UFC 155 fight card primer: Alan Belcher vs. Yushin Okami

Rematches aren't that uncommon in the UFC, but it's rare when two fighters meet six years after their first bout. These two men both made their UFC debuts against each other way back at UFC 62, and they'll duke it out again in a featured middleweight UFC 155 bout. Alan Belcher (18-6, 9-4 UFC) faces off with Yushin Okami (27-7, 11-4 UFC).

Belcher and Okami are actually tied for the nine spot at middleweight on the Bloody Elbow Meta-Rankings. So if nothing else, the bout will decide who truly deserves that number nine spot! Hooray! This middleweight UFC 155 fight will be the second fight of the main card, and will be shown pay-per-view. The PPV begins at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

How do these two stack up?

Belcher: 28 years old | 6'2" | 75" reach
Okami: 31 years old | 6'2" | 72" reach

What have these two done recently?

Belcher: W - Rousimar Palhares (TKO) | W - Jason MacDonald (KO) | W - Patrick Cote (SUB)
Okami: W - Buddy Roberts (TKO) | L - Tim Boetsch (TKO) | L - Anderson Silva (TKO)

How did these two get here?

Alan "The Talent" Belcher was once a middle-of-the-road middleweight that has improved greatly over his UFC tenure. After going 5-4 in his first nine UFC fights, he has reeled off four wins in a row (split up by an eighteen-month absence due to injury), and picked up the biggest win over his career over Rousimar Palhares at UFC on Fox 3. Getting a win back from Okami, who decisioned him six years ago, would go a long way towards getting the title shot he dearly wants.

Yushin "Thunder" Okami is in a strange spot in his career. After some ups and downs he finally earned a UFC middleweight title shot against Anderson Silva at UFC 134, but lost by TKO. He then controlled fellow UFC 155 fighter Tim Boetsch for two rounds at UFC 144, but got knocked out in the third. He rebounded slightly win a win over ultra-late replacement Buddy Roberts, but he desperately needs a second win over Belcher to maintain his spot in the upper tier of the 185-pound division.

Why should you care?so

Belcher is streaking an a win over Okami will elevate him into true title contention. So there's a lot on the line here.