is a

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

female

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact fighting sport based on striking and grappling; incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world. In the early 20th century, various inter-stylistic contests took place t ...

kickboxer Kickboxing ( ) is a full-contact hybrid martial art and boxing type based on punching and kicking. Kickboxing originated in the 1950s to 1970s. The fight takes place in a boxing ring, normally with boxing gloves, mouth guards, shorts, and ...

and

karateka (; ; Okinawan pronunciation: ), also , is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tī'' in Okinawan) under the influence of Chinese martial arts. While moder ...

. She has participated in MMA promotions

Smackgirl Smackgirl was a Japanese mixed martial arts promotion focused solely on Women's mixed martial arts, female fighters. The promotion also held grappling and amateur events along with its main line of professional MMA cards. After financial difficul ...

and

Jewels A gemstone (also called a fine gem, jewel, precious stone, semiprecious stone, or simply gem) is a piece of mineral crystal which, when cut or polished, is used to make jewellery, jewelry or other adornments. Certain Rock (geology), rocks (such ...

. Her nickname is Shooting Star.

Background

Ishioka was born on in Hiroshima Prefecture,

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

. She started

judo is an unarmed gendai budō, modern Japanese martial art, combat sport, Olympic sport (since 1964), and the most prominent form of jacket wrestling competed internationally.『日本大百科全書』電子版【柔道】(CD-ROM version of Encyc ...

during childhood, earning third place in an all-high school tournament in China. She graduated from the Hiroshima Prefectural Hiroshima Technical High School. In 2006, she was introduced to the Karate-do Zendokai association in their Hiroshima branch and, wanting to become a professional martial artist, she moved to Tokyo.

Mixed martial arts career

Ishioka debuted with a unanimous decision defeat against Kyoko Takabayashi at ''Smackgirl - F 2007: The Next Cinderella Tournament 2007 First Stage'' on . On , Ishioka participated at ''Smackgirl 2007: The Dance of the Taisho Romance'' in the Next Cinderella Tournament 2007 lightweight first round, where she defeated Yoko Oyama by unanimous decision. In the next round of the tournament, at ''Smackgirl - F 2007: The Next Cinderella Tournament 2007 2nd Stage'' on ,

Mei Yamaguchi , formerly known by her ring name , is a Japanese female mixed martial artist and kickboxer. Her former nickname comes from the V1 armlock wrestling move. Yamaguchi currently fights as a Super Atomweight in the Rizin Fighting Federation promo ...

defeated Ishioka with a

kneebar A leglock is a joint lock that is directed at joints of the leg such as the ankle, knee or hip joint. A leglock which is directed at joints in the foot is sometimes referred to as a foot lock and a lock at the hip as a hip lock. Leglocks are featu ...

. Ishioka rebounded back with three consecutive victories. The first one was against Masako Yoshida, whom Ishioka defeated by unanimous decision on at ''Smackgirl 2007: Queens' Hottest Summer''. She next defeated Miyuki Ariga, also by unanimous decision, in a match with special rules on during ''Kingdom of Grapple Live 2007''. Her third consecutive victory came when she defeated

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...

fighter Thricia Poovey by

armbar An armlock in grappling is a single or double joint lock that hyperextends, hyperflexes or hyperrotates the elbow joint or shoulder joint. An armpit lock is very useful; it will immobilize an opponent and pin them on the ground. An armlock t ...

submission at ''Smackgirl 7th Anniversary: Starting Over'' on . Her

winning streak A winning streak, also known as a win streak or hot streak, is an uninterrupted sequence of success in games or competitions, commonly measured by at least three wins that are uninterrupted by losses or ties. In sports, it can be applied to te ...

came to an end on at the hands of South Korean kickboxer

Seo Hee Ham Ham Seo-hee (; ; born March 8, 1987), anglicised as Seo Hee Ham, is a South Korean professional mixed martial artist and kickboxer. She is currently signed to ONE Championship, where she is ranked #3 in the ONE Championship Women's Atomweight r ...

