Mamoru Yamaguchi vs. John Dodson for Tachi Palace Fights 9 in May

As both John Morgan of MMAJunkie and Mike Whitman of Sherdog reported on Friday, Mamoru Yamaguchi and John Dodson are set to meet on at Tachi Palace Fights 9 in Lemoore, California on May 5th. Dodson was originally scheduled to face super-prospect, Cuban expatriate, and former Olympic freestyle wrestling medalist Alexis Vila on the night.

You have to give some credit to Tachi Palace Fights for their showcasing of talent in the lighter weight classes. The promotion's current flyweight champion, Ulysses Gomez, will be defending his title at Tachi Palace Fights 8 against local prospect by the name of Darrel Montague. The February card will also feature a bout between Jussier da Silva and Team Oyama product Ian McCall. Throwing Yamaguchi and Dodson into the mix not only assures us an intriguing bout between the two, but also has the potential to set up further interesting bouts down the line.

Mamoru Yamaguchi has gone 5-0 since losing against Shinichi Kojima in a bout for the Shooto 123lb. title back in 2008. That bout was the third between the two, as Yamaguchi fought Kojima to a draw in early 2006 and dropped a decision to him later in the year. In the second bout, Yamaguchi lost the aforementioned 123lb. strap, which he originally obtained in 2003. Before that, Yamaguchi held the Shooto 132lb. title in 2000-2001.

Since his last loss to Kojima, Yamaguchi has scored three knockouts, one submission, and a decision while competing in Shooto, Vale Tudo Japan, and King of the Cage. The Japanese veteran grabbed the KOTC flyweight championship last January, as he defeated Frank Baca with a rear-naked choke.

As for John Dodson, the Jackson's MMA fighter has made a name for himself while competing in regional promotions around America, most notably in the DMV-area Ultimate Warrior Challenge. In that promotion, Dodson went 2-2 with split decision losses against Pat Runez and bantamweight Mike Easton.