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Though visa issues held him out of a meeting against Dan Hornbuckle this month at Bellator 25, former UFC welterweight Yoshiyuki Yoshida will still make his Bellator debut in season three.
He will fight on Bellator 31 on September 30 against an unannounced opponent, the organization announced today.
"Yoshiyuki Yoshida is a multi-talented fighter with diverse abilities that could present problems for anyone in the welterweight division, said Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney in today's release. “At Bellator we’re dedicated to providing world-class, entertaining MMA and fighters like Yoshida at allow us to accomplish just that."
Yoshida went 2-3 in the UFC, including two knockout losses to Josh Koscheck and Anthony "Rumble" Johnson. He was released from the organization after a decision loss to Mike Guymon at UFC 113 in May.
Now, he looks to move forward in his career, and a victory in season three will bring him a spot in Bellator's season four welterweight tournament.
"For me, this is a new challenge,” said Yoshida. “There are many great fighters in Bellator so I am really looking forward to this opportunity. I really like American fans and it’s my dream to keep fighting in the States. 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.”
Bellator's third season begins on Thursday, August 12, with events airing live or via tape delay on Fox Sports Net.
Penick's Analysis: Yoshida's a good fighter, but those brutal KO losses to Koscheck and Johnson may continue to haunt him wherever he goes. We've seen with a lot of fighters that suffering KO losses multiple times makes them more susceptible to getting knocked out in later fights. Still, he'll be a good addition to the Bellator roster, and if he wins his fight on September 30 he'll have to be one of the favorites in the season four welterweight tournament.
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