The multiple time Muay Thai champion and prodigy Saya Ito is set to have a busy September. Last week, it was announced that she will be facing the Rise Atomweight Champion Koyuki Miyazaki on September 12th. This bout will be contested under kickboxing rules. Earlier today, it was announced that she will also be fighting on September 24th at BOM (Battle of Muay Thai), under Muay Thai rules.
According to her coach, the Rise fight was offered roughly a week before the press conference, so roughly 2 weeks ago. Therefore, it is possible that the BOM event had already been scheduled and as Saya is one of the faces of the promotion, she was already scheduled to participate, despite no formal announcements being made.
Unlike MMA, fighting numerous fights in close proximity under Muay Thai rules is not abnormal. In 2015, for example, Saya fought 8 times, including fights in February, March, April, June, July, August, and September. Speaking of 2015, Saya is now scheduled to have fought 4 times so far this year, her busiest year since 2015. Having started training at the age 4 and winning her first tournament when she was 6, Saya has had a long career, despite only being 22 years old. This may explain why her career seemed slow down in 2018 and 2019, when she only fought once a year. Other possible explanations include a lack of opponents, her graduating from high school, and a lull on the kickboxing scene. Whatever the reason, in 2020, she seemed to return to a more active pace, despite the pandemic, and if 2021 is any indication, she seems to be embracing a high pace.
Rise will air on Abema TV and Fite TV. We will announce BOM streaming details when they are released.
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