Rousimar Palhares is becoming a cult hero in MMA circles. But when you cut through the tall tales and the aura and the mystique, when you peel away the flesh and tendons and break through the bones, therein lies the delicious marrow of truth.
And the truth is, Palhares is one incredibly good fighter. We all know about the leg locks. But there’s more to it than that. Eh, maybe.
There’s also the small matter of his opponent, Alan Belcher. Just some guy who used to be a top contender and could, with a win over Palhares, find himself there again.
When the fun stuff ends and the serious fight begins, here’s how it all stacks up.