A Win from Alan Belcher at UFC 155 Puts Him One Step Closer to Title Contention

Alan Belcher (17-5) is flying under the MMA radar through the UFC middleweight division.  He is currently on a four fight win streak and is coming off a stunning dominate performance against Rousimar Palhares back in May. Without a doubt Alan Belcher is inching closer to a title shot against the all-powerful Anderson Silva, but first he must take care of business against Yushin Okami at UFC 155.

Yushin Okami (28-7) is a highly experienced veteran with big wins in both Pride and the UFC.  In fact Okami has already beaten Belcher once before at UFC 62 back in August of 2006.  However that was over six years ago, and while Okami seems to be slowing down, Belcher is speeding up and looking to avenge his loss.  Okami is without a doubt a powerful wrestler and a very experienced vet, but he is also very predictable and one-sided.  On the other hand Belcher is very well-rounded and could just as easily go for the submission as he could a knockout.

Furthermore, Belcher is hungry.  He wants to wear the much coveted UFC gold and is willing to face whoever Dana White puts in his way to get it.  While a win against a legend like Okami would definitely gain Belcher more attention, he knows he’s probably still a few fights shy of a title shot.  While talking with Bleacher Report, Belcher stated, “After I beat Yushin Okami, I’m not going to be mad if the UFC doesn’t have me fighting Anderson Silva in February or March. I want to make it realistic. I want to work for it. I want to legitimately beat everyone in the division with no questions asked. That means if I have to beat Lombard, Bisping, Belfort, Weidman, all of them in 2013, that’s what I’ll do.”

Alan Belcher is a man to take note of at this weekend’s UFC 155, who knows we very well might just be watching a champ in the making. Expect to see Alan Belcher fighting in a main event in 2013 against the best the UFC middleweight division has to offer.

Tags: Alan Belcher, Anderson Silva, MMA, UFC, UFC 155, Yushin Okami

Category: Featured, MMA, UFC