Mika Nagano - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

is a Japanese 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...

. She currently fights as a lightweight

Lightweight (MMA)

The lightweight division in mixed martial arts can refer to a number of different weight classes:* The UFC & Strikeforce lightweight division with upper limit at 155 lb...

in the 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. Her nickname is Future Princess.

Nagano won the 2009 Jewels Rough Stone Grand Prix at 54 kg.

Early life

Nagano was born on December 29, 1983 in Gifu, Gifu

Gifu, Gifu

is a city located in the south-central portion of Gifu Prefecture, Japan, and serves as the prefectural capital. The city has played an important role in Japan's history because of its location in the middle of the country. During the Sengoku period, various warlords, including Oda Nobunaga, used...

, 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...

. She started wrestling

Amateur wrestling

Amateur wrestling is the most widespread form of sport wrestling. There are two international wrestling styles performed in the Olympic Games under the supervision of FILA : Greco-Roman and freestyle. Freestyle is possibly derived from the English Lancashire style...

in the fourth grade of elementary school and continued wrestling in middle school

Middle school

Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...

and high school

High school

High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....

, becoming second place in all of Japan at the high school level.

While studying at Chukyo Women's University

Chukyo Women's University

is a private university in Ōbu, Aichi, Japan.Until the school renamed itself to Shigakkan in 2010, the school was known as Chukyo Women's University. The school was founded in 1905....

, she was an amateur wrestling champion and finished fourth in the 55 kg division of the 2002 Japan Queen's Cup; the same tournament where future Olympic medalist Saori Yoshida

Saori Yoshida

is a wrestler who won the gold medal in the Women's Freestyle 55 kg at both the 2004 Summer Olympics and the 2008 Summer Olympics.Since her debut in 2002, she has won every world- and international-level tournament she has entered...

finished first.

In 2004, she was ranked fourth in the 51 kg class, but left the university after three years before graduating and stopping wrestling.

Nagano moved to 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...

in 2005, where she joined a modeling agency

Modeling agency

A modeling agency is a company that represents fashion models, to work for the fashion industry. These agencies earn their income via commission, usually from the deal they make with the model and or the head agency....

of independent wrestling

Independent circuit

In professional wrestling, the independent circuit or indy circuit refers to the many independent promotions which are much smaller than major televised promotions. They are roughly analagous to a minor league for pro wrestling, or community or regional theatre.Specific promotions on the...

and started talent activities. She was eventually charmed by MMA when she visited S-KEEP.

Mixed martial arts career

Nagano debuted in MMA in an exhibition match against Megumi Yabushita

Megumi Yabushita

is a Japanese female mixed martial artist, kickboxer, professional wrestler and judoka. She has participated in several Japanese professional wrestling and mixed martial arts promotions. She is a Japanese national judo champion and a former Smackgirl open weight champion and tournament...

at 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...

: F 2006 on . She made her professional debut against Megumi Fujii

Megumi Fujii

Megumi Fujii is a female Japanese mixed martial artist. She is currently the #3-ranked pound-for-pound female MMA fighter in the world by MMARising.com and the #1-ranked female flyweight according to the Unified Women's MMA Rankings.-Biography:Fujii specializes mainly in submission fighting and is...

and lost via submission (triangle choke) at 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...

: Starting Over 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 .

After winning her next fight by split decision

Split decision

A split 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 in which two of the three judges score for the same fighter as the winner, while the third judge scores for the other...

and losing her third by decision, she went on to win her following three fights by submission (armbar). In the process, she won the 2009 Rough Stone Grand Prix 54 kg & under tournament after defeating Yoko Kagoshima in the tournament final.

Following a unanimous decision

Unanimous decision

A unanimous 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 in which all three judges agree on which fighter won the match....

win and going on a five-fight winning streak

Winning streak (sports)

In sports, a winning streak refers to a consecutive number of games won. A winning streak can be held by a team, as in baseball, football, basketball, hockey, or by an individual, as in tennis...

