Megumi Yabushita - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

is a Japanese

Japanese people

The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...

female mixed martial artist

Mixed martial arts

Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...

, kickboxer, professional wrestler and judoka. She has participated in several Japanese professional wrestling and mixed martial arts promotions. She is a Japanese national judo

Judo

is a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an...

champion and a former Smackgirl

Smackgirl

Smackgirl was a Japanese mixed martial arts promotion focused solely on female fighters. The promotion also held grappling and amateur events along with its main line of professional MMA cards. After financial difficulties throughout 2008 the promotion was sold to Marverous Japan Co.,Ltd...

open weight champion and tournament winner.

Background

Yabushita was born on March 02, 1972 in Asahikawa

Asahikawa, Hokkaido

is a city in Kamikawa Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. It is the capital of the subprefecture and the second-largest city in Hokkaido, after Sapporo. It has been a Core city since April 1, 2000...

, Hokkaido

Hokkaido

, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...

, Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

. Her father introduced her into judo, training her before entering elementary school

Elementary school

An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...

. Yabushita excelled at judo starting in high school and became a regular participant in national championships.

Judo career

Yabushita graduated from Asahikawa University High School, where she won the judo club competitions in the less than 48 kg division in 1988 and 1989. Scouted by Japan's corporate judo team Miki House, she won the all-Japan individual championships in 1993, in 1994 she placed third in the Fukuoka international women's judo championships in the 52 kg class and in 1995 she placed fifth in the World Masters Munich in the 52 kg class. and also participated in the 52 kg class in the 1995 World Judo Championships

1995 World Judo Championships

The 1995 World Judo Championships were the 19th edition of the World Judo Championships, and were held in Chiba, Japan in 1995.-Men:-Women:- Medals table :-60 kg:-65 kg:-71 kg:-78 kg:-86 kg:-95 kg:-+95 kg:-Open class:-48 kg:...

celebrated in Chiba

Chiba, Chiba

is the capital city of Chiba Prefecture, Japan. It is located approximately 40 km east of the center of Tokyo on Tokyo Bay. Chiba City became a government designated city in 1992. Its population as of 2008 is approximately 960,000....

, Japan.

Professional wrestling career

In 1996, Yabushita joined Jd'

JDStar

JDStar , was a women's professional wrestling promotion based in Tokyo, Japan. In the wake of the joshi puroresu boom of the early 1990s, several different groups opened with distinct approaches...

wrestling promotion, She made her debut on in a match against Sumie Sakai

Sumie Sakai

born November 11, 1971) is a Japanese professional wrestler and mixed martial artist. She currently resides in the United States, appearing with professional wrestling promotions in the northeastern United States such as Women's Extreme Wrestling and Chikara....

at Korakuen Hall

Korakuen Hall

is an arena in Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan, which has hosted many boxing, professional wrestling and mixed martial arts matches. Part of Tokyo Dome City, it is one of Tokyo's biggest attractions. It opened on April 16, 1962 and has a capacity of approximately 1,800 people. The venue hosted the boxing...

. On , Yabushita won the Jd' Junior title in Tokyo

Tokyo

, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...

by winning a round-robin tournament

Round-robin tournament

A round-robin tournament is a competition "in which each contestant meets all other contestants in turn".-Terminology:...

where she defeated Sakai in the final match and she would lose it on her first defense against The Bloody on . She would regain the title on by defeating Sakai once again and this time went on to successfully defend it three times before vacating it.

On , Yabushita and Sakai became the Trans-world Wrestling Federation
World Women's Tag Team champions. and defended it one time before losing it on against Crusher Maedomari and Drake Morimatsu. Megumi Yabushita and Sumie Sakai would regain the title one more time, by pinning Kazuki on and Sachie Abe on in a couple of special stipulation matches. Yabushita left Jd' gym in 2002. She would win the Tag team title one more time with Maru as her partner on by winning the final of an 8-team tournament against The Bloody and Yumi Oka, who would in turn gain the title in Yabushita's and Maru's first defense on .

Yabushita also won the American Wrestling Federation World Women's Title on and on . On , Yabushita defeated The Bloody to win the BS Japan Queen of the Ring Title, and with his victory of the AWF title, she unifies both titles that then became the Jd' Double Title.

Yabushita along with Commando Bolshoi became the JWP Tag Team Title champions by defeating on .

Mixed martial arts career

When she joined women's wrestling promotion Jd' in 1996, she met Yoko Takahashi

Yoko Takahashi (fighter)

is a Japanese female mixed martial arts fighter and kickboxer and former boxer and professional wrestler. Takahashi is a former Smackgirl open weight champion...

, "Japan's First Woman MMA Fighter." At the time, Takahashi, injured with a hernia

Hernia

A hernia is the protrusion of an organ or the fascia of an organ through the wall of the cavity that normally contains it. A hiatal hernia occurs when the stomach protrudes into the mediastinum through the esophageal opening in the diaphragm....

that made her retire from pro-wrestling and focus on MMA, was working as pro-wrestling referee and also trained in MMA, which was the reason why Yabushita started training in MMA. On , Yabushita made her MMA debut against South Korea

South Korea

The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...

