Fight fans tuning into Friday’s PFL Championships noticed a familiar face inside the Smart Cage.
The final event of the 2023 PFL season saw the return of two-time tournament champion Kayla Harrison, in addition to the debut of former UFC title contender Derek Brunson. But fans online noticed another big return. Notorious mixed martial arts referee Mario Yamasaki was back in action.
Just before the pay-per-view portion’s first championship bout between Impa Kasanganay and Josh Silveira got underway, fans saw Yamasaki front and center.
Yamasaki was exiled from the UFC after overseeing a 2018 bout between former flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko and Priscila Cachoeira.