UFC 159 will mark the date when Alan “The Talent” Belcher will get his long time wish and fight Michael “The Count” Bisping. The two fighters have exchanged words, so fans can only assume that more trash talk is to come, and few people do that as well as Bisping. Both Belcher and Bisping are both coming off losses, but a win could propel either fighter back into the mix as an elite contender.
Calling it counting your chickens before they hatch, but I like Belchers chances in this fight. He’s an outstanding Muay Thai Striker who also possess a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Bisping has an effective “punches in bunches” style, but if Belcher implements a smart gameplan, Bisping will be fighting outside the boxing range, where Belcher can unload the same heavy kicks that knocked out Jorge Santiago. Bisping is a proficient wrestler and can always look to take the fight to the canvas, but any time Belcher gets a hold his opponents neck, it’s guillotine city.
In his last fight, Belcher faced wrestling expert, Yushin Okami, so he was tentative on throwing kicks for fear of the takedown. Against Bisping, he won’t have to worry as much about being taken down, which will allow him to throw a plethora of kicks, to the legs, to the body, and to the head. Bisping is certainly no push over, as he made it a competitive first round against the Phenom, Vitor Belfort. Bisping isn’t afraid to throw crafty kicks of his own, as he showcased in his fights with Vitor Belfort and Chael Sonnen.
I’m praying that both fighters have a smooth training camp, because it would be devastating if either one of these fighters have to pull out of this bout due to injury. The winner of this fight could easily set themselves up with a serious contender, such as, Costa Philippou, Cung Le, or Tim Boetsch. Regardless of who is ultimately victorious, this is a fight that diehard MMA fans are craving to see and it most certainly won’t disappoint.
– Ryan “Fight Freek” Poli
@FightFreek