Ji Hee Yu, defeating her with an armbar

Armlock

An armlock in grappling is a single or double joint lock that hyperextends, hyperflexes or hyperrotates the elbow joint and/or shoulder joint. An armlock that hyperflexes or hyperrotates the shoulder joint is referred to as a shoulder lock, and an armlock that hyperextends the elbow joint is called...

submission at 2:51 of the first round at Central Martial Arts Association event Octagon Challenge, held at the Nagoya Congress Center Century Hall in Nagoya, Aichi

Aichi Prefecture

is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region. The region of Aichi is also known as the Tōkai region. The capital is Nagoya. It is the focus of the Chūkyō Metropolitan Area.- History :...

, Japan

Japan

.

Her next bouts and her rose to prominence would take place during Smackgirl's ReMix World Cup 2000 celebrated on at the Nippon Budokan

Nippon Budokan

The , often shortened to simply Budokan, is an indoor arena in central Tokyo, Japan.This is the location where many "Live at the Budokan" albums were recorded...

in Tokyo

Tokyo

, Japan. The tournament held a for the winner, for the runner-up

Runner-up

Runner-up is a term used to denote a participant which finishes in second place in any of a variety of competitive endeavors, most notably sporting events and beauty pageants; in the latter instance, the term is applied to more than one of the highest-ranked non-winning contestants, the...

and for both third places. Yabushita's first match in the tournament was against American kickboxer Bambi Bertoncello, whom Yabushita defeated with an armbar submission. Her spotlight in the tournament was in her match against Russian

Russians

The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....

judoka Svetlana Goundarenko, who had submitted American Erin Toughill

Erin Toughill

Erin Young Toughill is a mixed martial artist and former boxer.She began kickboxing at the age of 18 and started training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu soon after....

, outweighed Yabushita for over 200 lb (90.7 kg) and had a height advantage of 33 cm (1.1 ft). Despite these disadvantages, Yabushita was able to control the fight with her quickness and takedown

Takedown (grappling)

A takedown is a martial arts and combat sports term for a technique that involves off-balancing an opponent and bringing him or her to the ground, typically with the combatant performing the takedown landing on top. The process of quickly advancing on an opponent and attempting a takedown is known...

skills, earning a unanimous decision victory and a spot in the final. In the final, Dutch

Dutch people

The Dutch people are an ethnic group native to the Netherlands. They share a common culture and speak the Dutch language. Dutch people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in Suriname, Chile, Brazil, Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and the United...

fighter Marloes Coenen

Marloes Coenen

Marloes Coenen is a Dutch mixed martial artist. She has competed professionally since 2000 and is a former Strikeforce Women's Bantamweight Champion....

defeated Yabushita by unanimous decision. With her performance in the tournament, Yabushita and women's MMA became one of the hottest topics in Japanese fight sports

Combat sport

A Combat sport, also known as a Fighting sport, is a competitive contact sport where two combatants fight against each other using certain rules of engagement , typically with the aim of simulating parts of real hand to hand combat...

.

Yabushita lost her next bout by technical submission (armbar) against Erin Toughill

Erin Toughill

Erin Young Toughill is a mixed martial artist and former boxer.She began kickboxing at the age of 18 and started training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu soon after....

on in the ReMix's event Golden Gate 2001. Yabushita's next match was on in Jd' wrestling promotion event No holds barred 2002 in a MMA rules bout where she was once again defeated by Marloes Coenen, this time by a rear naked choke submission. Yabushita would lose for the third time in a row against Japanese Asako Saioka who, contrary to Yabushita's previous opponents, matched her in height and weight and defeated Yabushita by unanimous decision on in ReMix promotion successor, Smackgirl, in the event Smack Legend 2002 at the Differ Ariake Arena

Differ Ariake Arena

is an indoor sporting arena located in the Ariake neighborhood of Tokyo, Japan, next to the Pro Wrestling Noah headquarters office. The capacity of the arena is 1,246 seats and it was opened in 1999...

.

On , Yabushita got another victory by submitting Japanese kickboxer Naoko Sakamoto

Naoko Sakamoto

is a Japanese long-distance runner who specializes in the marathon race.-Achievements:-Personal bests:*5000 metres - 15:45.75 min *10,000 metres - 33:06.17 min *Half marathon - 1:09:27 hrs...

with an armbar at 0:23 of round one in Smackgirl Third Season-IV.
At All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling

All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling

, nicknamed Zenjo was a joshi puroresu promotion established in 1968 by Takashi Matsunaga and his brothers. The group held their first card on June 4 of that year...

event Tag League: The Best, Yabushita defeated fellow pro-wrestler Shioya Yoshimi by armbar submission in a MMA bout on .

Yabushita made her debut in Shooto

Shooto

Shooto is a mixed martial arts organization that is governed by the Shooto Association and the International Shooto Commission. Shooto was originally formed in 1985, as an organization and as a particular fighting system derived from shoot wrestling. Practitioners are referred to as shooters,...

promotion on in the event G-Shooto Japan: Activation, defeating Hitomi Akano

Hitomi Akano

, is a Japanese female mixed martial artist. She uses a song she penned herself called "Between the Sky" as her entrance music.Akano is a former Smackgirl Middleweight Champion at 128 pounds...

in Akano's professional debut and in a match in which Yabushita applied a giant swing on Akano.

On , Yabushita participated in Smackgirl's World ReMix 2004 held on Shizuoka

Shizuoka, Shizuoka

is the capital city of Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, and the prefecture's second-largest city in terms of both population and area. It became one of Japan's 19 "designated cities" in 2005.-Geography:...

