Middleweight Alan Belcher may be the forgotten man in the 185-pound division. Having competed just three times in the past three years, it’s easy to overlook the fact that Belcher has gone 8-2 in his last 10 Octagon appearances. With an impressive perf…
Middleweight Alan Belcher may be the forgotten man in the 185-pound division.
Having competed just three times in the past three years, it’s easy to overlook the fact that Belcher has gone 8-2 in his last 10 Octagon appearances.
With an impressive performance against lethal grappler Rousimar Palhares, it’s time for Belcher to make a title run.
That is, if he can find an opponent.
Unfortunately, the majority of the division has fights scheduled, and Belcher may be forced to sit back and wait for his next challenge.
Here are five potential opponents for the veteran.
Tonight’s UFC on FOX event is looking to be one for the ages, Potato Nation. The alcohol-fueled spirit of Cinco De Mayo has overtaken most, if not all, of the U.S of A by this point, and I’m no exception, so lets skip the fancy introductions and get right to it.
Preliminary results
-Karlos Vemola def. Mike Massenzio by submission (rear-naked choke) at 1:07 of round two.
-Roland Delorme def. Nick Denis by submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:59 of round one.
-Dennis Bermudez def. Pablo Garzo by UD
-Danny Castillo def. John Cholsih by UD
-Louis Gaudinot def. John Lineker by submission (guillotine choke) at 4:54 of round 2
-John Hathaway def. Paskal Krauss by UD
-John Dodson def. Tim Elliot by UD
-Michael Johnson def. Tony Ferguson by UD
A couple musings from the prelims:
-Apparently some McDonald’s Happy Meals DO come with Jiu-Jitsu Blackbelts. Just ask Mike Massenzio.
-Nick Denis has a ridiculous rat tail, but it can’t match up with Roland Delorme’s iron chin. What an amazing round of action that was.
Tonight’s UFC on FOX event is looking to be one for the ages, Potato Nation. The alcohol-fueled spirit of Cinco De Mayo has overtaken most, if not all, of the U.S of A by this point, and I’m no exception, so lets skip the fancy introductions and get right to it.
Preliminary results
-Karlos Vemola def. Mike Massenzio by submission (rear-naked choke) at 1:07 of round two.
-Roland Delorme def. Nick Denis by submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:59 of round one.
-Dennis Bermudez def. Pablo Garzo by UD
-Danny Castillo def. John Cholsih by UD
-Louis Gaudinot def. John Lineker by submission (guillotine choke) at 4:54 of round 2
-John Hathaway def. Paskal Krauss by UD
-John Dodson def. Tim Elliot by UD
-Michael Johnson def. Tony Ferguson by UD
A couple musings from the prelims:
-Apparently some McDonald’s Happy Meals DO come with Jiu-Jitsu Blackbelts. Just ask Mike Massenzio.
-Nick Denis has a ridiculous rat tail, but it can’t match up with Roland Delorme’s iron chin. What an amazing round of action that was.
They give a shout-out to Adam Yauch, who unfortunately lost his battle to cancer at just 47. In his honor, I am starting off this liveblog with a Brass Monkey at my side. Cheers.
Lavar Johnson vs. Pat Barry
Bruce Buffer seemed waaay to enthusiastic when announcing Lavar Johnson’s nickname. Just sayin’.
Round 1: Barry opens with a left hook and a nice leg kick. Johnson clinches. Barry hits a head kick off the fence, then an uppercut. Leg kick Barry. Johnson clinches again. A couple knees to the head from Johnson, then a flurry of those patented uppercuts. Barry looks for a takedown, might be in trouble. Barry moves to mount! Then moves to side control…weird. Barry’s going for an Americana… weirder. Rogan comments on his incorrect technique, but Johnson is grimacing like a sumbitch, so maybe its working. “Big” gets free. The mount is wide open for the taking, but Barry opts to stay in side control. Both men back to their feet, and a leg kick by Barry. Big kick by Johnson spins Barry around, and Johnson is just UNLOADING on Barry against the fence. Is Barry playing possum? Nope, Johnson continues to tee off on Barry until he drops and it is all over. Wow.
Man, Barry must have seriously been rocked, because he was a sitting duck for that last exchange. In either case, a great win for Johnson in defeating the more technical striker. Johnson tries to make the case for KOTN, saying, “He just wants that check.”
My God. Paul Harris’ highlight reel looks like a Faces of Deathmovie trailer. Those poor souls.
Rousimar Palhares vs. Alan Belcher
Goldberg tries to introduce Dan Mirogliatta twice and fails miserably.
