So Mario Yamasaki is planning to make a return to MMA officiating. This week, the 56-year-old veteran referee revealed his comeback plans for 2021.
I’ll go back to refereeing as soon as possible. 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.
Yamasaki isn’t exactly a beloved figure in MMA, mainly for his involvement in several controversies throughout the years. One moment that always stands out is his officiating of the Valentina Shevchenko-Priscilla Cachoeira fight in 2018, where he seemingly allowed Cachoeira to absorb over 200 strikes.