, Shizuoka Prefecture

Shizuoka Prefecture

is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region on Honshu island. The capital is the city of Shizuoka.- History :Shizuoka prefecture was formed from the former Tōtōmi, Suruga and Izu provinces.The area was the home of the first Tokugawa Shogun...

, Japan

Japan

, in the open weight queen decision tournament, which would crown the first Smackgirl open weight champion. Josh Barnett

Josh Barnett

Joshua Lawrence Barnett is an American mixed martial artist and professional wrestler who currently fights in the heavyweight division of Strikeforce. Barnett has been an accomplished fighter in mixed martial arts, winning the UFC Heavyweight Championship and the King of Pancrase Openweight...

's student, American fighter Shannon Hooper, was Yabushita's first opponent whom Yabushita defeated at 0:29 of round one with a wristlock

Wristlock

A Wristlock is a joint lock primarily affecting the wrist-joint and possibly the radioulnar joints through rotation of the hand. A wristlock is typically applied by grabbing the opponent's hand, and bending and/or twisting it. Wristlocks are very common in martial arts such as Aikido, Hapkido and...

. Yabushita next faced American grappler Roxanne Modafferi

Roxanne Modafferi

Roxanne Modafferi is an American female mixed martial artist.-Biography:Modafferi's training began in taekwondo as a teenager in Pennsylvania, moving on to Mark Lawler's Kenpō Karate two years later. Full of confidence, she then began attending the Dalton Judo Club in Pittsfield, Massachusetts...

in the semi-finals, defeating Modafferi by unanimous decision. In a rematch of their 2001 bout, Yamaguchi and Erin Toughill fought in the tournament final. Toughill, who had just defeated Marloes Coenen by TKO, outweighed Yabushita for around 20 kg (44.1 lb) and was controlling the fight until Yabushita grabbed Toughill's left wrist in an effort to stop her attacks, to which Toughill responded with two elbows to the spinal cord

Spinal cord

The spinal cord is a long, thin, tubular bundle of nervous tissue and support cells that extends from the brain . The brain and spinal cord together make up the central nervous system...

, an illegal action. The referee immediately stopped the fight and gave Toughill a yellow card while Yabushita was writhing in pain. The ring doctor didn't allow the bout to continue after checking Yabushita, which resulted in an immediate disqualification for Toughill and this gave the open weight title to Yabushita. As a precautionary measure, Yabushita was carried to the waiting room in a stretcher

Stretcher

A stretcher is a medical device used to carry casualties or an incapacitated person from one place to another. It is a simple type of litter, and still called by that name in some cases....

and was taken to a hospital

Hospital

A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....

in which she was diagnosed with lumbar

Lumbar vertebrae

The lumbar vertebrae are the largest segments of the movable part of the vertebral column, and are characterized by the absence of the foramen transversarium within the transverse process, and by the absence of facets on the sides of the body...

transverse processes fracture

Bone fracture

A bone fracture is a medical condition in which there is a break in the continuity of the bone...

, according to the event organizers, and rendered Yabushita unable to fulfill her commitment to fight against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a martial art, combat sport, and a self defense system that focuses on grappling and especially ground fighting...

specialist Felicia Oh

Felicia Oh

Felicia Linda Oh is an Asian American black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under senior instructor Jean Jacques Machado, an accomplished submission grappling competitor, martial arts instructor, and college professor.-Biography:Felicia began training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in early 2001 after being...

in a grappling

Submission wrestling

Submission wrestling or Combat wrestling in Japan, is a formula of competition and a general term describing the aspect of martial arts and combat sports that focus on clinch and ground fighting with the aim of obtaining a submission using submission holds...

match on .

Yabushita's next fight was in the event G-Shooto Japan 02, where American fighter Tara LaRosa

Tara LaRosa

Tara LaRosa is an American mixed martial artist who previously fought in BodogFight.She was the first and final BodogFight Women's Bantamweight Champion...

defeated Yabushita by majority decision

Majority decision

A majority decision is a winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts and others sports involving striking...

on .

On , Yabushita fought against South Korean kickboxer Hyun Sung Kim as part of the opening round of Smackgirl's first middleweight queen decision tournament in Smackgirl 2005: Cool Fighter's Last Stand. In an unexpected development, as Kim advanced to attack, Yabushita used a judo throw on Kim which slammed Kim's face directly on the mat, knocking her out instantly, while Yabushita tried an arm submission, unaware of Kim's state. The referee rushed to stop the fight and Yabushita won at 0:29 of round one, with Yabushita not knowing what transpired until asking her corner. There was concern over Kim's health, as she had to be carried outside the ring on a stretcher but after being examined at the hospital there were no abnormalities found on Kim.

Yabushita fought in World X-Impact Federation's X-Impact World Championships, an event held in Seoul

Seoul

Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...

, South Korea

South Korea

on , where she defeated local fighter Yong Joo Lee by unanimous decision.

On , Yabushita returned to Smackgirl for the final part of the middleweight queen decision tournament that took place in the event Smackgirl 2005: Dynamic!! in Shibuya, Tokyo

Shibuya, Tokyo

is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. As of 2008, it has an estimated population of 208,371 and a population density of 13,540 persons per km². The total area is 15.11 km²....

