Dana White’s Contender Series alum Yusaku Kinoshita has his UFC debut date set.
Kinoshita (6-1) will face Adam Fugitt (8-3) at UFC Seoul in a welterweight match-up on February 4, 2023. MMA Junkie was first to report news of the booking, which Cageside Press subsequently verified with a source familiar with the situation.
Defeating Jose Henrique in the third round of their Contender Series fight this past August, Kinoshita became the first Japanese fighter to earn a UFC deal on the show. He’s now won two straight, and boasts a 100% finish rate among his six wins. His lone loss didn’t go the distance either.
Fugitt, an LFA veteran, joined the UFC earlier this year, losing his debut against Michael Morales at UFC 277 in July. The loss snapped a four-fight win streak for Fugitt, fighting out of Oregon. Fugitt turned pro in 2016; outside of the Morales loss, his other setbacks came against current Bellator contender/former title challenger Austin Vanderford, and LFA viral sensation Kailan Hill.
UFC Seoul takes place at the Olympic Gymnastics Arena, Seoul, South Korea on Feb. 4, 2023 and has had a handful of fights reported for the card. Thus far, those include:
- Kim Ji-yeon vs. Mandy Böhm
- Devin Clark vs. Jung Da-un
- Yusaku Kinoshita vs. Adam Fugitt
