Willamy Freire will not compete for Dream in May. | Daniel Herbertson/Sherdog.com
Former Shooto 154-pound world champion Willamy “Chiquerim” Freire will have to wait to make his return to the Japanese ring.
Despite a Monday report from MMAWeekly.com stating that Freire would meet Dream lightweight ace Shinya Aoki at Dream’s May 29 “Fight for Japan” event, Sherdog.com has learned that the 23-year-old Brazilian will be unable to make the engagement in Saitama, Japan.
“‘Chiquerim’ has a problem with his passport,” Freire’s trainer, Nova Uniao leader Andre Pederneiras, tells Sherdog.com. “His passport expired and he doesn’t have time to get a new one.”
Freire, who captured Shooto gold with an October 2009 stoppage of Kenichiro Togashi, vacated the title in May 2010 following his first defense against Yusuke Endo. The Fortaleza native had an 11-fight win streak snapped by Waylon Lowe in his January UFC debut and, in a surprising turn, was released by the promotion after only one fight.