, Japan. In the semi-finals, Yabushita defeated Asako Saioka by armbar, avenging her 2002 loss against Saioka. Yabushita was defeated in a 1-2 decision in the tournament final by American fighter Laura D'Auguste

Laura D'Auguste

Laura D'Auguste is an American female mixed martial artist. She initially started practising martial arts to protect herself and her daughter from her husband. She also works as a cardiac nurse.-Biography:...

, who became the first Smackgirl middleweight champion.

After the tournament, Yabushita lost against American Amanda Buckner

Amanda Buckner

Amanda Buckner is an American female mixed martial artist. Her last fight was a decision loss against Takayo Hashi at FFF 4 - Call of the Wild on April 3, 2008....

by submission (guillotine choke) in Smackgirl 2006: Advent of Goddess on . Yabushita had an exhibition match against Mika Nagano

Mika Nagano

is a Japanese female mixed martial artist. She currently fights as a lightweight in the Jewels promotion. Her nickname is Future Princess.Nagano won the 2009 Jewels Rough Stone Grand Prix at 54 kg.-Early life:Nagano was born on in Gifu, Gifu, Japan...

on . A few days after, Yabushita would have another defeat on in G-Shooto Japan 05 at the hands of Roxanne Modafferi by unanimous decision, in a rematch of their 2004 fight.

On , Yabushita and Laura D'Auguste had a rematch in which D'Auguste was defending her Ring of Combat women's welterweight title in Ring of Combat 11 held in Atlantic City, New Jersey

Atlantic City, New Jersey

Atlantic City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States, and a nationally renowned resort city for gambling, shopping and fine dining. The city also served as the inspiration for the American version of the board game Monopoly. Atlantic City is located on Absecon Island on the coast...

, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. Yabushita's corner was forced to stop the fight after Yabushita got her forearm

Forearm

-See also:*Forearm flexors*Forearm muscles...

fractured during the first round.

Yabushita rebounded back with a majority decision victory against Japanese Mizuho Sato in Shooto's Battle Mix Tokyo 02 on . On , Yabushita defeated Mayumi Aoki

Mayumi Aoki

is a Japanese swimmer and Olympic champion. She competed at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, where she received a gold medal in 100 m butterfly...

by unanimous decision in Smackgirl 2007: The Dance of the Taisho Romance.

Yabushita participated in the event K-Grace on in the contest open weight tournament. Her first bout was against Lithuanian kickboxer Jurgita Leitonaite, whom Yabushita defeated in 17 seconds with an armbar. For the third time, Yabushita clashed with Roxanne Modafferi, with Modafferi gaining a unanimous decision and advancing to the final which she eventually won.

Returning to the USA, Yabushita participated in Fatal Femmes Fighting Championship 2: The Crystal Brawl, where she faced another Josh Barnett's student, American Ginele Marquez, who defeated Yabushita by unanimous decision on .

In the open air event Smackgirl in Summerfest!! on , Yabushita submitted Hiroko Kohata with an armbar in 15 seconds. On , Yabushita was defeated by American fighter Lisa Ward

Lisa Ward

Lisa Ward is an American professional female mixed martial artist. She has fought in HOOKnSHOOT, Smackgirl, DEEP and Bellator Fighting Championships....

with a unanimous decision in the event Fatal Femmes Fighting Championship 3: War of the Roses. Facing another American fighter on in Smackgirl 7th anniversary: Starting Over, Yabushita was once again defeated by unanimous decision, this time against Lana Stefanac, who had an 80 lb (36.3 kg) advantage over Yabushita.

During the open weight tournament in Smackgirl world ReMix tournament 2008 Opening Round held on , Yabushita had a rematch against Hitomi Akano, whom Yabushita defeated in Akano's debut in MMA in 2007, and in this occasion it ended with Akano submitting Yabushita with a heel hook.

Yabushita had her four straight loss at the hands of Russian fighter Julia Berezikova

Julia Berezikova

Julia Berezikova is a Russian female mixed martial artist and boxer.-Background:Berezikova was born on in Krasnokamensk, Zabaykalsky Krai , Russia....

, who won the match by unanimous decision in the event FightFORCE: Russia vs. The World held in Saint Petersburg

Saint Petersburg

Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...

, Russia

Russia

Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

, on .

Rebounding back from her losing streak

Losing streak (sport)

In sports, a losing streak is an uninterrupted string of contests lost by a team or individual. A losing streak can last as few as two games, or it may last much longer...

, Yabushita scored a unanimous decision victory over Emi Fujino

Emi Fujino

is a Japanese female mixed martial artist, kickboxer and professional wrestler, occasionally nicknamed .-Background:Fujino was born on in Aichi Prefecture, Japan...

at Japanese event Demolition 080721 on .

After a year without fighting in MMA, on , it was announced that Yabushita would be making her debut with Jewels

Jewels (mixed martial arts)

Jewels is a mixed martial arts organization owned by Marverous Japan Co., Ltd. focused on female fighters. It's the direct successor of Smackgirl...

promotion in the event Jewels 5th ring
Jewels 5th Ring
Jewels 5th Ring was a mixed martial arts event held by MMA promotion Jewels. The event took place on at Shinjuku Face in Kabukicho, Tokyo, Japan.-Background:...

facing fellow pro-wrestler Atsuko Emoto. On , Yabushita defeated Emoto by submission (armbar) at 2:43 mins. of round one after resisting Emoto's initial attack.