, who defeated Ishioka by unanimous decision in the ''Smackgirl World ReMix Tournament 2008 Opening Round'', during the first round of the lightweight tournament. Ishioka earned another victory by armbar submission against Harumi on at ''Kingdom of Grapple mini Live in Summerfest!! '08''. On , Ishioka made her debut with MMA promotion Jewels at '' Jewels 1st Ring,'' where she defeated

Mika Nagano is a Japanese female mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist and Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. She fought as a Lightweight (MMA), lightweight in the Deep (mixed martial arts), Deep and Jewels (mixed martial arts), Jewels promot ...

by unanimous decision in the main event. Ishioka got her first

TKO A technical knockout (TKO) is a professional fighting term. TKO may also refer to: Sports * TKO, the name of a professional wrestling move referring to either the cutter or stunner variant * TKO Group Holdings, a combat sports company Music Ar ...

victory against Hanako Kobayashi at '' Jewels 2nd Ring'' on . Ishioka then challenged the world's number one ranked female fighter

Megumi Fujii Megumi Fujii (藤井恵 ''Fujii Megumi'', born April 26, 1974) is a Japanese former professional mixed martial artist and submission wrestler. Fujii is regarded as a pioneer of women's mixed martial arts. She specializes in submission fighting ...

. On , Fujii submitted Ishioka by armbar at '' Jewels 4th Ring''. On at '' Jewels 6th Ring'', Ishioka defeated Sally Krumdiack with a controversial finish in which Ishioka had Krumdiack in a weak armbar and the referee asked Krumdiack if she was okay. Krumdiack responded that she was, but the referee mistook the answer and incorrectly stopped the fight. Ringside officials recognized the mistake and it was expected that the fight would be ruled a no contest, but the result remained as a victory for Ishioka. Ishioka got another victory at ''

Jewels 8th Ring ''Jewels 8th Ring'' was a mixed martial arts (MMA) event held by MMA promotion Jewels. The event took place on at Shin-Kiba 1st Ring in Koto, Tokyo, Japan. Background On , Hiroko Yamanaka, Atsuko Emoto, Saori Ishioka and Mai Ichii were announ ...

'' when she defeated pro-wrestler

Mai Ichii is a Japanese 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. Ichii wrestled from 2004 to 2011 ...

by submission (armbar) on . In an upset on in the opening round of the 2010 Jewels Lightweight Queen Tournament, Ishioka was defeated by unanimous decision in her bout against Sakura Nomura, eliminating the favorite Ishioka from the tournament. Ishioka and Celine Haga fought on at ''

Jewels 10th Ring ''Jewels 10th Ring'' was a mixed martial arts (MMA) event held by MMA promotion Jewels. The event took place on at Shin-Kiba 1st Ring in Koto, Tokyo, Japan. It hosted the opening round of the second Rough Stone Grand Prix. Background On , Jewel ...

'', with Ishioka winning a close but unanimous decision. Ishioka faced Yuko "Amiba" Oya in a Jewels Lightweight Queen Tournament reserve match at ''

Jewels 11th Ring ''Jewels 11th Ring'' was a mixed martial arts (MMA) event held by MMA promotion Jewels. The event took place on at Korakuen Hall in Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan. The event hosted the Jewels Lightweight Queen tournament semi-finals and along with the Ro ...

'' on . She defeated Oya by submission due to an armbar in the first round. Ishioka rematched

on at '' DEEP: 52 Impact'' in

Tokyo, Japan Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

. She was defeated for the second time by unanimous decision. Ishioka next faced

Yuka Tsuji is a Japanese female mixed martial artist whose nickname is Vale Tudo Queen. Tsuji was a prolific female mixed martial artist in the 2000s. Tsuji is a former Smackgirl tournament winner, Smackgirl Lightweight Champion and Valkyrie Featherweigh ...

in a ''Jewels vs. Valkyrie'' bout at '' Jewels 15th Ring'' on in

. She was defeated by unanimous decision. Ishioka faced "Windy" Tomomi Sunaba in Sunaba's retirement bout at ''Pancrase Progress Tour 3'' on . She defeated Sunaba by armbar submission in the second round. After giving birth, Ishioka was scheduled to return to MMA on February 16, 2014, but her match had to be canceled when her opponent, Mika Nagano, announced her pregnancy.

