Mario Yamasaki plans return to MMA refereeing this year

Jason Silva-USA TODAY Sports Valentina Shevchenko vs. Priscila Cachoeira was the last UFC bout refereed by Mario Yamasaki.Mario Yamasaki might re-enter a MMA cage as a referee in 2021, he told MMA Fighting. The experienced MMA official hasn’t worked in a UFC bout since Feb. 3, 2018, when he oversaw two contests at UFC Belem in Brazil.

“I’m waiting for the pandemic to be over so I start applying to the athletic commissions again,” Yamasaki told MMA Fighting, revealing he will sign up for an online judging course promoted by the California commission to stay up to date with new changes in regulation.

“I’ll go back to refereeing as soon as possible,” he added. “Maybe not in the UFC, but…