Sumiko Inaba
Sumiko Inaba (born February 6, 1991) is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Women's Flyweight division of the Bellator MMA. As of October 10, 2023, she is #5 in the Bellator Women's Flyweight Rankings.[1]
| Sumiko Inaba | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 6, 1991 Pukalani, Hawaii, U.S. |
| Other names | Lady Samurai |
| Height | 5 ft 4 in (1.63 m) |
| Weight | 125 lb (57 kg; 8 st 13 lb) |
| Division | Flyweight |
| Reach | 64.0 in (163 cm) |
| Fighting out of | Hawaii, U.S. |
| Team | Fly Pen Boxing Maui |
| Years active | 2020–present |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Total | 6 |
| Wins | 6 |
| By knockout | 3 |
| By submission | 1 |
| By decision | 2 |
| Losses | 0 |
| Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog | |
Background
After graduating King Kekaulike High School, Inaba studied nursing before she discovered mixed martial arts while attending boxing classes to get into shape.
She has a daughter, Kiyarah-Lei, who was born around 2009.[2][3]
Mixed martial arts career
Early career
She went 6-1 as an amateur, including four TKOs and one submission. After the pandemic put her career in the travel industry on hiatus, she put her full-time efforts into training. She decided to go professional in 2020 and landed an endorsement with Hilo-based Waiakea Water Company.[4][5]
Bellator MMA
After a successful amateur career, Inaba signed with Bellator MMA.[6]
She made her professional MMA debut against Jessica Ruiz on November 5, 2020, at Bellator 251.[7]
In her sophomore performance, Inaba faced Kristina Katsikis on May 21, 2021, at Bellator 259.[8] She won the bout via third-round TKO.[9]
Inaba faced Randi Field on October 16, 2021, at Bellator 268. She won the bout via arm-triangle choke in the second round.[10][11]
Inaba faced Whittany Pyles on April 23, 2022, at Bellator 279.[12] At the weigh-ins, Pyles missed weight for her bout, weighing in at 127.4 pounds, 1.4 pounds over the flyweight non-title fight limit. The bout proceeded at catchweight and Pyles was fined a percentage of her purse, which went to Inaba.[13] Inaba knocked out her opponent with a left hook in the first round.[14]
Inaba faced Nadine Mandiau on October 1, 2022, at Bellator 286.[15] She won the bout after grinding out a unanimous decision.[16]
Inaba faced Veta Arteaga on April 22, 2023, at Bellator 295.[17] She won the bout via unanimous decision.[18]
Inaba is scheduled to face Denise Kielholtz on November 17, 2023, at Bellator 301.[19]
Mixed martial arts record
| 6 matches | 6 wins | 0 losses |
| By knockout | 3 | 0 |
| By submission | 1 | 0 |
| By decision | 2 | 0 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 6–0 | Veta Arteaga | Decision (unanimous) | Bellator 295 | April 22, 2023 | 3 | 5:00 | Honolulu, Hawaii, United States | |
| Win | 5–0 | Nadine Mandiau | Decision (unanimous) | Bellator 286 | October 1, 2022 | 3 | 5:00 | Long Beach, California, United States | |
| Win | 4–0 | Whittany Pyles | KO (punches) | Bellator 279 | April 23, 2022 | 1 | 1:22 | Honolulu, Hawaii, United States | Catchweight (127.4 lb) bout; Pyles missed weight. |
| Win | 3–0 | Randi Field | Submission (arm-triangle choke) | Bellator 268 | October 16, 2021 | 2 | 2:02 | Phoenix, Arizona, United States | |
| Win | 2–0 | Kristina Katsikis | TKO (punches) | Bellator 259 | May 21, 2021 | 3 | 3:35 | Uncasville, Connecticut, United States | |
| Win | 1–0 | Jessica Ruiz | TKO (elbows) | Bellator 251 | November 5, 2020 | 1 | 4:59 | Uncasville, Connecticut, United States |
| Amateur record breakdown | ||
| 7 matches | 6 wins | 1 loss |
| By knockout | 4 | 0 |
| By submission | 1 | 0 |
