Fan favorite Yoshihiro Akiyama will officially be making the drop to the welterweight division come this February.
After a long and storied career as a middleweight, where Akiyama has scored memorable victories over the likes of Melvin Manhoef, Denis Kang and Alan Belcher, the Judoka finds himself in need of a win, and what better way to motivate yourself than have a clean slate as a welterweight.
Since entering the Octagon in July of 2009, Akiyama has been a part of three “Fight of the Night” performances in his four outings under the Zuffa banner, though he is currently on an 0-3 skid as of late.
After back-and-forth battles against Chris Leben and Michael Bisping, Akiyama fell victim to the brutal punching power of former champion Vitor Belfort, who recorded the knockout victory in less than two minutes in their battle this August.
Now trying to make amends at 170 pounds, the grappling ace will be taking on former Strikeforce champ Jake Shields in a “do or die” battle for both men, as the loser is likely to be served with his walking papers from the UFC with a poor performance.
Shields has also been in dire straits as of late. After making good on his UFC debut against Martin Kampmann, Shields challenged Georges St-Pierre for the title, though the Cesar Gracie black belt dropped a close decision victory to the Canadian, who snapped his previous 15-fight win streak.
After the the contentious battle with St-Pierre, Shields fell victim to “The Juggernaut” Jake Ellenberger, who throttled the submission ace in less than one minute thanks to an onslaught of knees and punches which recorded the knockout victory in 53 seconds.
Looking to remain relevant fixtures in the UFC, both Shields and Akiyama will likely be fighting for their positions within the organization as they do battle at UFC 144, which takes place at the Super Saitama Arena in Japan—where the former HERO’s light heavyweight Grand Prix champion first built his star under the K-1 banner.
Stay tuned to the Bleacher Report for further development.
Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com