After defeating Charlie Brenneman​ in September 2012, Noke didn't fight again until April 2014, with injuries and a coaching gig on The Ultimate Fighter Nations keeping him sidelined.

Now the welterweight fighter is back, with a 2-1 record in his last three fight.

And he will have a chance to push further up the welterweight ladder when he takes on Keita Nakamura​ at UFC on Fox Sports 47 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, on July 14.

Full of confidence after a body-kick stoppage of dangerous submission artist Peter Sobotta at UFC 193 in Melbourne, Noke was called up to fight the debuting Alex Morono​ at UFC 195 just two months later.

Noke dominated the newcomer for two of the three rounds, but the Las Vegas judges awarded a split decision to Morono, a decision that perplexed UFC commentators Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg.

Now Noke (22-8-1), who divides his time between Queensland's Sunshine Coast and Albuquerque, New Mexico, will have the chance to regain his footing against 31-year-old Nakamura (31-7-2-1), a former DEEP welterweight champion and Shooto Pacific Rim middleweight champion.

The Japanese fighter holds a UFC record of 1-1 and last fought on February 27, dropping a decision to rising star Tom Breese​ in London.

Nakamura is a tough grappler with 17 wins by submission but the ground holds no fears for Noke, who hasn't been submitted since 2011.

Noke will not be the only fighter on the Sioux Falls card, with Brisbane flyweight Ben Nguyen almost certain to feature on the card.

Nguyen, although now an Australian citizen, was born and raised in Sioux Falls and will look to continue his eight-fight win streak, with his two UFC bouts ending in first round stoppages.

He should face an opponent ranked in the top ten after recently securing his top-15 ranking in the division.