Bellator Signs Former King of Pancrase Isao Kobayashi for Fall Debut
Isao
Kobayashi is hunting for two featherweight belts. | Photo: Taro
Irei/Sherdog.com
Two-division Pancrase standout Isao Kobayashi is the latest addition to Bellator MMA’s featherweight roster.
The 26-year-old, known simply as “Isao” to fight fans in Japan, announced the news in conjunction with Pancrase on Monday.
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A former lightweight King of Pancrase, Kobayashi vacated his title and made the cut to 145 pounds last October to defeat ex-Shooto ace Takeshi Inoue. After dropping a decision to Kazunori Yokota on New Year’s Eve -- Kobayashi’s first defeat since 2010 -- the Yukio Sakaguchi pupil rebounded with a decision win against former Bellator contender Marlon Sandro in April. The news of Kobayashi’s signing comes hot on the heels of his most recent victory, an Aug. 9 unanimous nod over Will Chope in Tokyo.
Kobayashi is currently listed as the No. 2 featherweight in Pancrase’s internal rankings, behind only titleholder Nam Phan and top contender Andy Main.
Editor’s note: This item was updated on Aug. 17 at 9:32 a.m. PT to remove conflicting information regarding the exclusivity of Kobayashi’s contract. In a press release, Pancrase claimed the contract was non-exclusive; Bellator, through a representative, told Sherdog.com that the contract is exclusive.
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