UFC 204 fight card: Vitor Belfort vs Gegard Mousasi full fight preview

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) middleweight finishers Vitor Belfort and Gegard Mousasi will collide this Saturday (Oct. 8, 2016) at the UFC 204 pay-per-view (PPV) event inside Manchester Arena in Manchester, England.

Now that TRT-Belfort is gone and buried, the Brazilian has fallen on some hard times. He’s lost two of his last three bouts, and each of those losses came via knockout in the first round.

Meanwhile, Mousasi’s UFC career has seen its share of setbacks, but “The Dreamcatcher” has been steadily inching towards the top five. Mousasi has spent quite a few years calling out “The Phenom,” and he’s finally going to receive his wish on Saturday night.

Let’s take a look at the keys to victory for both athletes.

Vitor Belfort

Record: 25-12

Key Wins: Luke Rockhold (UFC on FX 8), Michael Bisping (UFC on FX 7), Anthony Johnson (UFC 142)

Key Losses: Chris Weidman (UFC 187), Ronaldo Souza (UFC 198), Jon Jones (UFC 152)

Keys to Victory: Even in his diminished form, Belfort is one of the most explosive and dangerous counter punchers around. Additionally, his addition of a devastating left head kick into his attack has made him far more success, and it’s really added a level of unexpectedness to his attack.

Mousasi is undoubtedly a tough match up for the former champion. Belfort excels on opponents who overextend or are defensively shaky, whereas Mousasi is one of the most experienced and technical strikers in the division.

Since Mousasi isn’t really one to force the takedown, Belfort can expect a striking match early. Opposite an opponent who likes to jab so often, Belfort should be looking to counter with his nasty high kick.

If he can surprise Mousasi, few are better at finishing a wounded foe.

Beyond any piece of technical advice, it’s imperative that Belfort starts quickly. He may be a counter puncher, but Belfort needs to put the pressure on Mousasi to engage, otherwise “Dreamcatcher” can wait until Belfort fatigues.

Gegard Mousasi

Record: 38-7-2

Key Wins: Mark Munoz (UFC Fight Night 42), Ovince St-Preux (Strikeforce: Melendez vs Masvidal), Dan Henderson (UFC on FOX 14)

Key Losses: Ronaldo Souza (UFC Fight Night 50), Lyoto Machida (UFC Fight Night 36), Uriah Hall (UFC Fight Night 75)

Keys to Victory: Mousasi is one of the finest technicians in the sport. He’s a tremendous kickboxer, slick submission artist, and has proven his wrestling ability quite a few times in his current UFC stretch.

There’s reason that Mousasi has been calling out Belfort for so many years, and it’s because he’s a nightmare match up for the Brazilian. Mousasi leaves very few openings and is relatively unfazed by powerful strikers, meaning he’s not likely to hand away an early knockout loss.

In 2016, the early knockout is Belfort’s sole path to victory.

Still, Belfort is a dangerous fighter and shouldn’t be taken lightly. In order to nullify Belfort, Mousasi needs to feed him a heavy diet of kicks and jabs. While jabbing will be a touch more difficult against a Southpaw, it will still be an important tool to keep Belfort at the edge of his range.

Over time, Mousasi’s attempts to pick apart Mousasi will become more and more successful as the Brazilian tires. At the point, Mousasi should look for a takedown, as Belfort has been overwhelmed from top position in his last two losses.

Bottom Line: It’s an important bout for the top half of the Middleweight division.

Belfort absolutely needs a win here to remain highly ranked. He hasn’t looked all that good lately, so a third loss in the last 18 months will send him sliding down the rankings.

That said, a win proves Belfort still has something left in the tank. He’s pulled off a number of unexpected career renaissances before, so perhaps Belfort has more surprises left in him.

On the other hand, Mousasi’s insistence on making this bout does leave quite a lot of pressure on him. If he calls out Belfort for years only to be knocked cold, it’s a rather bad look and kills his current goals of becoming a title holder.

With a win, however, Mousasi has successfully climbed into the top five. Following UFC 204, there will be a lot of moving parts in the Middleweight division, and Mousasi has ensured that he’ll be in the talks for a title eliminator bout.

At UFC 204, Vitor Belfort and Gegard Mousasi will throw down in the co-main event. Which man will have his hand raised?