Shoot boxing career

Ishioka had her first shoot boxing match on , defeating Kanako Oka by unanimous decision at '' Jewels 3rd Ring''. Ishioka then participated in the ''2009 Shoot Boxing Girls S-Cup'' on , where she defeated

Ai Takahashi (born September 14, 1986) is a Japanese singer and actress formerly associated with the Hello! Project and is best known as the leader of Morning Musume and Hello! Project until 2011. She is also a former member of its popular subgroup Mini Mon ...

by unanimous decision and lost against tournament winner

Rena Kubota , better known by her ring name RENA (stylized in capital letters) or Reina, is a professional Japanese shoot wrestler, kickboxer and mixed martial artist, currently competing in the strawweight division of Rizin. A professional competitor si ...

by TKO (corner stoppage, towel thrown in).

Other activities

Ishioka won the All-Japan RF Karate Championships -52 kg in 2007 and in 2009. Ishioka has participated in a few

grappling Grappling is a fighting technique based on throws, trips, sweeps, clinch fighting, ground fighting and submission holds. Grappling contests often involve takedowns and ground control, and may end when a contestant concedes defeat. Shou ...

matches. The first one at ''Smackgirl Grappling Queen Tournament 2007'' on , where she was defeated via decision (0-2) by

Yasuko Mogi is a Japanese female mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter. Her nicknames are and . Mogi has participated in MMA promotions Smackgirl, Shooto and Valkyrie. She formerly worked as Valkyrie's producer (matchmaker) and is now a producer for Jewels. Ba ...

. At ''Deep X 02'' on , Ishioka defeated Miki Aeba by armbar. On , Ishioka was defeated by Kyoko Abe with an armbar submission at ''Gi Grappling 2008'' during the first round of the Gi Grappling 2008 Queen Tournament expert -52.0 kg. Ishioka faced Jewels champion

Ayaka Hamasaki is a Japanese female mixed martial artist, judoka and submission grappler. She is the former Rizin Super Atomweight Champion. She has fought in MMA promotions ''Shooto'', Jewels and Rizin in Japan, and Invicta FC in the United States. Hamasak ...

in a grappling match at '' Jewels 14th Ring'' on . She was defeated by split decision.

Personal life

On , Ishioka announced that she was expecting a baby and would marry a fellow karateka from Zendokai.

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Loss , align=center, 15-12 , Miyuu Yamamoto , Decision (split) , Rizin 11 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Saitama, Japan is the capital and largest city of Saitama Prefecture, Japan. Its area incorporates the former cities of Urawa, Ōmiya, Yono and Iwatsuki. It is a city designated by government ordinance. , the city had an estimated population of 1,324,854 ...

, , - , Loss , align=center, 15-11 ,

Kanna Asakura Kanna Asakura (); born October 12, 1997, in Kashiwa, Chiba, Japan, is a female Japanese retired mixed martial artist. She competed in the Atomweight (106 lb) division and completed with the Rizin Fighting Federation. She is the #6 ranked At ...

, Decision (unanimous) , Deep Jewels 17 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, , - , Won , align=center, 15-10 , Bestare Kicaj , Submission (rear naked choke) , Rizin FF 5: Sakura , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:12 ,

Yokohama, Japan is the second-largest city in Japan by population as well as by area, and the country's most populous municipality. It is the capital and most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a population of 3.7 million in 2023. It lies on Tokyo B ...

, , - , Loss , align=center, 14-10 ,

Mina Kurobe is a Japanese mixed martial artist, currently fighting in the super atomweight division of Shooto, where she is the former and inaugural Shooto Super Atomweight champion. A professional competitor since 2012, Kurobe is also the former DEEP JE ...

