It’s been three years since Mario Yamasaki’s widely criticized decision to let Valentina Shevchenko vs. Priscila Cachoeira continue much longer than necessary. After a hiatus from officiating the sport, we may see the veteran referee back as soon as this year.
“I’m waiting for the pandemic to be over so I start applying to the athletic commissions again,” Yamasaki told MMA Fighting.
“I’ll go back to refereeing as soon as possible,” he added. “Maybe not in the UFC, but Bellator, PFL, Shooto, other promotions, so I can be in the sport. It will be up to the athletic commissions to accept me back and license me and start giving me fights to referee.