?
Sakura: Yes, I want to become the Deep Jewels champion then fight for Rizin.
SK: Do you have any other goals?
Sakura: I want to fight actively for RIzin, I want to get a long-term contract with them. I want to make Deep Jewels more popular by succeeding in Rizin.
SK: Have you ever thought about fighting abroad?
Sakura: I didn’t really have any interest in it before, but since I’ve started in MMA, I’ve met a lot of people and learned about Bellator and the UFC. If I was to go abroad, I’d like to fight for Bellator.
SK: Did you go to their event when they came to Tokyo?
Sakura: Yes, it was really cool, they seemed powerful.
SK: I thought it was interesting that you immediately selected Aya as your opponent in the tournament, did you know you wanted to fight her?
Sakura: I know she’s a strong grappler, we’ve practiced together once before. I think I understand her skill level. This will be the first time I know my opponent’s skill level before the fight, so I think it will be an interesting experience.
SK: Is there anyone else you want to fight in the tournament?
Sakura: I’d like to get my revenge against Saori Oshima. I would like to show the improvements I’ve made since our last fight. On one hand, it is scary to fight her since I lost to her before but on the other hand, I want to see how much stronger I’ve gotten.
SK: Can you talk about who you think looks strong in the tournament?
Sakura: I mean its Park right? I don’t think there is an opponent weaker than me (i.e. they are all strong). I am probably the weakest one.
SK: Has COVID-19 affected your training at all?
Sakura: I live outside of Tokyo, so it is difficult to come to Tokyo to train. I am a student and we are not supposed to go out too much, so it makes it difficult.
SK: Last year, I had the chance to see you fight and I noticed that you had a lot of fans in the crowd. Are they mainly friends and family?
Sakura: (laughter) No, they are my fans. In just a year, a lot of people started supporting me and became fans. I think I made fans quicker than other fighters. I take the time to really talk to all of them. I try to talk to them about my feelings, thoughts and ideas. I think this is important. I don’t just want to say hello or goodbye, I try to really talk to them. Sometimes, the fans bring their friends so I talk to them too. In that way, I can make a strong relationship with them and the number of fans continues to grow.
SK: You are still in high school, what do your friends think about you being a professional fighter?
Sakura: My friends are my friends, so they didn’t really believe I was a fighter because I act like a normal girl around them. When I fought for Rizin everyone was like “Ohhh you really are a fighter.” They all knew I was serious after that.
SK: On Rizin’s Youtube channel, after the event your videos on their channel were the most popular of the women who fought. Kanna Asakura’s video overtook yours overtime but what was it like seeing how popular the videos were?
Sakura: I missed weight…it may be bad or good but at least people were paying attention.
SK: What do you like to do when you aren’t training?
Sakura: I like rap and hip hop. I like rap battles. I like LesWell K. He is a very hard worker, like me. I try hard at fighting and he tries hard with his words, he’s a genius. I respect him a lot.
SK: Anything you would like to say?
Sakura: I’m entering my second year as a pro and I’m the youngest fighter in the upcoming tournament and probably have the least experience. I want a young fighter like my to become the champion, so I can become the leader of the new generation and they can watch me closely. If you know me, please watch the fight and support me.
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