Yabushita returned to the United States on to participate in Freestyle Cage Fighting women's bantamweight grand prix at Freestyle Cage Fighting 39. For the third time, Yabushita was facing another Josh Barnett's student, this time submission specialist Shayna Baszler

Shayna Baszler

Shayna Baszler is an American mixed martial artist. She currently trains under former UFC Heavyweight Champion Josh Barnett. She has a record of 14 wins and 6 losses, with 13 wins coming by way of submission....

, who dominated the fight and submitted Yabushita with a twister, a catch wrestling

Catch wrestling

Catch wrestling is a style of folk wrestling that was developed and popularised in the late 19th century by the wrestlers of traveling carnivals who incorporated submission holds, or "hooks", into their wrestling to increase their effectiveness against their opponents...

move rarely seen in MMA.

On , Yabushita made her debut with Valkyrie

Valkyrie (mixed martial arts)

Valkyrie, sometimes styled VALKYRIE in capitals, is a women mixed martial arts promotion. It's the sister of Japanese MMA promotion Cage Force, both operated by Greatest Common Multiple Communication...

promotion, defeating Japanese fighter Mutsumi Kasai with a scarf hold armlock submission, handling Kasai her first professional loss, in the event Valkyrie 05.

Yabushita next faced Japanese MMA rising star Rin Nakai

Rin Nakai

is a Japanese female mixed martial artist and judoka. She has participated in MMA promotions Pancrase, Smackgirl and Valkyrie.Nakai is ranked as the #4 featherweight in the Unified Women's Mixed Martial Arts Rankings.-Background:...

at Valkyrie 06 on , losing by unanimous decision in a match that Nakai dominated to remain undefeated.

Yabushita faced Sarah Kaufman at Armageddon Fighting Championship 5: Judgment Day on in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

Victoria, British Columbia

Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...

. She was defeated by TKO in the third round.

Yabushita faced professional wrestler Kyoko Kimura

Kyoko Kimura

Kyoko Kimura is a Japanese Pro Wrestler currently wrestling for Ibuki. She is an alumnus of Big Japan Pro Wrestling. Most notably, she is known for her Jamaican flag shirt and puffed afro that stand at roughly one foot tall. Among the notable opponents she has wrestled is Shimmer wrestler, MsChif...

at Pancrase Impressive Tour 11 on . She was defeated by TKO (doctor stoppage) due to an ankle injury sustained in the first round.

Submission grappling career

Yabushita was supposed to debut at submission grappling against Felicia Oh

Felicia Oh

on , but Erin Toughill

Erin Toughill

Erin Young Toughill is a mixed martial artist and former boxer.She began kickboxing at the age of 18 and started training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu soon after....

injured Yabushita in their MMA bout and Yabushita was unable to grapple against Oh. Yabushita participated in Smackgirl Grappling Queen Tournament 2007 on , defeating against Hitomi Sakamoto

Hitomi Sakamoto

Hitomi Sakamoto is a female wrestler from Japan.-External links:*...

by decision (25-0) and losing against Akiko Ninomiya with a choke sleeper

Chokehold

A chokehold or choke is a general term for grappling hold that critically reduces or prevents either air or blood from passing through the neck of an opponent. The restriction may be of one or both and depends on the hold used and the reaction of the victim...

submission in the middleweight tournament final.

Kickboxing and Shoot boxing career

On , Yabushita debuted in kickboxing, losing against Yuko Okamoto by TKO, after Yabushita had her left shoulder dislocated in All-Japan Kickboxing Federation event Girls standing fight 1st. bout - Girls Shock!. Her next match was a draw against Hikaru Shinohara in the event Nyotei Produce: Belief in a kickboxing rules match with no judges on .

On , it was announced that Yabushita would have a kickboxing rematch against South Korean Hyun Sung Kim whom Yabushita had brutally knocked out with a slam on Kim's face in a MMA match on . This time, Kim controlled the match and defeated Yabushita by decision (0-3) on in the Central Martial Arts Association event CMA festival: Japan vs. South Korea total war.

Facing another South Korean, Yabushita was defeated by Seo Hee Ham

Seo Hee Ham

Ham Seo-Hee , often anglicised to Seo-Hee Ham, is a South Korean female mixed martial artist and kickboxer.In Japan, she is occasionally nicknamed Arale-chan, in reference to her similar looks outside of the ring to the character from the manga and anime series Dr...

by unanimous decision in the event CMA Festival 2: Ikuhisa Minowa debut 10 anniversary tournament celebrated on .

Yabushita was defeated by Japanese Muay Thai

Muay Thai

Muay Thai is a combat sport from Thailand that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. It is similar to other Indochinese kickboxing systems, namely pradal serey from Cambodia, tomoi from Malaysia, lethwei from Myanmar and muay Lao from Laos...

expert Rie Murakami with a unanimous decision on in the event Breathless Muay Thai 4. Yabushita had another unanimous decision loss at the hands of Mitsuki, whom Yabushita faced on in the event Dragon Gym & professional wrestling ring Noah combined performance.

Yabushita got her first victory in kickboxing by defeating Kanako Oka by decision (3-0) at Shoot boxing Osaka 2010 Alpinisme -Young Caesar Cup- on . On , Yabushita was defeated by Kozue "Azuma" Nagashima in a 3-0 decision in the event New Japan Kickboxing Federation: Neppuu Reisan.