| By decision | 1 | 1 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 6–1 | Kelsey Gilmore | TKO (punches) | Cowboy Fight Series 2 | June 29, 2019 | 3 | 0:57 | Sterling, Virginia, United States | Won the vacant CFS Flyweight Championship. |
| Win | 5–1 | Nadine Mandiau | TKO (punches) | Tuff-N-Uff: Fight Night Henderson | October 5, 2018 | 1 | 1:05 | Henderson, Nevada, United States | Won the TUFF Strawweight Championship. |
| Win | 4–1 | Tenika Waldroup | Submission (armbar) | Tuff-N-Uff: Pack The Mack | June 30, 2018 | 2 | 2:03 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Won the TUFF Flyweight Championship. |
| Win | 3–1 | Brianne Jhun | Decision (unanimous) | War on the Valley Isle 6 | November 11, 2017 | 3 | 3:00 | Wailuku, Hawaii, United States | Won the SBC Flyweight Championship. |
| Win | 2–1 | Des Vida | TKO (punches) | War on the Valley Isle 5 | November 12, 2016 | 2 | 2:31 | Wailuku, Hawaii, United States | |
| Loss | 1–1 | Kendra Elizabeth Linn | Decision (majority) | Maui FC 6 | March 26, 2016 | 3 | 3:00 | Maui, Hawaii, United States | |
| Win | 1–0 | Katherine Antoniak | TKO (punches) | War on the Valley Isle 3 | November 8, 2014 | 2 | 1:49 | Kahului, Hawaii, United States |
References
- "Bellator Rankings". www.bellator.com. Archived from the original on 2021-06-16. Retrieved 2021-06-16.
- "Major motivation: Inaba fights with daughter in mind". mauinews.com. Retrieved 2022-04-21.
- "Sumiko Inaba: The Lady Samurai | MauiTimes.News". mauitimes.news. Retrieved 2022-04-21.
- "Two wins in two fights, Inaba hungry for more". mauinews.com. Retrieved 2022-04-21.
- "Coming off victorious pro debut, Inaba ready to keep on fighting". mauinews.com. Retrieved 2022-04-21.
- "Report: Bellator MMA Signs Sumiko Inaba | Fightful News". www.fightful.com. Retrieved 2022-04-21.
- "Sumiko Inaba out to shows she's an MMA fighter in pro debut at Bellator 251 | MMAWeekly.com". 2020-11-05. Retrieved 2022-04-21.
- McDonagh, Joe (2021-05-10). "Bellator 259 Adds Hawaiian Sensation Sumiko Inaba vs. Kristina Katsikis". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2022-04-21.
- "Maui's Sumiko Inaba scores TKO victory over Kristina Katsikis at Bellator 259". KHON2. 2021-05-21. Retrieved 2022-04-21.
- "Sumiko Inaba elated after Bellator 268 submission win: 'That was great'". MMA Junkie. 2021-10-17. Retrieved 2022-04-21.
- "Sumiko Inaba elated after Bellator 268 submission win: 'That was great'". sports.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2022-04-21.
- Anderson, Jay (2022-04-06). "Sumiko Inaba Puts Undefeated Record on the Line at Bellator 279". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2022-04-21.
- "Bellator 279 weigh-in results: Title bout competitors on point, but one prelim fighter misses her mark". MMA Junkie. 2022-04-22. Retrieved 2022-04-23.
- Newswire, MMA Fighting (2022-04-23). "Bellator 279 Results: Cyborg vs. Blencowe 2". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2022-04-24.
- King, Nolan (2022-08-24). "Rising prospect Sumiko Inaba set to return at Bellator 286". MMA Junkie. Retrieved 2022-08-24.
- Samano, Simon (2022-10-02). "Bellator 286 results: Sumiko Inaba pushed by Nadine Mandiau, grinds out unanimous decision win". MMA Junkie. Retrieved 2022-10-02.
- Heck, Mike (2023-02-15). "Bellator returns to Hawaii with doubleheader, Raufeon Stots vs. Patchy Mix and Liz Carmouche vs. DeAnna Bennett title fights". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2023-02-16.
- "Bellator 295 'Stots vs. Mix' Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring". Sherdog. Retrieved 2023-04-23.
- "Bellator 301 set for Chicago: 2 title fights, including Sergio Pettis vs. Patchy Mix, grand prix semifinal, grudge rematch". MMA Junkie. 2023-09-13. Retrieved 2023-09-14.
- "Sumiko Inaba". Sherdog. Retrieved 2020-08-07.