Saaya Irie vs Emilia Clarke

R1: Clarke is good, but Saaya is small, and small is hard to pin down. Early evasion keeps Saaya from taking too much punishment from Emilia as she figures out the former “Game of Thrones” actress. She takes a couple of shots, mostly to the head, but it’s nothing serious as the smaller woman presses her opponent with stings, also not committing to much. Run too fast, and one will trip and fall. The first round goes to Saaya by a thin margin.

R2: Round two opens with Saaya finally committing to the attack, focusing on the breasts and belly of her British opponent as the head is a tad too high for her 4’11 frame, but diving low means leaving her head exposed; and Clarke notices, and takes advantage. With a hook to the ear, she turns Irie around, sending her stumbling into the ropes. Before she is able to catch her footing, Clarke is on her. Despite her best efforts to slip out from under her, Irie is pinned and cannot escape. Emilia takes the round by a wide margin.

R3: Clarke continues pushing the dazed Japanese girl around with hooks and uppercuts, juggling her head through force rather than dexterity. Though thoroughly dazed, Saaya has enough sense to wall up and try to give herself space to regroup, but with Clarke following closely, she does not get the chance. Towards the end of the round, a right hook goes low and cracks her in the jaw, leaving her swaying, and Emilia follows up with an uppercut to the chin, snapping Saaya’s head back and knocking her off her feet. She hangs in the air for the moment, and the bell rings. Then she falls. Not quite a knockdown because she fell after the bell. Emilia is angry that the bell had to ring at that time, assured that she would’ve ended the match right then and there had the bell rung a moment later. Saaya’s difficulty rising proves her words as she takes another round by a wide margin.

R4: The referee asks if Saaya’s okay, and she bravely nods yes even though she’s unsteady on her feet as the match goes into round four. Careful to protect her head from further punishment, she survives round four without further damage, even managing to land a few hits of her own and taking the round.

R5: Clarke opens round five with the same method of pursuit as before, trying to crack the nut that is Irie’s guard. Despite what has happened in the match so far, she cannot, and overextends in trying. Seizing the moment, Irie ducks the hook and burrows under Emilia’s walls, then fires an uppercut as she uncoils in a burst of momentum into her chin, snapping her head back all the way and sending her to the mat.

Emilia gets up shakily, taking all the way until eight to rise to her feet, then another second passes before she lets go of the ropes. She nods yes to the referee’s questions, but she nearly falls the moment the match begins again, the ropes breaking her fall. A TKO is swiftly declared.

Winner: Saaya Irie via TKO5!