Author: Garrett Derr

It was Aug. 26, 2006, when UFC middleweight Alan Belcher took the Octagon for the very first time.

Unfortunately for Belcher, things didn’t go as expected as he would fall in his UFC debut to Yushin Okami via unanimous decision.

But as we know, a man isn’t defined by how many times he falls, but rather the number of times he returns to his feet.

Through countless hours of dedication, Belcher would return to his feet as he would quickly become one of the best 185-pound fighters in the world.

Now, at the age of 28, Belcher will look to impose his will on fellow middleweight Rousimar Palhares in their upcoming bout at UFC on FOX 3.

 

Palhares Showdown

Belcher will enter the Octagon in East Rutherford, N.J., on May 5 in hopes of winning his fourth consecutive fight as he’s coming off wins over Wilson Gouveia, Patrick Cote and Jason MacDonald.

However, “The Talent” will have his hands full as he’ll meet one of the best submission artists in the world in just a few short days.

“My jiu-jitsu will play a big factor in this fight. I’m pretty good at being where I want to be. My ability to fight longer and my speed will contribute along with my many tools, experience and knowledge of the sport. He’s going to find out that I’m the real deal and I’m also one of the best strikers in the division. There’s no one like me.”

On paper, Belcher is the clear favorite heading in as his well-rounded skill set outmatches Palhares’ ground game. In the same breath, Belcher will enter the Octagon with caution, as the unexpected can happen in the blink of an eye.

“I’ll have to be careful on the ground with him. I think in that area, we’ll be pretty even. He’ll have the advantage when he gets into his submission game and he could hurt me there. So, I don’t want to give him those opportunities.

“I’m going to stop his takedowns and prevent him from doing that. He knows what I’m going to do and I know what he’s going to do. Let the best man win.”

Two men will enter, but only one will come out on top. And, it’s not always the player that’s been dealt the best cards that wins, but rather he who plays his hand with wisdom.

“I’m going to try and be smart. I definitely don’t want to get in there and rush things. But at the same time, I have that killer instinct. It could end at any time. I’m always trying to win every minute, every round, and eventually take control of the scorecards. It could really go either way.

“He’s never fought anyone like me and that’s why he’s never really finished. I’m definitely going to hurt him and wear him down. I’m going to figure him out and get out of there in as less time in the Octagon as possible.”

 

Older and Wiser

While Belcher has certainly established himself as a legitimate contender in the middleweight division, he’s fought just two times over the course of the past two years. Even still, Belcher believes his time away from the Octagon has done nothing but help.

“The time off has really done nothing but help me. I’m older and wiser and more technical than I’ve ever been. Ring rust won’t play into this fight because I’m the one who controls my emotions and mind. My confidence will help override that. Ring rust is really just in your head.”

The time off has also helped Belcher realize the importance of winning rather than dazzling. While impressing is certainly an objective of Belcher’s, chalking up another “W” for the win column is of the essence.

“I’ve learned how to control the fight and get the win opposed to getting in there and being wild. I’ve tried too hard to impress the crowd and the UFC at times. I know that I’m a true player in the division. This winning streak has helped me break my ups and downs.”

As we’ve seen, it’s been Belcher’s knowledge and insight of the sport that has allowed him to rejuvenate his career and return to the top of the totem pole. However, Belcher still feels that he has work to do and is destined to do big things in the years that lie ahead.

“Once I realized winning alone will help me get to where I want to be, then I started working on my mental game and breaking everything down. My timing is everything. I’m just thinking about what I have to do to win and stop trying to always impress.

“I don’t know what I used to do. I used to get in there and psych myself out, but now I’m older and wiser. After I win this fight, I’ll be convinced that I’m going to do big things.”

 

For additional information, follow Garrett Derr on Twitter.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

From the early stages of her life, Marloes Coenen felt a desire to be different. A desire to standout. But, most importantly, a desire to be remembered.

It was at the age of 14 when the Dutch native would make a decision that would forever change her life.

That decision: to enter the world of mixed martial arts.

