UFC middleweight contender Yushin Okami will meet Hector Lombard on March 2 in Saitama, Japan, the promotion announced Monday night.
With each fighter registering an impressive victory in his most recent outing, the winner of this bout is expected to receive consideration for a title shot.
Okami, who is ranked seventh among middleweights by ESPN.com, picked up his second win in a row on Dec. 29 at UFC 155 with a unanimous decision over Alan Belcher.
The win improved Okami's professional record to 28-7.
Okami failed to capture the UFC 185-pound title on Aug. 27, 2011, when champion Anderson Silva knocked him out in the second round.
Lombard, a former Bellator middleweight champion, signed with UFC on April 25, 2012, and was immediately thrust into the title-shot picture.
But a potential showdown with Silva quickly dissipated on July 21 when Lombard, making his UFC debut, came out on the short end of a split decision to Belcher. The loss snapped Lombard's 25-fight win streak. He attributed the setback to a fractured sternum and torn cartilage.
Lombard (32-3-1), the ninth-ranked middleweight by ESPN.com, rebounded on Dec. 14 with a first-round knockout of submission specialist Rousimar Palhares.
Middleweights Brian Stann and Wanderlei Silva headline the UFC on Fuel TV event.
