Yushin Okami had been one of the top contenders in the middleweight division for a long period of time before losing back-to-back fights to middleweight champion Anderson Silva and Tim Boetsch.
At UFC on Fuel TV 8, the Japanese fighter will have a chance in his home country to return to the elite ranks of the 185-pound division in a bout with Hector Lombard.
Lombard also had a recent setback against Boetsch, having a lengthy winning streak come to an end in a controversial decision in his UFC debut. The former Bellator champion bounced back quickly, though, finishing Rousimar Palhares in his following appearance.
As this pivotal matchup between middleweight contenders approaches, let’s take a look at whether Okami or Lombard has the better chances of taking a big step toward challenging for the UFC’s 185-pound championship.