On Tuesday, May 31, Shooto 143lbs champion Hatsu Hioki officially relinquished his promotion title to pursue accolades on a new stage within the sport of MMA. Hioki (24-4-2), is a nine-year veteran of the sport and is widely considered a World top-five featherweight on most accredited ranking outlets.
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| Hatsu Hioki is a top-five featherweight world-wide |
A native of Nagoya, Aichi, Japan, the 27-year old grappling ace is a winner in four straight appearances and holds notable victories over Jeff Curran, Mark Hominick, Takeshi Inoue, and Marlon Sandro whom he defeated in December of 2010 for the Sengoku RC 143lbs title.
In a statement released by the fighter on Tuesday, Hioki was slightly ambiguous in his words, although a move to the UFC has been rumored for some time now:
“At this time, I’ve returned the Shooto world lightweight title... There is a pride in wearing the Shooto world title, but I think that in the near future I would like to challenge a new stage of pride.”
When speaking with mmafighting.com, UFC match-maker Sean Shelby indicated he would welcome the Japanese star with open arms should the opportunity for negotiations ever present itself. “If Hioki wanted in the UFC, I would be happy to have him.” stated Shelby.
While neither side has confirmed talks at this time, sherdog.com was able to verify from a source close to the fighter that he will be in attendance at UFC 131 - Carwin vs. dos Santos, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, June 11, 2011; a sure sign of where Hioki's intent lies for the future, an intent that would represent a much needed infusion into the promotion's 145lbs division.
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