A middleweight bout between contenders Yushin Okami and Vitor Belfort is in the works for UFC 122 in Germany.
“Wrestling Observer” confirmed the bout earlier today, and MMAjunkie.com confirmed the match up with several sources as well.
Belfort has been out of action since his UFC 103 decimation of Rich Franklin in a bout that marked his return to the promotion after a lengthy time away. The victory was rumored to be enough to earn the former champion a shot at UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva, but top contender Chael Sonnen was given the opportunity and, through his efforts at UFC 117, then earned an immediate rematch.
Meanwhile, Okami has stayed relatively busy with two victories in 2010, including a technical knockout over Lucio Linhares and a unanimous decision over Mark Munoz. The two-fight winning streak came after a loss to Chael Sonnen at UFC 104, which derailed Okami’s title hopes momentarily before the consecutive victories.
The middleweight bout is set to serve as the headliner for UFC 122 in Germany, which is set for November 13 at the Konig Pilsner Arena in Oberhausen. The card, which will air via tape delay due to the time zone differences, is also rumored to feature a light heavyweight tilt between Krzysztof Soszynski and Goran Reljic, along with a middleweight bout between Jorge Rivera and Alessio Sakara.