Two years ago, even the most gullible Shooto enthusiasts would likely have laughed if you had told them that Akitoshi Tamura (Pictures) was going to be Shooto world champion. If you had added that he would defend his title against Hideki Kadowaki (Pictures), you might even bring them to tears.

Yet, somehow, Tamura knocked off poster boy champion Takeshi Inoue (Pictures) in a shocker last May, and Kadowaki became the latest fighter to upset Rumina Sato (Pictures) in September, sending two fighters who seemed bound for gatekeeper status on a collision course with championship stakes.

They have met previously, squaring off in March 2005. In a rather tepid two-round affair, Kadowaki proved a better wrestler and top-position grappler and took a unanimous decision. However, in the last two years Tamura has shown marked improvement and exhibited the skills of an elite-level fighter.

While he doesn't pack much pop in his hands, Tamura has excellent leg and body kicks, as well as powerful knees and a very strong clinch game. He even defeated a Burmese boxing champion in Myanmar under lethwei rules.

His guard game is perhaps his best offensive asset, though. Blessed with fluid hips and great flexibility, Tamura's ability to sweep, transition and submit has played an enormous role in his emergence as a top-quality fighter.

Of course Kadowaki is not the same fighter he was three years ago either. His improvement includes the tightening and refining of a solid but unspectacular skill set. Slightly more proficient on the feet and a more technical wrestler, Kadowaki's bread and butter is still his offensive submission grappling. The crown jewel of that grappling repertoire is his patented rear-naked choke from the back crucifix, dubbed the "Kadowaki Special," which is how he submitted Sato to get this improbable title opportunity.

Expect an even, well-contested bout. However, one huge advantage for Tamura is the fact that he now has good striking skills. His kicks will control the pace on the feet and accumulate over the course of the bout, and if Kadowaki does want to close the distance, Tamura can make use of the Thai plum.

Because of Shooto judges' inclination toward 10-10 rounds, the focus on the ground will be on who can actually generate offense. Kadowaki will not be able to win on the feet, nor will he be able to simply control top position given Tamura's guard and ability to avoid damage. Unless he can take dominant positions and threaten to finish with a submission, Kadowaki will not win the fight.

As a result, look for Tamura to accumulate strikes on the feet and be the more active man on the ground. He'll take a well-earned decision, defend his title and continue to remove the word "fluke" from the conversation.

Masakatsu Ueda (Pictures) vs. Koetsu Okazaki (Pictures)

If you need more proof that the landscape of international MMA is rapidly changing, let this bout be yet another exhibit.

Until very recently, the vast majority of quality fights in the 135-pound category took place in Japan. With Ryota Matsune (Pictures) being injured every other Monday, and Shooto king Akitoshi Hokazono (Pictures) retiring after only considering MMA a hobby, there has been no central, dominant Japanese figure in the weight category. Couple this fact with the explosion of the Zuffa-led WEC and the emergence of fighters such as Miguel Torres (Pictures), Chase Beebe (Pictures) and Manny Tapia (Pictures), and you have yourself a drastic spotlight shift.

If a Japanese bantamweight needs to step up and emerge as truly elite, it will be either Koetsu Okazaki (Pictures) or Masakatsu Ueda (Pictures), with the winner being crowned the fifth 132-pound world champion of pro Shooto.

Okazaki is enigmatic in the same way his training partner and former champion Akitoshi Hokazono (Pictures) was. He competes infrequently and seldom looks amazing, but he uses solid, well-rounded skills to remain unbeaten.

Ueda is a considerably different story. In Class B Shooto, he looked like a man among boys and hasn't slowed since. A sensational grappler, Ueda owns a collegiate wrestling win over Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto and a host of submission laurels, including the All Japan Shooto grappling championship and several Combat Wrestling national titles.

Although Ueda's striking is still developing and Okazaki does have decent power in his right hand, this will be a match contested on the ground. Ueda will take it there, and Okazaki will have to sweep to get top position. However, with Ueda's great grappling skills, strong base and Kenyanesque cardio, it's extremely unlikely that will happen. Ueda will be the first to impose his will, and he'll take the Shooto crown with a late submission or dominant decision.

Even in victory, though, Ueda will face an uphill battle in convincing others he's on par with Miguel Torres (Pictures), especially without a wolfcut of his own.