And just like that, Yushin Okami has found a new home.
The former UFC middleweight title contender has signed an exclusive, multi-fight deal with World Series of Fighting, the promotion’s president Ray Sefo and executive vice president Ali Abdel-Aziz confirmed with MMAFighting.com.
Okami will make his WSOF debut “around March” 2014, however, a specific date and opponent hasn’t been finalized. “Thunder” will compete in the organization’s middleweight division.
Okami (29-8) was released from the UFC last month following his first-round TKO loss to Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza. Prior to that loss, he had won his last three fights in a row. The 32-year-old made his Octagon debut at UFC 62 in Aug. 2006 and went 13-5 in the organization. The last time the Japanese-born fighter competed outside the UFC was over seven years ago.
World Series of Fighting’s next event is scheduled for Oct. 26 in Coral Gables, Fla., and it will be headlined by Josh Burkman vs. Steve Carl for the promotion’s inaugural welterweight title.