The inevitable day has finally come for Yoshihiro Akiyama. Many people, including UFC president Dana White, have been encouraging Akiyama to drop to welterweight ever since he entered the UFC, and it took a knockout at the hands of Vitor Belfort to finally get him to do it. MMA Fighting brings the news:
Akiyama, who is 1-3 in the UFC and 14-4 with two no contests overall, considered retirement after getting knocked out by Vitor Belfort last month, but now instead intends to drop down 15 lbs and ideally seek the guidance of divisional king Georges St. Pierre.
Speaking to Japanese outlet Sponichi, the 2006 K-1 Heros Light Heavyweight GP champ also stated the would like to debut as a welterweight at the UFC's return to Japan in February 2012. Before his move to the UFC, Akiyama was the biggest draw in Japan and he would certainly be an asset to any event in the East.
Akiyama was recently forced to close his Cloud Dojo and is very interested in training at Tri-Star Gym in Montreal with GSP. He wants to be GSP's "apprentice", apparently. The long-overdue move to 170 will help breathe new life into Akiyama's stalled career that has seen him lose three fights in a row in the UFC. He could definitely be a force at welterweight though.