MMA veteran Tatsuya Kawajiri has signed for the UFC where he’s expected to join the featherweight division.
Kawajiri’s thirteen year mixed martial arts career has seen him fight for many of Asia’s leading promotions, including winning Shooto’s 154lb title early in his career, competing in PRIDE where he logged a ‘Fight Of The Year’ performance against Takanori Gomi, and then moving on to DREAM where he compiled an 10-2 record.
‘Crusher’ also fought once in the Strikeforce promotion, losing by TKO against the champion at the time,Gilbert Melendez, and once in ONE FC, picking up a victory in March of 2012.
His last fight was a decision victory over former UFC fighter Michihiro Omigawa at DREAM 18 in December 2012 which took his overall career record to 32-7-2.
So far an opponent has not been established for the 35 year-old’s UFC debut, but he’s expected to fight at a January UFC event in Singapore.
Kawajiri is one of the best known Japanese fighters never to have fought in the UFC, so it’s good to see him get his chance at last and he’s certainly a credible addition to the 145lb ranks.
