Sherdog.com Preview: SHOOTO “Victory of the truth”

Megumi Fujii (Pictures)
Submission wrestling/Sambo
Team: AACC
Height: 5' 3” (160 cm)
Weight: 114 lbs. (52kg)
Record: 5-0-0
SHOOTO record: 3-0-0

Misaki Takimoto
Submission wrestling/Zendo Kai
Team: Zendo Kai
Height: 5' 1” (155 cm)
Weight:108 lbs. (49kg)
Record: 4-3-0
SHOOTO record: 1-0-0

Megumi Fujii (Pictures) is the golden girl of the new G-SHOOTO female division. Fujii started her grappling career in many All-Japan and International Sambo competitions when she represented Japan along with top female MMA stars Yuka Tsuji (Pictures) and Satoko Shinashi (Pictures).

She later changed from Sambo to submission grappling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. She won the purple belt division in the Brazilian Mundials without any previous experience in BJJ. Fujii finished third in the 2005 ADCC World Championships in the 132 pound-and-under category and she holds wins over Erica Montoya (Pictures) and Michelli Tavares in MMA competition.

Takimoto is a Zeido Kai stylist that can mix both standing and grappling work in her arsenal. She’s floated between organizations like Pancrase, GCM, Smack Girl and until recently G-SHOOTO. She sports four armbar wins but also shows a negative record against the two top females fighters on her résumé, Windy Tomomi and Satoko Shinashi (Pictures).

Prediction:

Fujii doesn’t seem in any trouble here. While Takimoto is a smooth grappler, she has never faced someone with grappling credentials like Fujii. She did face Satoko Shinashi (Pictures) in her very first fight and lost that match by armbar in the first round.

SHOOTO is going through a difficult time trying to find quality opponents for Fujii these days, mostly due to Fujii’s weight factor and how she’s trapped between divisions where the other top females are fighting.

Expect Fujii to push the action with a takedown to later dominate the ground and secure a submission win, all in the first round.