Mário Yamasaki
From family judo and Marcelo Behring's mat to UFC refereeing, Mário Yamasaki built a career linking jiu-jitsu, officiating, and instruction.
Biography
Sources for this profile
Yamasaki Academy, “About,” undated.(opens in a new tab)
Yamasaki Academy says that Otavio de Almeida promoted Mario Yamasaki to fourth degree on his black belt in January 2002.
Where in the source: About — Mario Yamasaki instructor paragraph on the January 2002 promotion.
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Yamasaki Academy lists Mario Yamasaki as a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt.
Where in the source: About — opening staff paragraph lists Mario Yamasaki among the academy's black-belt instructors.
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The academy's staff listing describes Mario Yamasaki as a sixth-degree Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt.
Where in the source: About — opening staff paragraph listing belt degrees.
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Daniel Laender, Yamasaki Academy, “Mario Yamasaki,” January 4, 2018.(opens in a new tab)
Yamasaki Academy identifies Mario Yamasaki as a São Paulo native who began judo as a child under his father, Shigeru Yamasaki, and his uncle, Shigueto Yamasaki.
Where in the source: Mario Yamasaki — opening two family-background paragraphs.
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The academy biography says Yamasaki began Brazilian jiu-jitsu in 1986 under Marcelo Behring, who taught at the same São Paulo gym where Yamasaki taught judo.
Where in the source: Mario Yamasaki — 1986 Behring paragraph.
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Yamasaki Academy says that after training with Marcelo Behring, Mario continued his jiu-jitsu training with his brother Fernando Yamasaki; it identifies Otavio de Almeida and Roberto Lage as Fernando's teachers in São Paulo.
Where in the source: Mario Yamasaki — following paragraph on training after Behring.
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Jorge Corrêa, UOL Esporte, “Mario Yamasaki conta como trouxe UFC ao Brasil em 1998 e como virou juiz do torneio,” November 3, 2010.(opens in a new tab)
UOL identifies Mario Yamasaki as Brazilian.
Where in the source: Article introduction — “o brasileiro Mario Yamasaki”.
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Yamasaki told UOL that his first UFC refereeing assignment was UFC 20.
Where in the source: Entrada como árbitro do UFC — closing sentence includes “Entrei no UFC 20”.
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Fighters Only, “Q&A With Mario Yamasaki,” Issue 099, undated.(opens in a new tab)
In a Fighters Only interview, Yamasaki said he started judo with his father at age three and learned refereeing concepts by acting out scenarios during his father's referee courses.
Where in the source: Q&A With Mario Yamasaki — answer to the question about his judo and BJJ background, beginning “It’s vital to have knowledge”.
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Yamasaki told Fighters Only that after helping organize UFC Brazil in 1998, he asked John McCarthy about the need for another referee and learned that an opening existed.
Where in the source: Q&A With Mario Yamasaki — answer to “Tell us how you first got involved with the UFC”.
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Felipe Paranhos, Ag. Fight/UOL, “UFC Brasil 20 anos: organizadores lembram desafios e curiosidades,” October 16, 2018.(opens in a new tab)
A 2018 retrospective reports that Yamasaki took an active logistical role in staging the UFC's first Brazilian event in São Paulo in 1998, working with then-owner Bob Meyrowitz and coordinating fighters' schedules during event week.
Where in the source: UFC Brasil 20 anos — paragraphs from “E os executivos americanos” through “a pessoa incumbida de organizar a agenda dos lutadores”.
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Sherdog, “UFC 20 - Battle for the Gold,” event results for May 7, 1999.(opens in a new tab)
Sherdog's full UFC 20 results table, dated May 7, 1999, lists Mario Yamasaki as referee for Wanderlei Silva versus Tony Petarra and LaVerne Clark versus Fabiano Iha.
Where in the source: UFC 20 fight card — complete rows 4 through 2, with John McCarthy's neighboring row 3 between Yamasaki's two assignments.
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State of Nevada Department of Business and Industry, Athletic Commission, “Mixed Martial Arts Show Results,” September 28, 2001.(opens in a new tab)
Nevada Athletic Commission show results for UFC 33 list Mario Yamasaki among the visiting referees and identify him as the referee for Jens Pulver versus Dennis Hallman.
Where in the source: Page 1 — officials line and complete Pulver–Hallman row, between the Ortiz–Matyushenko and Menne–Castillo title-fight rows.
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Mario Yamasaki, Fighters Only, “So, you want to be an MMA official?”, Issue 080, October 2011.(opens in a new tab)
In an October 2011 Fighters Only column, Yamasaki described his CORE MMA Officials program as an Association of Boxing Commissions-recognized training course for prospective officials.
Where in the source: So, you want to be an MMA official? — Training Courses section.
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Association of Boxing Commissions, 2011 annual conference minutes, August 3, 2011.(opens in a new tab)
Minutes of the Association of Boxing Commissions' August 3, 2011 meeting record that its MMA Officials Training Committee reviewed and approved Mario Yamasaki's course application and that the motion to pass the courses carried.
Where in the source: Page 7 — “MMA Officials Training Committee Report – Nick Lembo (NJ),” full paragraph naming the applicants and the motion.
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Raphael Marinho, Combate.com/SporTV, “Yamasaki ministra curso de árbitros em busca de 'pessoal mais idôneo',” August 1, 2013.(opens in a new tab)
In 2013, SporTV reported that Yamasaki was running referee-training courses in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo and said the courses aimed to create a more consistent professional standard for MMA officials.
Where in the source: Article introduction and interview answers under “Como surgiu a ideia do curso” and “Como você avalia o nível dos árbitros”.
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Marcelo Alonso, Sherdog, “Mario Yamasaki Discusses Return to Refereeing, Past Mistakes, NHB Days,” November 17, 2023.(opens in a new tab)
Sherdog reported in November 2023 that Yamasaki and his brother operated Yamasaki Academy's main Rockville gym; Yamasaki said Fernando handled the gym while he still put on the gi there every day.
Where in the source: Mario Yamasaki Discusses Return — paragraphs beginning “Even co-running his gym” and “I love what I do”.
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In the same interview, Yamasaki recalled refereeing early Pan-American and World Jiu-Jitsu Championships at Tijuca Tennis Club during the 1990s.
Where in the source: Mario Yamasaki Discusses Return — final two paragraphs, beginning “Even being the referee since [no holds barred] times”.
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