‘Kid’ Yamamoto in UFC contract negotiations
In its three-plus years under the umbrella of Zuffa LLC, the WEC aggressively has recruited talent from overseas, particularly among…
In its three-plus years under the umbrella of Zuffa LLC, the WEC aggressively has recruited talent from overseas, particularly among the ranks of Japanese fighters who’ve traditionally dominated the rankings in lighter weight classes.
One of the biggest prizes, Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto, seemed to elude their grasp even as posterboy Urijah Faber continued to call out the then-dominant fighter early in his featherweight title reign.
But with a merger already in motion between the WEC and UFC, those doors have opened again, and Yamamoto is in active talks with the UFC, sources close to the organization confirmed with MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).
If signed, his debut could come as soon as February or March.
“I’ve been a ‘Kid’ Yamamoto fan for a long time,” UFC President Dana White said following UFC 94. “I’d love to get him over here.
“There’s two fights left on (his) K-1 contract, and he told me his dream is to end his career over here with us. So I’d like to see it happen.”