Former UFC welterweight Yoshiyuki Yoshida (11-5) will face undefeated prospect Chris Lozano (5-0) at Bellator 31 on Sept. 30 in Lake Charles, La.

Yoshida, a Judo black belt, went 2-3 in the Octagon, losing his last fight on May 8 at UFC 113 against Michael Guymon. Although Yoshida will represent quite a step up in competition, Lozano recently defeated The Ultimate Fighter 9 participant Jason Dent by TKO after four rounds of action.

The winner will get a spot in the Bellator 170-pound tournament.

“Chris and Yoshiyuki both have knockout power in both hands, which makes this a very exciting qualifier at 170 lbs,” Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney said in a Sept. 21 press release. “They’re fighting for one of the spots in our $100,000 welterweight tournament, so fans can expect both of them to put it all on the line.”

Leave a Reply