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) middleweight finishers Vitor Belfort and Gegard Mousasi will collide this Saturday (Oct. 8, 2016) at the UFC 204 pay-per-view (PPV) event inside Manchester Arena in Manchester, England.

Now that TRT-Belfort is gone and buried, the Brazilian has fallen on some hard times. He’s lost two of his last three bouts, and each of those losses came via knockout in the first round.

Meanwhile, Mousasi’s UFC career has seen its share of setbacks, but “The Dreamcatcher” has been steadily inching towards the top five. Mousasi has spent quite a few years calling out “The Phenom,” and he’s finally going to receive his wish on Saturday night.

Let’s take a look at the keys to victory for both athletes.

Vitor Belfort

Record: 25-12

Key Wins: Luke Rockhold (UFC on FX 8), Michael Bisping (UFC on FX 7), Anthony Johnson (UFC 142)

Key Losses: Chris Weidman (UFC 187), Ronaldo Souza (UFC 198), Jon Jones (UFC 152)

Keys to Victory: Even in his diminished form, Belfort is one of the most explosive and dangerous counter punchers around. Additionally, his addition of a devastating left head kick into his attack has made him far more success, and it’s really added a level of unexpectedness to his attack.

Mousasi is undoubtedly a tough match up for the former champion. Belfort excels on opponents who overextend or are defensively shaky, whereas Mousasi is one of the most experienced and technical strikers in the division.

Since Mousasi isn’t really one to force the takedown, Belfort can expect a striking match early. Opposite an opponent who likes to jab so often, Belfort should be looking to counter with his nasty high kick.

If he can surprise Mousasi, few are better at finishing a wounded foe.

Beyond any piece of technical advice, it’s imperative that Belfort starts quickly. He may be a counter puncher, but Belfort needs to put the pressure on Mousasi to engage, otherwise “Dreamcatcher” can wait until Belfort fatigues.

Gegard Mousasi

Record: 38-7-2

Key Wins: Mark Munoz (UFC Fight Night 42), Ovince St-Preux (Strikeforce: Melendez vs Masvidal), Dan Henderson (UFC on FOX 14)

Key Losses: Ronaldo Souza (UFC Fight Night 50), Lyoto Machida (UFC Fight Night 36), Uriah Hall (UFC Fight Night 75)

Keys to Victory: Mousasi is one of the finest technicians in the sport. He’s a tremendous kickboxer, slick submission artist, and has proven his wrestling ability quite a few times in his current UFC stretch.

There’s reason that Mousasi has been calling out Belfort for so many years, and it’s because he’s a nightmare match up for the Brazilian. Mousasi leaves very few openings and is relatively unfazed by powerful strikers, meaning he’s not likely to hand away an early knockout loss.

In 2016, the early knockout is Belfort’s sole path to victory.

Still, Belfort is a dangerous fighter and shouldn’t be taken lightly. In order to nullify Belfort, Mousasi needs to feed him a heavy diet of kicks and jabs. While jabbing will be a touch more difficult against a Southpaw, it will still be an important tool to keep Belfort at the edge of his range.

Over time, Mousasi’s attempts to pick apart Mousasi will become more and more successful as the Brazilian tires. At the point, Mousasi should look for a takedown, as Belfort has been overwhelmed from top position in his last two losses.

Bottom Line: It’s an important bout for the top half of the Middleweight division.

Belfort absolutely needs a win here to remain highly ranked. He hasn’t looked all that good lately, so a third loss in the last 18 months will send him sliding down the rankings.

That said, a win proves Belfort still has something left in the tank. He’s pulled off a number of unexpected career renaissances before, so perhaps Belfort has more surprises left in him.

On the other hand, Mousasi’s insistence on making this bout does leave quite a lot of pressure on him. If he calls out Belfort for years only to be knocked cold, it’s a rather bad look and kills his current goals of becoming a title holder.

With a win, however, Mousasi has successfully climbed into the top five. Following UFC 204, there will be a lot of moving parts in the Middleweight division, and Mousasi has ensured that he’ll be in the talks for a title eliminator bout.

At UFC 204, Vitor Belfort and Gegard Mousasi will throw down in the co-main event. Which man will have his hand raised?