On at Dragon Gym event Charity kickboxing event: No Name Heroes 10, Yabushita was defeated via unanimous decision by Monica, MAD 66 kg champion.

At the event J-Girls Women Festival 2010: The women who fight are beautiful on , Yabushita had a rematch against Rie Murakami, who once again defeated Yabushita, this time by KO in the third round, successfully defending J-Girls lightweight title.

On , Yabushita faced Seo Hee Ham

Seo Hee Ham

for a second time at Gladiator 14 KOK Samurai Series. Yabushita lost the fight by TKO in the second round.

On , Yabushita faced Hiroko Yamanaka

Hiroko Yamanaka

, more commonly known simply as Hiroko and nicknamed or Cat's Eye, is a Japanese female mixed martial arts fighter...

in a shoot boxing match at the 2011 Shoot Boxing Girls S-Cup. She was defeated by TKO (doctor stoppage) due to a knee injury in round three.

Outside sports

Yabushita has a younger sister named who is also a judoka.

Yabushita along with Yoko Takahashi left Jd' in 2002 and associated with Soft on Demand (SOD), one of the biggest adult film makers in Japan, and founded SOD Women's MMA Dojo and started to train MMA fighters. After some years, Yabushita and Takahashi decided to leave their partnership with SOD and closed their gym at the end of and they formed their own team called Tomoe-gumi. This situation forced them to collaborate with Fang Gym in order to have a place to train. Members of Tomoe-gumi had differences with Fang Gym's policies and Yabushita and Takahashi were forced to disband the team by and became freelance

Freelancer

A freelancer, freelance worker, or freelance is somebody who is self-employed and is not committed to a particular employer long term. These workers are often represented by a company or an agency that resells their labor and that of others to its clients with or without project management and...

. They negotiated with Exit, a bar / live house in Shinjuku, Tokyo

Shinjuku, Tokyo

is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. It is a major commercial and administrative center, housing the busiest train station in the world and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, the administration center for the government of Tokyo.As of 2008, the ward has an estimated population...

, to become bouncers at the place during the night and to use the live house space for their training and the amateur MMA shows free of charge during the day. When they decided to change the name of their team for a name that represented "girls that keep on fighting", they met with American clothing brand

Brand

The American Marketing Association defines a brand as a "Name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller's good or service as distinct from those of other sellers."...

Fight Chix and contacted the company for a possible collaboration which was accepted. Yabushita and Takahashi renamed their team to Team Fight Chix. With their partnership, Yabushita and Takahashi are introducing, marketing and distributing Fight Chix products in the Japanese market.

Yabushita uses Kula Shaker

Kula Shaker

Kula Shaker are an English psychedelic rock band. Led by outspoken frontman Crispian Mills, the band came to prominence during the Post-Britpop era of the late 1990s. The band enjoyed great commercial success in the UK between 1996 and 1999, notching up a number of Top 10 hits on the UK Singles...

's cover of Hush as her ring entrance theme in pro-wrestling. In MMA, she uses Visa's Fly Away song as her entrance theme.

Mixed martial arts record

|-
| Loss
| align=center| 19-19-0
|

Kyoko Kimura

| TKO (doctor stoppage)
| Pancrase

Pancrase

Pancrase is a mixed martial arts promotion company founded in Japan in 1993 by professional wrestlers Masakatsu Funaki and Minoru Suzuki. Pancrase is taken from Pankration, a sport in the ancient Olympic games. Suzuki and Funaki are particularly skilled in the art of catch wrestling and based the...

Japan

|
|-
| Loss
| align=center| 19-18-0
|

Victoria, British Columbia

, Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

|
|-
| Loss
| align=center| 19-17-0
|

Rin Nakai

Ariake, Tokyo

is a location within Kōtō, Tokyo, Japan. It is best known as the region adjacent to and directly east of Odaiba. Airake is subdivided into four chome and comprises part of the Tokyo Bay Landfill #10 and Tokyo Rinkai Satellite City Center....

, Koto, Tokyo

Koto, Tokyo

is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. As of 2008, the ward has an estimated population of 442,271 and a population density of 11,070 persons per km². The total area is 39.48 km². The ward refers to itself as Kōtō City in English....

, Japan

Japan

|
|-
| Win
| align=center| 19-16-0
|

Ariake, Tokyo

, Koto, Tokyo

Koto, Tokyo

, Japan

Japan

|
|-
| Loss
| align=center| 18-16-0
|

Shayna Baszler

Shawnee, Oklahoma

Shawnee is a city in Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 29,857 at the 2010 census. The city is part of the Oklahoma City-Shawnee Combined Statistical Area; it is also the county seat of Pottawatomie County and the principal city of the Shawnee Micropolitan Statistical...

, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

|
|-
| Win
| align=center| 18-15-0
|

Atsuko Emoto
| Submission (armbar)
| Jewels 5th Ring

Jewels 5th Ring

Jewels 5th Ring was a mixed martial arts event held by MMA promotion Jewels. The event took place on at Shinjuku Face in Kabukicho, Tokyo, Japan.-Background:...

