Yusuke Sugawara vs Kaew Fairtex Headlines M-1 Sutt Yod Muay Thai vol.4 on 11/11

Tuesday, 30 October 2012 18:13

Written by Sam Sattler

In just under 2 weeks, M-1 Muay Thai will be putting on Sutt Yod Muay Thai vol.4, a 2 part show featuring a pair of WPMF Women’s World title fights, a WPMF Japan title fight and other top Japanese fighters like J-Network Super Flyweight champion Yuki, Shunsuke Oishi, Kousuman and J-Girls Flyweight champ Tomoko SP.

In the main event of part 2, former Lumpinee Stadium Featherweight champion Kaew Fairtex takes on J-Network Super Lightweight champion Yusuke Sugawara at 65kg. Although Kaew is no longer at the top of his game, he found success earlier this year, winning the Legend of Heroes 65kg 8-man tournament in Beijing, with wins over Taito, Wei Liu and, in the finals, Yodsanklai. He followed that up with a win in M-1 in September, knocking out Kousuman in the 4^th round. Sugawara has been on the verge of breaking through to the upper echelon of the Lightweight/Super Lightweight divisions for the past two years, but he has been unable to put together a string of wins against top competition. He is 3-2 in 2012, starting the year with a win in Shootboxing, but losing 2 straight to MA Kick champ Mohan Dragon and Yukihiro Komiya in RISE before bouncing back with a win over Shohei Asahara. His most recent fight was a win over MMA fighter Kensaku Nakamura in Shootboxing.

The co-main event is a fight for the vacant WPMF Japan Cruiserweight title between #2 ranked Naoki Samukawa and SHOHEI. Samukawa has fought mostly in MMA this past year, but is still primarily a kickboxer and is 5-0-1 in his last 6 fights and has only lost twice since a loss to Chi Bin Lim in February of 2007. SHOHEI had won 2 in a row before losing to Yodsanklai in September.

At 63.5kg, WPMF Japan #1 ranked Super Lightweight Shunsuke Oishi fights Buakaw Weerasakreck. Oishi (14-11-3, 10 KO) is 2-2 in his last 4, scoring stoppages of Yuto Watanabe and Yuki Yamamoto while losing to Saenchai and most recently Hidekazu Tanaka in a fight for the WPMF Japan Super Lightweight title. Buakaw (39-18-5, 5 KO) is 3-1 on the year, with wins over Hayato Hatekayama, Yusaku Fujikura and the aforementioned Tanaka, losing in his most recent fight to WPMF Japan Welterweight champion T-98. With Oishi being ranked #1 and Buakaw holding a recent win over Tanaka, I suspect the winner of this fight will face Tanaka for the title.

Also on part 2 of the card is a 67kg fight between Kousuman and Shinya Hikafuji, as well as a 53.5kg fight between J-Network Super Flyweight champ Yuki and J-Network #1 ranked Bantamweight Kenta.

Part 1 of the card focuses primarily on the female divisions, as this portion is headlined by a WPMF Women’s World Featherweight title fight between reigning champ Sawsing Sor. Sopis and NJKF Bonita Boxeo Featherweight champ AZUMA. This fight is a rematch from March 25^th at Sutt Yod Muay Thai vol.1, which Sawsing won via cut in the 4^th round to win this title. Since that fight, AZUMA is 3-0, defending her NJKF title in April.

In the co-main event, WPMF Women’s World Pinweight champion Chiharu looks to defend her title against former WPMF Women’s World Mini Flyweight champion Little Tiger. This will mark the 3^rd time that these two have fought, with Chiharu winning both fights, the first in 2007 and the second in 2011, which won Chiharu this title. Since their second fight, Chiharu is 0-1-1, fighting Fir both times and drawing her in a 5 round fight, but losing a 3 round decision. Little Tiger is 5-0 since then, picking up a win over Fir, defending her WPMF Japan Atomweight title against Nao Iida, and winning the WPMF Women’s World Mini Flyweight title against Thicher Kor. Adison in June, but vacating it for a third fight against Chiharu.

Also scheduled to fight on the card is J-Girls Flyweight champion Tomoko SP, though she does not have an opponent as of now.

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