Shizuka Sugiyama
, occasionally nicknamed and , is an American-born Japanese female mixed martial artist. She previously fought in the MMA promotion Jewels and now competes for Deep. Background. Sugiyama was born on in New York City, New York, United States. Sugiyama has an older brother. She graduated from the sports faculty of the Tokai University. While in the Tokai University, she was first introduced to the Karate-Do Zendokai association and began studying karate at 18 years old. She got her black belt in Karate in 2009. Sugiyama participated in the Japan Open 2007 Vale Tudo Real Fighting Karate-do  Championship Series, placing second in the general category for women, being defeated by Saori Ishioka. In 2008, she was the winner of the Japan Open 2008 Vale Tudo Real Fighting Karate-do Championship Series 57 kg. She would repeat this feat in 2009. Shortly before her professional debut in MMA, she had a grappling match and was defeated by Hitomi Sakamoto. Mixed martial arts career. JEWELS. She debuted on at "Jewels 1st Ring", defeating Harumi with a rear naked choke submission. She would win her next fight against Shiho by TKO on . At "Jewels 3rd Ring" on , Sugiyama defeated Norwegian  fighter Celine Haga by unanimous decision. In another dominant performance, Sugiyama defeated Mika Harigai by unanimous decision on . Making her debut with the Shoot boxing promotion, Sugiyama once again faced Hitomi Sakamoto, who had defeated Sugiyama in a grappling match. This time, Sugiyama defeated Sakamoto by decision. Sugiyama's first loss came against German fighter Alexandra Sanchez in the opening round of the 2009 Jewels Rough Stone Grand Prix 60 kg on . Sugiyama rebounded back with a unanimous decision victory over Yukiko Ozeki at "Jewels 6th Ring" on . At "Jewels 7th Ring" on , Miki Morifuji defeated Sugiyama by unanimous decision . Sugiyama was announced for "Jewels 9th Ring" in a shoot boxing match against Mongolian Esui, but she suffered a broken collar bone and a dislocated shoulder during training, which forced her to withdraw from the event. Returning after her injury, Sugiyama faced Esui in a MMA bout at "Jewels 11th Ring" on . Esui defeated Sugiyama by TKO (corner stoppage) early in the second round. Sugiyama was scheduled to face Mayumi "Super Benkei" Aoki at "Jewels 12th Ring" on in Tokyo, Japan, and planned to travel to Australia for one year to study after the fight. However, the event was cancelled  after the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami earlier in the day. Sugiyama returned to Jewels to face Megumi Yabushita at "Jewels 20th Ring" on . She defeated Yabushita by split decision. Sugiyama faced Yurika Tanaka at "Jewels 21st Ring" on . She defeated Tanaka by TKO in the second round. Sugiyama was set to face Roxanne Modafferi at "Jewels 22nd Ring" on . However, Modafferi suffered a neck injury in training and withdrew from the fight on December 13. Sugiyama next faced Sung Eun Kim at "Jewels 23rd Ring" on . She won the fight by TKO in the first round. DEEP JEWELS. On , Sugiyama  made her Deep debut against Chisa Yonezawa at "Deep: Tokyo Impact - Lightweight GP 2013 Semifinal". She defeated Yonezawa by TKO in the first round. Sugiyama next faced Ji Yeon Kim at "Deep: Cage Impact 2013" on . The fight ended in a majority draw after two rounds. In her third appearance with DEEP, Sugiyama was scheduled to fight Mizuho Sato at Deep-Jewels 3. She beat Sato by a first-round TKO, after the ringside doctor was forced to stop the bout. Sugiyama was scheduled to fight Takayo Hashi at Deep-Jewels 4 for the inaugural middleweight title. Hashi won the  fight by TKO, near the end of the third round. Sugiyama was scheduled to fight Yurika Nakakura at Deep Jewels 6. She won the fight by unanimous decision. At Deep - Dream Impact 2014: Omisoka Special, Sugiyama was scheduled to fight the multiple-time World Boxing Council title challenger Emiko Raika in the latter's sophomore MMA appearance. Sugiyama won the fight by technical submission, forcing her opponent's corner to throw in the towel, as Raika refused to tap. Sugiyama was next scheduled to fight Yukinari Nabekawa at Deep-Jewels 15. She won the fight by split decision. Sugiyama extended  her winning streak to four, after beating Satsuki Kodama by an armbar at Deep Jewels 17. Shizuka was scheduled to make her RIZIN debut at the event, being scheduled to fight Kana Watanabe. Watanabe won the fight by a unanimous decision. Returning to DEEP, Sugiyama was scheduled to fight Sachiko Fujimori at Deep Jewels 20. Sugiyama won the fight by unanimous decision. Sugiyama was scheduled to fight a rematch with Kana Watanabe Rizin - Heisei's Last Yarennoka!. Watanabe convincingly won the rematch, knocking Sugiyama out after just eleven seconds. In her first fight outside of Japan, Sugiyama was scheduled to  fight Chan-Mi Jeon at Double G FC 02. She won the fight by unanimous decision. Sugiyama once again returned to DEEP, as she was scheduled to fight Asami Nakai at Deep Jewels 25. Sugiyama won the fight by an armbar. Sugiyama was scheduled to fight Kano Kagaya at Deep-Jewels 29, in Kagaya's sophomore MMA appearance. Kagaya later withdrew due to COVID-19 and was replaced by Mika Arai. She won the fight by a technical submission, due to an armbar. Sugiyama was scheduled to fight at DEEP's 20th anniversary event, against Aoi Kuriyama. Sugiyama won by a  first-round TKO. Deep-Jewels Flyweight Grand Prix. Sugiyama faced Mikiko Shimizu in the Deep-Jewels Flyweight Grand Prix quarterfinal bout at Deep Jewels 36 on March 12, 2022. She won the bout via split decision. Outside mixed martial arts. Sugiyama posed for a photobook published by Kamipro and has also appeared in an Internet TV show called Stickam TV. Submission grappling. Legend: