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25th July 2017
02:43pm BST

“Onnit is having an invitational on Sept. 30, so this is my open challenge to Yamasaki. I would like to test his fifth degree black belt in a friendly grappling match and let’s see if he’s what he says he is." "And I’m not saying it in a hostile way, I’m saying, ‘hey, if you’re a fifth degree black belt, you should back up for the decisions you made.’ As a martial artist myself, that’s my open challenge to him, to headline Onnit Invitational on Sept. 30.”There's just the quarter of a century age difference between the referee and the fighter but Yamasaki has since responded to the challenge with an ultimatum that he would grapple Chiesa if he is granted time to train.
"I’m 53 years old, I don’t train anymore, how am I going to do this?" Yamasaki told MMA Fighting. "And what’s the point of him fighting me? What would that change? What does he want to prove? It’s childish. Even if he catches me or if I catch him, that won’t change anything that happened in his fight. What is he trying to prove?
"If he gives me some time to train, I’d grapple with him," he added. "Tell him to come to my academy, no problem. I have 10 academies in the United States, he can come any time he wants.”
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