(defeating Rina Tomita twice), Nagano was upset at Jewels 8th Ring
Jewels 8th Ring
Jewels 8th Ring was a mixed martial arts event held by MMA promotion Jewels. The event took place on at Shin-Kiba 1st Ring in Koto, Tokyo, Japan.-Background:...

on by Norwegian

Norwegians

Norwegians constitute both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway. They share a common culture and speak the Norwegian language. Norwegian people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in United States, Canada and Brazil.-History:Towards the end of the 3rd...

fighter Celine Haga, who was an underdog

Underdog (competition)

An underdog is a person or group in a competition, frequently in electoral politics, sports and creative works, who is popularly expected to lose. The party, team or individual expected to win is called the favorite or top dog. In the rare case where an underdog wins, the outcome is an upset. These...

after losing her first four professional fights. Haga dominated the whole fight, earning a unanimous decision win. The loss was so devastating that Nagano was in tears even before the fight ended.

Nagano managed to avenge this loss in the Jewels Lightweight (115 lb) Queen Tournament Opening Round by defeating Haga with an armbar submission at Jewels 9th Ring
Jewels 9th Ring
Jewels 9th 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:...

on . She faced 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...

in the tournament semi-finals on at Jewels 11th Ring
Jewels 11th Ring
Jewels 11th Ring was a mixed martial arts event held by MMA promotion Jewels. The event took place on at Korakuen Hall in Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan....

and was defeated by split decision after two rounds.

Nagano was scheduled to face Emi Murata at Jewels 12th Ring
Jewels 12th Ring
Jewels 12th Ring was a planned mixed martial arts to be held by MMA promotion Jewels. The event was planned to be held on at Shinjuku Face in Kabukicho, Tokyo, Japan but it was cancelled a few hours before the start due to the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.-Background:The first two bouts of...

on in Tokyo, Japan

Tokyo

, but the event was cancelled after the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami

2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami

The 2011 earthquake off the Pacific coast of Tohoku, also known as the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, or the Great East Japan Earthquake, was a magnitude 9.0 undersea megathrust earthquake off the coast of Japan that occurred at 14:46 JST on Friday, 11 March 2011, with the epicenter approximately east...

earlier in the day.

She then faced Murata at Jewels 14th Ring on and defeated Murata by submission in the first round.

Nagano rematched Megumi Fujii

Megumi Fujii

at Jewels 15th Ring
Jewels 15th Ring
Jewels 15th Ring was a mixed martial arts event held by promotion Jewels on at Shinjuku Face in Kabukicho, Tokyo, Japan.As in the previous Jewels event, 15th Ring featured a Jewels vs. Valkyrie theme, pitting fighters from both promotions in four bouts that ended with two victories for each...

on . She was defeated by unanimous decision.

Nagano will face Mei Yamaguchi

Mei Yamaguchi

, formerly known by her nickname , is a Japanese female mixed martial artist and kickboxer. Her former nickname comes from the V1 armlock wrestling move.Yamaguchi currently fights as a featherweight in the Valkyrie promotion...

at Jewels 17th Ring on .

Professional wrestling career

Nagano made her professional wrestling

Professional wrestling

Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...

debut on with wrestling promotion

Professional wrestling promotion

A professional wrestling promotion is a company or business that regularly performs shows involving professional wrestling. Promotion also describes a role which entails management, advertising and logistics of running a wrestling event...

Ice Ribbon. After competing in Ice Ribbon for a few months, it appeared that she was no longer with the promotion as of ; apparently focusing more on her MMA career after being pushed as a top star in Jewels.

Outside mixed martial arts

Nagano has posed in bikini and semi-nude photo shoot

Photo shoot

A photo shoot is generally used in the fashion industry, whereby a model poses for a photographer at a studio where multiple photos are taken to find the best ones for the required brief...

s in Japanese magazine Friday.

Mixed martial arts record

|-
| Loss
| align=center| 8-5
|

Megumi Fujii

| Decision (unanimous)
| Jewels 15th Ring

Jewels 15th Ring

Jewels 15th Ring was a mixed martial arts event held by promotion Jewels on at Shinjuku Face in Kabukicho, Tokyo, Japan.As in the previous Jewels event, 15th Ring featured a Jewels vs. Valkyrie theme, pitting fighters from both promotions in four bouts that ended with two victories for each...

|
| align=center| 2
| align=center| 5:00
| Kabukicho, Tokyo, Japan
|
|-
| Win
| align=center| 8-4
|

Emi Murata
| Submission (armbar)
| Jewels 13th Ring & 14th Ring

Jewels 13th Ring & 14th Ring

Jewels 13th Ring and Jewels 14th Ring are two mixed martial arts events combined in a single date and location held by promotion Jewels. The events took place on at Shin-Kiba 1st Ring in Koto, Tokyo, Japan.-Background:...