One might ask why that decision would change her life or play any impact at all. The answer is simple—because she was entering a sport that was heavily dominated by men.

Coenen’s burning desire to bring about change would lead her to a career of fighting in the country of Japan. Years later, Coenen would become the Strikeforce women’s bantamweight champion by defeating Sarah Kaufman via armbar.

While Coenen has undoubtedly soared above all expectations, none of it would be possible without blood, sweat, tears and even a little fear.

 

The Beginning and Struggles

“The sport really chose me and I truly mean that. I was just a normal girl growing up and I played your average sports like tennis and volleyball. It all started when I had to ride a bicycle to school. I was going through some bad areas and there were talks of bad things happening in the area,” Coenen told Bleacher Report. “As a young girl it was scary to be riding in a bad area when it was dark.”

As a result, Coenen would do the unexpected instead of seeking help on her own. It was the beginning of a self-discovery period as Coenen took action without the assistance of others.

“I learned how to defend myself. I couldn’t go through those areas and not be able to defend myself if something happened. I was 14 at the time and I’m now 31. My life has been changed so much by the choice I made at the age of 14.”

There’s no denying that Coenen made the right decision by entering the sport of MMA, but it didn’t come without a price to pay. A female entering a so-called man’s sport wouldn’t be an easy task. In fact, it brought about its fair share of difficulties and struggles.

“I can’t say it’s always been easy. The sport has taken me many places as I’ve fought in Japan and America,” she said. “Those places are very near to my heart. But, at the same time, there’s been hard times. There have been many times where I’ve been tired. I’ve been depressed. Thankfully I’ve had people believe in me. I’ve had people believe in me when I didn’t believe in myself.”

 

“Cyborg,”Miesha and Rhonda

While Coenen has certainly blazed a trail of her own, other notable women have come along side of her in the march to make women’s MMA a global powerhouse. When many ponder upon women’s MMA, the names Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos, Miesha Tate and Rhonda Rousey come to mind. Coenen has had her run-in with two of the three and hopes to complete the trio before all is said and done.

Unfortunately for Coenen, she was on the receiving end of a loss to Santos, only to find out her opponent was using a performance-enhancing drug.

“When you step into the ring, there are a lot of ways you can lose. I already thought she was on steroids before before we even fought. Was it honest of her to do that? No. But, I stepped in anyway and things didn’t work out the way I wanted them to,” Coenen said.

“She hit me so hard and her power was so strong. I’m a strong girl, but compared to her, I was nothing. I had to go to a hand specialist following the fight. When I hit her, she didn’t give in even for a bit. I heard later on that she said I hit her the hardest but it didn’t feel like it. She is a sweet girl and I don’t want to talk bad about her, but I do believe a lot of her power came from using steroids.”

Coenen would also take part in a devastating loss to Tate in her most recent bout, which would ultimately be her last appearance with the Strikeforce organization.

“The loss to Miesha was pretty to difficult to handle. When I look back on that fight, I knew that I was a little weak in my wrestling game. Following the loss to her I went back to the gym and really started working on my wrestling. The loss was still difficult to take.”

And, while Coenen has yet to meet the current Strikeforce women’s bantamweight champion, fans shouldn’t be shocked to see the two squaring off at some point in the future.

“I would for sure like to fight Rhonda,” Coenen stated. “She is the 135-pound champion but she comes from the 145-pound background. I think it would be a very interesting fight especially if we got to fight at her original weight.”

 

A Brighter Future

There’s no doubt that Coenen is already considered one of the greatest female fighters of all time. However, that’s simply not enough to rest the 31-year-old, as she maintains a desire to still compete at the highest level.

Coenen will get that opportunity, as she recently signed with Invicta Fighting Championship. On Saturday, April 28, Coenen will headline the organization’s first all-womens MMA event in Kansas City, Kansas when she meets Romy Ruyssen in a featherweight showdown.

“For this fight, I’ve focused a lot on my wrestling and ground game. You have to stay in the states to learn really good wrestling,” she explained.

