Women’s MMA Trailblazer Megumi Fujii Announces Retirement Bout in October

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TOKYO -- Women’s MMA legend Megumi Fujii announced the intention to hang up her gloves after one final go on Oct. 5’s “Vale Tudo Japan 3rd” card.

“I’m happy that I’ll be participating in VTJ 3rd, but I have another announcement to make tonight: I’ve decided that my fight at VTJ 3rd will be my last,” declared the 39-year-old women’s MMA pioneer.

“I've trained martial arts all my life, but I need to take that next step for the next stage of my life. I thus decided that VTJ 3rd will be my last fight,” concluded Fujii.

Fujii leaves behind a long and storied career as a trailblazer in women’s MMA, particularly in her homeland of Japan. As the leading female fighter of Abe Ani Combat Club, Fujii is responsible for producing and fostering AACC’s top WMMA talent, such as former Smackgirl open weight champion and Strikeforce veteran Hitomi Akano, former Valkyrie flyweight champion Yasuko Tamada, and current Jewels 115-pound champion Ayaka Hamasaki.

After dominating the women’s circuit in Japan for six years, Fujii entered Bellator’s inaugural 115-pound women’s tournament in 2010, submitting both Lisa Ellis and Carla Esparza before dropping a contentious decision to Zoila Frausto Gurgel in the finals. Currently holding an impressive 26-2 record, Fujii’s only other career loss is to Jessica Aguilar in a similarly a contentious decision in May 2012’s Bellator 69.

VTJ 3rd is set to take place on Oct. 5 at the Ota Ward General Gymnasium.

Go Yamamoto contributed to this report.