Japan

|
|-
| Win
| align=center| 17-15-0
|

Emi Fujino

is a Japanese female mixed martial artist, kickboxer and professional wrestler, occasionally nicknamed .-Background:Fujino was born on in Aichi Prefecture, Japan...

Ariake, Tokyo

, Koto, Tokyo

Koto, Tokyo

, Japan

Japan

|
|-
| Loss
| align=center| 16-15-0
|

Julia Berezikova

Julia Berezikova is a Russian female mixed martial artist and boxer.-Background:Berezikova was born on in Krasnokamensk, Zabaykalsky Krai , Russia....

Saint Petersburg

Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...

, Russia

Russia

Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

|
|-
| Loss
| align=center| 16-14-0
|

Hitomi Akano

, is a Japanese female mixed martial artist. She uses a song she penned herself called "Between the Sky" as her entrance music.Akano is a former Smackgirl Middleweight Champion at 128 pounds...

| Submission (heel hook)
| Smackgirl

Smackgirl

Bunkyo, Tokyo

is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. Situated in the middle of the ward area, Bunkyō is a residential and educational center. Beginning in the Meiji period, literati like Natsume Sōseki, as well as scholars and politicians have lived there...

, Japan

Japan

|
|-
| Loss
| align=center| 16-13-0
|

Bunkyo, Tokyo

, Japan

Japan

|
|-
| Loss
| align=center| 16-12-0
|

Lisa Ward

Lisa Ward is an American professional female mixed martial artist. She has fought in HOOKnSHOOT, Smackgirl, DEEP and Bellator Fighting Championships....

Compton, California

Compton is a city in southern Los Angeles County, California, United States, southeast of downtown Los Angeles. The city of Compton is one of the oldest cities in the county and on May 11, 1888, was the eighth city to incorporate. The city is considered part of the South side by residents of Los...

, Los Angeles County, California

Los Angeles County, California

Los Angeles County is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 9,818,605, making it the most populous county in the United States. Los Angeles County alone is more populous than 42 individual U.S. states...

, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

|
|-
| Win
| align=center| 16-11-0
|

Shibuya, Tokyo

is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. As of 2008, it has an estimated population of 208,371 and a population density of 13,540 persons per km². The total area is 15.11 km²....

, Japan

Japan

|
|-
| Loss
| align=center| 15-11-0
|

Compton, California

, Los Angeles County, California

Los Angeles County, California

, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

|
|-
| Loss
| align=center| 15-10-0
|

Roxanne Modafferi

Ariake, Tokyo

, Koto, Tokyo

Koto, Tokyo

, Japan

Japan

|
|-
| Win
| align=center| 15-9-0
|

Ariake, Tokyo

, Koto, Tokyo

Koto, Tokyo

, Japan

Japan

|
|-
| Win
| align=center| 14-9-0
|

Mayumi Aoki

is a Japanese swimmer and Olympic champion. She competed at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, where she received a gold medal in 100 m butterfly...

Taisho-ku, Osaka

is one of 24 wards of Osaka, Japan. As of October 1, 2006, the ward has an estimated population of 72,742 and the total area is 9.43 km². - Transport :...

, Japan

Japan

|
|-
| Win
| align=center| 13-9-0
|

Taito, Tokyo

is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. In English, it calls itself Taito City.As of April 1, 2011, the ward has an estimated population of 168,909, with 94,908 households, and a population density of 16,745.86 persons per km². The total area is 10.08 km².-History:The ward was founded...

, Japan

Japan

|
|-
| Loss
| align=center| 12-9-0
|

Laura D'Auguste

Atlantic City, New Jersey

, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

|
|-
| Loss
| align=center| 12-8-0
|

Roxanne Modafferi

Japan

|
|-
| Loss
| align=center| 12-7-0
|

Amanda Buckner

Amanda Buckner is an American female mixed martial artist. Her last fight was a decision loss against Takayo Hashi at FFF 4 - Call of the Wild on April 3, 2008....

Bunkyo, Tokyo

, Japan

Japan

|
|-
| Loss
| align=center| 12-6-0
|

Laura D'Auguste

Shibuya, Tokyo

is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. As of 2008, it has an estimated population of 208,371 and a population density of 13,540 persons per km². The total area is 15.11 km²....

, Japan

Japan

|
|-
| Win
| align=center| 12-5-0
|

Shibuya, Tokyo

is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. As of 2008, it has an estimated population of 208,371 and a population density of 13,540 persons per km². The total area is 15.11 km²....

, Japan

Japan

|
|-
| Win
| align=center| 11-5-0
|

Seoul

, South Korea

South Korea

|
|-
| Win
| align=center| 10-5-0
|

Numazu, Shizuoka

is a city located in eastern Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. As of 2009, the city has an estimated population of 205,636 and a population density of 1,100 persons per km². The total area was 187.11 km².- Geography:...

, Japan

Japan

|
|-
| Loss
| align=center| 9-5-0
|

Tara LaRosa

Tara LaRosa is an American mixed martial artist who previously fought in BodogFight.She was the first and final BodogFight Women's Bantamweight Champion...

Aomi, Tokyo

is a place in Kōtō, Tokyo, Japan. Its subdivisions consist of Aomi 1 and 2 chome. Aomi is part of Tokyo Bay Landfill #13 and Tokyo Rinkai Satellite City Center.Many important facilities are located in Aomi...

