New Year’s Eve has long been a special night for the sport of mixed martial arts in The Land of the Rising Sun, with each year bringing at least one big event showcasing great fighters both Japanese and international.

On December 31, 2015, Japanese kickboxer and shootfighter Rena Kubota made her MMA debut against Jleana Valentino, a fighter out of Milan, Italy who was also making her professional MMA debut. While both fighters entered the ring with backgrounds in mostly kickboxing and Muay Thai, it would be Kubota’s submission game, which she developed in her years shootfighting, that would prove to be the difference.

Just past the halfway point of the second round, Kubota is able to land a textbook hip toss and land atop Valentino in side control. Unable to advance from there, Kubota disengages and both fighters rise to their feet. The distance is quickly closed and Kubota and Valentino clinch.

While most fighters have little fear of the submission game of an opponent who’s spent most of their career kickboxing, there is even less fear that a submission may occur while standing in the clinch. Unfortunately for the unsuspecting Valentino, that is precisely what happens as Kubota is able to control her right arm and transition to a picture perfect flying armbar.

Valentino fought her hardest, but was eventually forced to tap, declaring Kubota winner by submission at 3:31 of the second round.

Jeff Warsaw is the former executive editor of Long Island MMA Magazine, professional combat sports public address announcer for several NY/NJ MMA and kickboxing promotions, and a proud one-stripe white belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under the famed Joe D’Arce. He is currently a musician, coffee enthusiast and host of the Stranger In A Strange Land podcast on YouTube.