Andre ‘Dida’ Amade Announces Return to the Ring

If you were a fan of Japanese MMA a few years ago then chances are that you know who Andre Dida is. Dida was one of those guys that broke out in 2006/2007 in K-1’s HERO*s Lightweight division, then made the transition to DREAM and kind of got fed to the wolves. He simply wasn’t ready to be fed to those wolves just yet, never mind that K-1 tossed him right into the mix in K-1 MAX, where he fought dudes like Buakaw and Nagashima without as much as a warm up fight. Dida hasn’t fought since 2010 but according to a press release today, Dida is making his return to the ring this July.

Dida has been working as a trainer in Brazil, training with stars like Shogun Rua, Fabricio Werdum, Wanderlei Silva and more, but after his stint as a coach on The Ultimate Fighter Brazil, including punching Chael Sonnen in the face, Dida is looking to finally get back into the ring. There are a lot of options in MMA right now, considering that the UFC might be a step too far right away, but his name could be leveraged by someone like WSoF or Bellator with ease, tossing him into the division no sweat. He also had a solid name in Japan, making OneFC and their brand of Asian MMA a natural home as well. He also wishes to return to Kickboxing, with GLORY’s Lightweight division making headlines and K-1 aiming a large part of their focus on their MAX division right now he’ll find a home no matter what.