, Koto, Tokyo

Koto, Tokyo

, Japan

Japan

|
|-
| Win
| align=center| 9-4-0
|

Erin Toughill

Erin Young Toughill is a mixed martial artist and former boxer.She began kickboxing at the age of 18 and started training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu soon after....

Shizuoka, Shizuoka

, Japan

Japan

|
|-
| Win
| align=center| 8-4-0
|

Roxanne Modafferi

Shizuoka, Shizuoka

, Japan

Japan

|
|-
| Win
| align=center| 7-4-0
|

Shizuoka, Shizuoka

, Japan

Japan

|
|-
| Win
| align=center| 6-4-0
|

Hitomi Akano

, is a Japanese female mixed martial artist. She uses a song she penned herself called "Between the Sky" as her entrance music.Akano is a former Smackgirl Middleweight Champion at 128 pounds...

Aomi, Tokyo

, Koto, Tokyo

Koto, Tokyo

, Japan

Japan

|
|-
| Win
| align=center| 5-4-0
|

Setagaya, Tokyo

is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo in Japan. It is also the name of a neighborhood within the ward. The ward calls itself the City of Setagaya in English...

, Japan

Japan

|
|-
| Win
| align=center| 4-4-0
|

Naoko Sakamoto

is a Japanese long-distance runner who specializes in the marathon race.-Achievements:-Personal bests:*5000 metres - 15:45.75 min *10,000 metres - 33:06.17 min *Half marathon - 1:09:27 hrs...

Roppongi

is a district of Minato, Tokyo, Japan, famous as home to the rich Roppongi Hills area and an active night club scene. Many foreign embassies are located in Roppongi, and the night life is popular with locals and foreigners alike...

, Minato, Tokyo

Minato, Tokyo

is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. As of 1 March 2008, it had an official population of 217,335 and a population density of 10,865 persons per km². The total area is 20.34 km².Minato hosts 49 embassies...

, Japan

Japan

|
|-
| Loss
| align=center| 3-4-0
|

Ariake, Tokyo

, Japan

Japan

|
|-
| Loss
| align=center| 3-3-0
|

Marloes Coenen

Marloes Coenen is a Dutch mixed martial artist. She has competed professionally since 2000 and is a former Strikeforce Women's Bantamweight Champion....

Bunkyo, Tokyo

, Japan

Japan

|
|-
| Loss
| align=center| 3-2-0
|

Erin Toughill

Erin Young Toughill is a mixed martial artist and former boxer.She began kickboxing at the age of 18 and started training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu soon after....

Shibuya, Tokyo

is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. As of 2008, it has an estimated population of 208,371 and a population density of 13,540 persons per km². The total area is 15.11 km²....

, Japan

Japan

|
|-
| Loss
| align=center| 3-1-0
|

Marloes Coenen

Marloes Coenen is a Dutch mixed martial artist. She has competed professionally since 2000 and is a former Strikeforce Women's Bantamweight Champion....

Chiyoda, Tokyo

is one of the 23 special wards in central Tokyo, Japan. In English, it is called Chiyoda ward. As of October 2007, the ward has an estimated population of 45,543 and a population density of 3,912 people per km², making it by far the least populated of the special wards...

, Japan

Japan

|
|-
| Win
| align=center| 3-0-0
|

Chiyoda, Tokyo

, Japan

Japan

|
|-
| Win
| align=center| 2-0-0
|

Chiyoda, Tokyo

, Japan

Japan

|
|-
| Win
| align=center| 1-0-0
|

Nagoya, Aichi

is the third-largest incorporated city and the fourth most populous urban area in Japan.Located on the Pacific coast in the Chūbu region on central Honshu, it is the capital of Aichi Prefecture and is one of Japan's major ports along with those of Tokyo, Osaka, Kobe, Yokohama, Chiba, and Moji...

, Japan

Japan

Submission grappling

{| class="toccolours" width=100% style="clear:both; margin:1.5em auto; text-align:center;"
|-
! colspan=2 style="background:#A9A9A9" | Submission grappling record
|- valign="top"
|
Legend:

Kickboxing and Shoot boxing record

{| class="toccolours" width=100% style="clear:both; margin:1.5em auto; text-align:center;"
|-
! colspan=2 style="background:#A9A9A9" | Kickboxing and Shoot boxing record
|- valign="top"
|
Legend:

Judo

All-Japan individual championships 1993 52 kg winner
Fukuoka international women's judo championships 1994 52 kg third place
World Masters Munich 1995 52 kg fifth place

Professional wrestling

Jd' junior title holder
TWF World Tag Team title holder (partner Sumie Sakai
Sumie Sakai
born November 11, 1971) is a Japanese professional wrestler and mixed martial artist. She currently resides in the United States, appearing with professional wrestling promotions in the northeastern United States such as Women's Extreme Wrestling and Chikara....

)
TWF World Tag Team title holder (partner Maru)
AWF World Women title holder
AWF & QOR Unified title holder, JD' double title holder
JWP Tag Team title holder (partner Commando Bolshoi)

Mixed martial arts

Smackgirl Open Weight Champion
Smackgirl Open Weight Queen tournament winner
Smackgirl First Middleweight Queen tournament runner-up
ReMix Open Weight World Tournament 2000 runner-up

External links

Profile at Fightergirls.com
Profile at JudoInside.com
Profile at Good Luck Company
Official blog

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