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....

Seo Hee Ham

| Decision (split)
| Jewels 11th Ring

Jewels 11th Ring

Jewels 11th Ring was a mixed martial arts event held by MMA promotion Jewels. The event took place on at Korakuen Hall in Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan....

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
|
|-
| Win
| align=center| 7-3
|

Celine Haga
| Submission (armbar)
| Jewels 9th Ring

Jewels 9th Ring

Jewels 9th 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:...

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...

Celine Haga
| Decision (unanimous)
| Jewels 8th Ring

Jewels 8th Ring

Jewels 8th Ring was a mixed martial arts event held by MMA promotion Jewels. The event took place on at Shin-Kiba 1st Ring in Koto, Tokyo, Japan.-Background:...

Koto, Tokyo

, Japan
|
|-
| Win
| align=center| 6-2
|

Mai Ichii

is a Japanese female wrestler, mixed martial artist and kickboxer.-Background:Ichii was born on in Ageo, Saitama Prefecture, Japan.-Professional wrestling career:Ichii debuted in 2004 in a match against Emi Sakura.-Mixed martial arts career:...

| Decision (unanimous)
| Jewels 7th Ring

Jewels 7th Ring

Jewels 7th Ring was a mixed martial arts event hosted by MMA promotion Jewels. It was held on at Shinjuku Face in Kabukicho, Tokyo, Japan.-Background:...

Shinjuku, Tokyo

, Japan
|
|-
| Win
| align=center| 5-2
|

Yoko Kagoshima
| Submission (armbar)
| Jewels 6th Ring

Jewels 6th Ring

Jewels 6th Ring was a mixed martial arts event held by MMA promotion Jewels. It took place on at Shinjuku Face in Kabukicho, Tokyo, Japan.-Background:...

Shinjuku, Tokyo

, Japan
|
|-
| Win
| align=center| 4-2
|

Rina Tomita
| Technical 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:...

Shinjuku, Tokyo

, Japan
|
|-
| Win
| align=center| 3-2
|

Rina Tomita
| Submission (armbar)
| Jewels 4th Ring

Jewels 4th Ring

Jewels 4th Ring was a mixed martial arts event hosted by promotion Jewels. The event took place on at Shin-Kiba 1st Ring in Koto, Tokyo, Japan.-Background:...

Koto, Tokyo

, Japan
|
|-
| Win
| align=center| 2-2
|

Misaki Ozawa
| Submission (armbar)
| Jewels 3rd Ring

Jewels 3rd Ring

Jewels 3rd Ring, was a mixed martial arts event held by promotion Jewels. The event took place on at Shinjuku Face in Kabukicho, Tokyo, Japan.-Background:...

Shinjuku, Tokyo

Saori Ishioka

is a Japanese female mixed martial artist, kickboxer and karateka. She has participated in MMA promotions Smackgirl and Jewels. Her nickname is Shooting Star.-Background:...

| Decision (unanimous)
| Jewels 1st Ring

Jewels 1st Ring

Jewels 1st Ring, originally was the inaugural mixed martial arts event of the then newly created women's MMA promotion Jewels. The event took place on at Shinjuku Face in Kabukicho, Tokyo, Japan.-Background:...

Shinjuku, Tokyo

, Japan
|
|-
| Win
| align=center| 1-1
|

Asami Kodera

, occasionally nicknamed Asami, is a Japanese female mixed martial artist. She currently fights in the Jewels promotion, where she won the 2009 Jewels Rough Stone Grand Prix .-Mixed martial arts career:...

| Decision (split)
| 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...

Bunkyo, Tokyo

Megumi Fujii

Bunkyo, Tokyo

, Japan
|

External links

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