, Decision (unanimous) , Deep-Jewels 14 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, , - , Win , align=center, 14-9 , Hana Date , Submission (Armbar) , Deep-Jewels 12 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:39 ,

, , - , Loss , align=center, 13-9 , Emi Tomimatsu , Submission (rear naked choke) , Deep-Jewels 11 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:49 ,

, , - , Loss , align=center, 13-8 ,

, Submission (armbar) , Deep-Jewels 6 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:43 ,

, , - , Win , align=center, 13-7 , Satomi Takano , Technical Submission (armbar) , Deep-Jewels 4 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:44 ,

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 12-7 , Tomomi Sunaba , Submission (armbar) , Pancrase - Progress Tour 3 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:04 ,

, Japan , , - , Loss , align=center, 11-7 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , Jewels 15th Ring , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 , Tokyo, Japan , , - , Loss , align=center, 11-6 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , Deep: 52 Impact , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 , Tokyo, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 11-5 , Yuko Oya , Submission (armbar) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:14 , Tokyo, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 10-5 , Celine Haga , Decision (unanimous) ,

, , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 , Tokyo, Japan , , - , Loss , align=center, 9-5 , Sakura Nomura , Decision (unanimous) ,

Jewels 9th Ring ''Jewels 9th Ring'' was a mixed martial arts (MMA) event held by MMA promotion Jewels. The event took place on at Shinjuku Face in Kabukicho, Tokyo, Japan. Background On , Jewels announced that the event would hold the first round of the Jewels ...

, , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 , Tokyo, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 9-4 ,

, Submission (armbar) ,

, , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:41 , Tokyo, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 8-4 , Sally Krumdiack , Technical submission (armbar) , Jewels 6th Ring , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:45 , Tokyo, Japan , , - , Loss , align=center, 7-4 ,

, Submission (armbar) , Jewels 4th Ring , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:17 , Tokyo, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 7-3 , Hanako Kobayashi , TKO (punches) , Jewels 2nd Ring , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:20 , Tokyo, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 6-3 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , Jewels 1st Ring , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 , Tokyo, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 5-3 , Harumi , Submission (armbar) , Kingdom of Grapple mini Live in Summerfest!! '08 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:45 , Tokyo, Japan , , - , Loss , align=center, 4-3 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , Smackgirl World ReMix Tournament 2008 Opening Round , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 , Tokyo, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 4-2 , Thricia Poovey , Submission (armbar) , Smackgirl 7th Anniversary: Starting Over , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:18 , Tokyo, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 3-2 , Miyuki Ariga , Decision (unanimous) , Kingdom of Grapple Live 2007 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 , Tokyo, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 2-2 , Masako Yoshida , Decision (unanimous) , Smackgirl 2007: Queens' Hottest Summer , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 , Tokyo, Japan , , - , Loss , align=center, 1-2 ,

, Submission (kneebar) , Smackgirl - F 2007: The Next Cinderella Tournament 2007 Second Stage , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:24 , Tokyo, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 1-1 , Yoko Oyama , Decision (unanimous) , Smackgirl 2007: The Dance of the Taisho Romance , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Osaka is a Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the List of cities in Japan, third-most populous city in J ...

, Japan , , - , Loss , align=center, 0-1 , Kyoko Takabayashi , Decision (unanimous) , Smackgirl - F 2007: The Next Cinderella Tournament 2007 First Stage , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 , Tokyo, Japan ,

Kickboxing record

''Legend'':

Championships and accomplishments

*All-Japan RF Karate Championships -52 kg in 2007 *All-Japan RF Karate Championships -52 kg in 2009

References

External links

Official blog
*
Saori Ishioka Awakening Profile
*

at

Shoot boxing , commonly written as Shootboxing, is a combat sport. Shoot boxing is also a stand-up fighting promotion company based in Tokyo, Japan. The organization was founded by former kickboxer Caesar Takeshi in 1985. Shootboxing, the combat sport, ...

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ishioka, Saori 1987 births Living people Japanese female mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing karate Mixed martial artists utilizing judo Mixed martial artists utilizing shootboxing Japanese female kickboxers Japanese female karateka Martial artists from Hiroshima Prefecture Strawweight mixed martial artists 21st-century Japanese sportswomen