Former UFC middleweight champion Murilo Bustamante (Pictures) will return to Japan on New Year's Eve to face Olympic judo gold medalist Makoto Takimoto (Pictures) at Yarennoka!.

The 41-year-old founding member of Brazilian Top Team confirmed the bout on the team's official Web site.

The fight with the Japanese judo ace is a silver lining for Bustamante, who watched BTT -- once considered the strongest fight team in the world -- fall to pieces this summer. Many of his former teammates, including former PRIDE heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (Pictures), Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (Pictures), WEC middleweight champion Paulo Filho (Pictures) and Mario Sperry (Pictures), have left the Rio de Janeiro gym.

Bustamante, a four-time Brazilian champion in jiu-jitsu and one-time BJJ world champion, is trailing only Randy Couture (Pictures) as the oldest fighter still competing at a top level. His performances against Japanese opposition have been particularly impressive throughout his career.

Wins over Yoji Anjo, ADCC winner Sanae Kikuta (Pictures), former DEEP champion Ryuta Sakurai (Pictures), former Shooto champion Masanori Suda (Pictures) and fan-favorite Ikuhisa Minowa (Pictures) are opposed by only one single loss against top judo player Kazuhiro Nakamura (Pictures). "Busta" also submitted Matt Lindland (Pictures) and went the distance with Chuck Liddell (Pictures) during his stint in the UFC.

Takimoto, a Yoshida Dojo teammate of Kazuhiro Nakamura (Pictures) and Michihiro Omigawa (Pictures), was 3-3 during his three-year mixed martial arts career in PRIDE. Four of his six fights have gone the distance, which is an indication of his well-planned and controlled fighting style.

Although the 33-year-old ground-fighting specialist has had some problems with dangerous strikers in the past -- he had his orbital bone broken in his opening round fight of last year's Bushido Grand Prix against Gegard Mousasi (Pictures) -- Takimoto has always done well against fellow grapplers. Japanese fans will certainly hope for this trend to continue in what will likely be a ground war.

Takimoto is also scheduled to compete at the inaugural event of upstart promotion World Victory Road, which is set to take place March 5 at the Yoyogi National Gymnasium in Tokyo.