For the past four years Yuka Tsuji waited for this opportunity. The last time they met in the ring, the Brazilian Jiu-jitsu black belt took it to the ground and dominated the up and coming star from Osaka. Granted, it was Tsuji's first experience in a full MMA rules bout but this is the only loss she tasted in her six-year pro career so the bigger a star Tsuji becomes, getting revenge on Michelle Tavarez has become an absolute ball and chain for her.

Yuka Tsuji acquired boxing skill from her team mate Edge (left).

Right off the bell, Michelle clinched took it to the ground and got the mount position but Tsuji was dead calm. She knew, from the last encounter, that Michelle's strength is in the ground game so before the fight Tsuji was saying, "Even if she gets the mount, I just have to reverse it." When Michelle unleashed a series of punches, Tsuji bridged, and successfully reversed the position. However back in the standing position, Michelle, by utilizing her longer reach landed jabs and kicks to the legs frustrating Tsuji. And when Tsuji threw a leg kick, Michelle grabbed the leg and pushed her down to the ground.
Michelle was looking better standing but the ending came abruptly.
When they are measuring the distance suddenly Yuka jumped up diving in with a right hook that landed perfectly on Michelle's chin.
Michelle went down and Yuka followed it with a barrage of punches and it was all over.

Tsuji burst into tears, slamming the canvass in joy. Back stage, she told the reporters that she was so happy that "I thought I was going to die." Her strategy was, "Survive the first round and attack back in the second and the third" but the fight finished much quicker than she expected, however she didn't forget to emphasize that the support from her team was the main cause for this victory, "If Edge (ex-boxer) didn't come to Angura then I would have never learned that punch."

Now Tsuji is 18-1 and everyone knows that the only other fighter at this weight class that has a record compatible to hers is none other than Megumi "Mega Megu" Fujii with perfect record of 11-0. Tsuji finished Michelle in the first round while Fujii defeated Michelle in a two-round decision, so some Tsuji supporters now might argue that Tsuji is indeed the best in the world at 115 lbs & Under. However, let's not forget that Megumi just beat Lisa Ward who basically manhandled MIKU, the current DEEP champion. And many still consider Megumi the best pound for pound woman MMA fighter in the world today.
Who is better? Fujii or Tsuji? Since Smack Girl scored a new sponsor out of Australia, the promotion is now maybe in the position to offer more than a 10K purse to both of these girls, which is a high payday in today's women MMA standard. Smack Girl always wanted this super fight. It is the promotion's earnest desire, perhaps a long-cherished dire wish. The promotion believes that Megumi vs. Tsuji would bump up the recognition level of women’s MMA in the Japanese general public, and that would be ultimately good for the entire sport. So is this going to happen sometime soon?

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