12yo girl to make MMA debut against 24yo

When you are 12 years old, you should be thinking about starting high school, what clothes to wear and deciding whether to study for your next big test.

Kids shouldn’t be stepping into a cage and going into combat against adults.

WMMA Rankings reports that 12-year-old and seventh-grade student “Momo” will compete in her first MMA bout against 24-year-old Momoko Yamazaki in an amateur bout for the Japanese promotion Deep Jewels on May 20.

The fight will take place at minimumweight (95 pounds).

Yamazaki, who sports a 2-3 amateur record, got into fighting because she was bullied in junior high, but is going to fight someone who’s currently in seventh grade.

As per amateur rules, head gear is required and strikes to the head are not allowed.

The fact this is happening is hard to fathom. There’s no reason a 12-year-old should be fighting someone twice her age.

What does Yamazaki have to gain by doing this? To run her record to 3-3? Big deal.

What kind of parents would allow this happen? At that age, parents need to still be protecting their children and not put them in significant danger. Even though it is an amateur fight and head gear will be on, the risk is still there.

At the end of the day, this is a pure headline grab by Deep Jewels as they are a low-level promotion trying to get their name out there. They should be ashamed of themselves for trotting a child out there for just a few bucks.

It's not the first time a Japanese MMA promotion has exhibited horribly unfair match ups.

Last year, Brazilian monster Gabi Garcia ruthlessly beat up 49-year-old Japanese former pro-wrestler Yumiko Hotta during a crazy fight for Rizin Fight Federation.

Despite being 18 years younger, eight inches taller and at least 18 kilograms heavier than her opponent, the fight was still allowed to go ahead.

Watch that in the video at the top of the page.