Bellator Lands UFC Veteran Yoshida
Brian Knapp Aug 5, 2010
Bellator Fighting Championships on Wednesday strengthened its
welterweight talent pool, as the promotion announced the signing of
UFC veteran Yoshiyuki
Yoshida. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Yoshida will make his promotional debut on Sept. 30 against a yet-to-be-announced opponent. A spot in Bellator’s Season 4 welterweight tournament will be on the line.
“Yoshida is a multi-talented fighter with diverse abilities that could present problems for anyone in the welterweight division,” Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney said in a release. “We’re dedicated to providing world-class, entertaining MMA, and fighters like Yoshida allow us to accomplish just that.”
Yoshida will carry a two-fight losing streak into his next appearance. The 36-year-old judo black belt was cut by the UFC following his unanimous decision loss to Michael Guymon at UFC 113 in May. The 2007 Cage Force welterweight grand prix winner owns notable victories against former interim welterweight King of Pancrase Katsuya Inoue, “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 6 cast member War Machine and one-time Shooto middleweight champion Akira Kikuchi. Yoshida has spent time training at Jackson’s Mixed Martial Arts in Albuquerque, N.M.
“For me, this is a new challenge,” Yoshida said. “After the September fight, my focus will be solely on winning the welterweight tournament. Until then, I’m taking this one fight at a time.”
Yoshida will make his promotional debut on Sept. 30 against a yet-to-be-announced opponent. A spot in Bellator’s Season 4 welterweight tournament will be on the line.
“Yoshida is a multi-talented fighter with diverse abilities that could present problems for anyone in the welterweight division,” Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney said in a release. “We’re dedicated to providing world-class, entertaining MMA, and fighters like Yoshida allow us to accomplish just that.”
Yoshida will carry a two-fight losing streak into his next appearance. The 36-year-old judo black belt was cut by the UFC following his unanimous decision loss to Michael Guymon at UFC 113 in May. The 2007 Cage Force welterweight grand prix winner owns notable victories against former interim welterweight King of Pancrase Katsuya Inoue, “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 6 cast member War Machine and one-time Shooto middleweight champion Akira Kikuchi. Yoshida has spent time training at Jackson’s Mixed Martial Arts in Albuquerque, N.M.
“For me, this is a new challenge,” Yoshida said. “After the September fight, my focus will be solely on winning the welterweight tournament. Until then, I’m taking this one fight at a time.”
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