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Women’s Atomweight
1. Seika Izawa (5-0) [1]
Izawa scored a significant upset at Rizin 33, as she put away reigning atomweight queen Ayaka Hamasaki with punches and elbows 2:50 into the second-round of their clash on New Year’s Eve at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama Japan. It was quite the promotional debut for the 24-year-old Tokyo native, who is the reigning Deep Jewels champion at strawweight. A rematch with Hamasaki for the Rizin atomweight crown is on tap for Rizin 35 on April 17.2. Ayaka Hamasaki (23-4) [2]
Hamasaki suffered her first defeat since December 2019 at Rizin 33, where she fell to unbeaten prospect Seika Izawa via second-round technical knockout in a non-title bout at 108 pounds. That snaps a four-bout winning streak within the Japanese promotion for the soon-to-be 40-year-old, who remains the atomweight title holder. A rematch against Izawa with the belt on the line will take place at Rizin 35.3. Jessica Correa Delboni (12-3) [3]
After losing a contentious split verdict in their first meeting, Delboni was in complete control the second time around against Alesha Zappitella, winning a clear-cut unanimous decision behind stout takedown defense and a variety of damaging punches, elbows and knees in the Invicta FC 45 headliner on Jan. 12. The newly-crowned atomweight queen has won three of her last four under the Invicta banner, but with Zappitella expected to move to 115 pounds, a trilogy doesn’t appear to be likely at this point in time.4. Namiko Kawabata (3-1) [4]
Kawabata pulled off a stunning upset at Deep Jewels 36, besting the Saori Oshima in a non-title bout at 108 pounds. That victory comes on the heels of a loss to Miki Motono this past December, so the turnaround against Oshima was not expected. Nonetheless, Kawabata, who began her professional tenure in March 2021, has emerged as a talent to watch at atomweight on the heels of her latest performance.5. Saori Oshima (7-3) [5]
Oshima suffered an upset loss at Deep Jewels 36, falling to Namiko Kawabata in a non-title bout at 108 pounds at New Pier Hall in Tokyo, Japan, on March 12. That halts what was an impressive four-bout winning streak for Oshima, who had recently bested Kanna Asakura under the Rizin banner and also won the Deep Jewels grand prix in June 2021.6. Kanna Asakura (18-6) [6]
Asakura came up short in the Rizin 31 co-main event, dropping a split decision to Saori Oshima on Oct. 24 at Pia Arena MMA in Yokohama, Japan. The former Rizin atomweight grand prix winner has dropped back-to-back split verdicts against Oshima and Ayaka Hamasaki after winning four straight fights from August 2019 to December 2020. Asakura will return to action against Satomi Takano at Rizin 35.7. Alesha Zappitella (9-3, 1 NC) [7]
Zappitella landed a takedown at the outset of her rematch against Jessica Correa Delboni in the Invicta FC 45 headliner, but it was all downhill from there for “Half Pint,” who dropped a clear-cut unanimous decision in Kansas City on Jan. 12. That snaps a four-bout winning streak for Zappitella, who had previously defeated Delboni via controversial split decision in May 2021. Unless something changes, a trilogy won’t be in the cards, as Zappitella will transition to the strawweight division beginning with a 115-pound title bout against Emily Ducote at Invicta FC 47.8. Si Woo Park (7-4) [8]
Park won her second consecutive bout, taking a unanimous decision triumph over Aira Koga at Deep “Cage Impact 2022 in Osaka” on April 10. That triumph comes on the heels of an upset victory over Shoot Boxing champion Rena Kubota at Rizin 33. The 30-year-old Busan, South Korea, native has won seven of her last nine appearances after dropping her first two professional outings.9. Rena Kubota (12-4) [9]
Kubota had a chance to lay claim to contender status in Rizin’s atomweight division, but instead the Shoot Boxing champion suffered an upset unanimous decision loss to Si Woo Park on New Year’s Eve at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. That snaps a four-bout winning streak for Kubota, who had previously bested Miyuu Yamamoto, Emi Tomimatsu, Lindsey VanZandt and Alexandra Alvare Carlos under the Rizin banner.10. Miyuu Yamamoto (6-6) [10]
Yamamoto’s chance for revenge was thwarted at Rizin 32, where she suffered a second-round technical knockout loss to Rena Kubota in the evening’s main event at Okinawa Arena in Okinawa, Japan. Yamamoto is now 0-2 against Kubota after a previous submission loss under the Rizin banner in 2016. The 47-year-old Krazy Bee representative has lost three of her last four appearances within the Japanese promotion, with all of those defeats coming inside the distance.Other Contenders: Satomi Takano, Mina Kurobe, Jillian DeCoursey, Ana Palacios, Miki Motono.
Sherdog’s divisional and pound-for-pound rankings are compiled by a panel of Sherdog.com staff members and contributors: Tristen Critchfield, Mike Fridley, Brian Knapp, Ben Duffy, Jay Pettry, Edward Carbajal, Marcelo Alonso, Tudor Leonte, Keith Shillan, John Brannigan, Tyler Treese and Lev Pisarsky.