“I worked at it and things will be different this time around. She’s a black belt in judo and she’s good on the ground. It will be an interesting fight and she’s on a hot-streak with four wins in a row. I’m going to try and keep it standing. I want to prove to the world that I’m still a great fighter. While I’ll take a submission, I prefer the knockout. I never, ever want it to go to the judges. To me, it’s a loss. When I’m fighting someone, I want to dominate them.”

As Coenen continues to enter in on the prime of her career, she believes women’s MMA will only continue to grow. In fact, Coenen believes women have the tools to exceed all expectations and play a role in helping MMA to become a mainstream sport.

“What Ronda and Miesha did was really good for all women in MMA. It brought a lot of attention to females. Zuffa sees that and they can make money from us. I think women’s MMA could have its own Ultimate Fighter show. You never know, it’s not being talked about now but it could happen. You could make a reality show. Every woman has a different story and it’s not an easy life for a female fighter.”

In order for this dream to become a reality, organizations like Invicta will need to continue to battle it out for women’s MMA.

Stated Coenen, “I think it’s great that we have ambassadors that are standing up for us. I really believe things are about to be taken to the next level. The FOX deal helps MMA become more mainstream but without the female version it won’t ever reach its full potential. Add females to the card and it gives the card much more variety. It allows everyone to connect to the sport.”

 

For additional information, follow Garrett Derr on Twitter.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Some individuals grow up wanting to fight while others grow up fighting.

UFC bantamweight Roland Delorme falls in the latter category.

“Fighting was just something I did growing up,” Delorme told Bleacher Report. “It got me in a lot of trouble too.”

“Finally my parents had enough and they started taking me to classes so that my fighting was structured. I got my black belt and started training in jiu-jitsu, boxing, and wrestling. At that time, the first UFC was coming out and I knew it was something I wanted to do,” said Delorme. “I wanted to fight in a cage.”

After coming out on top in six of his first seven fights, Delorme was on his way to the Ultimate Fighter house to take part in Season 14.

After being selected by Team Miller, Delorme was eliminated from competition after falling to TJ Dillashaw via second-round submission.

However, the knowledge and insight gained was more than enough for Delorme to be content with despite not reaching the finals.

“Just being in the house was an unreal experience. The best part was never having an easy day. You were always going up against someone new and they were bringing their best that day,” said Delorme. “I learned so many new things and the experience was more than worth it.”

Delorme did enough to catch the eye of UFC matchmaker Joe Silva, as he was slated to meet Josh Ferguson at the Season 14 finale.

After a hard-fought bout, Delorme was able to capture his first true win inside the Octagon, as he submitted Ferguson via rear-naked choke.

The best part of it all—Delorme finally was the one to be interviewed by UFC color commentator Joe Rogan after watching hundreds of post-fight interviews over the years.

“The craziest part was standing beside Joe Rogan after my win. It was pretty surreal. You’re so used to seeing other guys be interviewed and then all of a sudden you’re the one being interviewed. It was a pretty amazing experience,” said Delorme.

Delorme has hopes of meeting Rogan yet again, as he’ll be squaring off with fellow bantamweight, Nick Denis, at UFC on FOX 3.

Denis is also coming off his first win inside the Octagon after knocking out Joseph Sandoval in a matter of 22 seconds at UFC on FX just a little over three months ago.

“Nick has definitely got some power. He brings it every time and he’s got some good wrestling as well. Overall, I think I’m probably the better wrestler but not by much. This is going to be a battle. We’re both finishers and we don’t see the judges very often,” said Delorme. “I don’t expect to see them in this fight either.”

While Delorme is unsure of exactly how his bout will play out, he promises one thing.

Blood.

“I’m going to be in his face and make it hurt. This bout is going to be bloody. Everybody wants to see blood so I’m going to give it to them,” said Delorme.

“This is going to be a bloody and greasy fight.”

All quotes were obtained first-hand.

 

For additional information, follow Garrett Derr on Twitter.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com