UFC 144 in Japan to feature seven main-card bouts, Yushin Okami and Hatsu Hioki promoted

UFC 144 takes place Feb. 25 at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. In addition to the main card, which airs in its normal Saturday-night timeslot with a Frankie Edgar vs. Ben Henderson headliner, prelims air on FX.

Bouts originally slated for the prelims but now part of the PPV broadcast feature two Japanese fighters: Yushin Okami (26-6 MMA, 10-3 UFC), who meets fellow middleweight Tim Boetsch (14-4 MMA, 5-3 UFC), and Hatsu Hioki (25-4-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC), who takes on featherweight Bart Palaszewski (36-14 MMA, 1-0 UFC).

To date the UFC has hosted three events in Japan. None took place at Saitama Super Arena, the former home of PRIDE Fighting Championships, a top rival the UFC purchased and ultimately disbanded in 2007. UFC 144 is the first show in Japan since UFC 29 in late 2000.

The full UFC 144 card now includes

via UFC 144 in Japan to feature seven main-card bouts, Okami and Hioki promoted | MMAjunkie.com.