Round 1: Both men are tentative at the start. Belcher faints a few jabs, and Palhares dives on a leg. Uh-oh. Holy shit, Belcher is looking for a Twister after a hell of a scramble, and now a banana split. I MUST be drunk. Palhares looking for a kneebar. Belcher defending, but its like watching a car accident happen in slo-mo. Palhares now trying for a heel hook of death. Belcher escapes! HE MUST BE GREASING! Nice elbows by Belcher, who is laying down some serious GnP. IT IS OVER!
Alan Belcher def. Rousimar Palhares via TKO, round 1.
What a victory for Belcher. The man put his legs in the grinder and came out unscathed. What the hell is going on with the audio feed? Either Mike Goldberg is having an aneurysm or something is really up, because one-word spurts are repeating on loop. Anyway, Belcher sort of claims that he is the most dangerous 185er on the ground since he defeated Palhares, and I’m inclined to believe him.
Jesus Christ, is Joe Rogan seriously trying to pass off Mir/Dos Santos as a grudge match? Who cares, because they’re playing “Brass Monkey” in the background of his and Dana White’s little chat. DRINK UP!
Once again, I have to hear that Josh Koscheck does in fact own a motherfucking plane. Screw this, I’m turning off the sound on my TV and throwing on some Danzig.
Round 1: Koscheck comes out with a front kick. Then another. Well, its already gone longer than I’d like it to. Koscheck with a nice right hook on the counter. Hendricks may be hurt, as Koscheck just landed a nice combo on him. Now another. Hendricks is in trouble, and tries a takedown that is ridiculously far from landing. Hendricks lands a nice uppercut, then goes for the double leg. They clinch against the fence, and are separated by Kevin Mulhall. Hendricks with a left hand, then tries for another takedown. Koscheck with a nice combo against the fence. Hendricks is looking for a one-punch KO here. Koscheck tries a spinning LOLfist as the round ends, and he likely took it.
Round 2: Hendricks is throwing looping punches trying to close the distance, but Kos ain’t having it. Uppercut Hendricks. Koscheck looks for a guillotine on a Hendricks takedown attempt, then goes for Hendricks’ back. Hendricks goes for a double and gets Kos against the fence. Crowd getting restless, those animals. On the separation, Kos whiffs a big left, and gets countered with an uppercut. They clinch again, and Kos lands a nice elbow before pushing off. Kos tries a head kick that gets blocked. Hendricks swinging away, then lands a leg kick and clinches as the bell sounds. Close round, but I’d give it to Hendricks.
Round 3: Koschecks eye is starting to resemble the GSP fight, and he bull rushes Hendricks into the fence. Mulhall separates, and the two swing away in a nice exchange. Hendricks lands a nice left hook that seems to hurt Kos, but then Kos fires back. Some really nice dirty boxing by Hendricks, ala Randy Couture. I think Koscheck’s eye may be in some trouble here, as Hendricks lands another knee. Takedown Kos, who briefly attempts an arm-triangle. Koscheck on top, working for mount, but Hendricks gets back to half-guard. Koscheck spends the remainder of the round on top and may take it.
Scratch that.
Johny Hendricks def. Josh Koscheck by split decision.
They’re desperately trying to push this season’s The Ultimate Fighter, but nothing, including Ronda Rousey, is going to make people want to stay in on a Friday night. Just ask….that show Fridays.
It’s main event time…
Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller
Brian Stann just reeled off a good four or five sentences when assessing this fight without saying the word “uh” once. Take that, Jon Jones. I forget who, but someone disagreed with my assessment that Diaz’s victory over Cerrone was “dominant” the other day. Joe Rogan just agreed with me, so SUCK IT WHOEVER YOU WERE.
Per usual, Miller comes out to “Bad Moon Rising,” which only reinforces my belief that he is the coolest thing to come out of Jersey in the history of ever.
Round 1: Diaz doesn’t touch gloves, go figure. Nice leg kick by Miller to start. Diaz clinches after a combination misses, but Miller pushes him into the fence. The crowd is already booing, WTF?! Nice knee by Miller, who tries an elbow over the top to follow. Leg kick Miller, then another. Right hook Diaz, then a nice body shot. Inside leg kick Diaz. Miller clinches Diaz against the fence, trying for a single. Diaz turns things around and lands a nice knee. Body kick Miller. Diaz drops Miller with a straight left! Miller dives for a takedown with 30 seconds left. Nice scramble, and Miller gets Diaz to the mat. Nate sweeps Miller as the round ends.
Round 2: Both men start the round with a left hand. Leg kick Miller, who follows it up with a right hand. Diaz pushes Miller into the fence and lands a few shots to the body. Nice elbow on the break by Miller. Diaz clinches again, looking for the trip, but is unsuccessful. Miller with a left over the top. Diaz tries a flying knee, and the taunting begins. They clinch and Diaz lands a nice knee that causes Miller to drop to a hand. Diaz with a nice elbow, and Miller dives for a takedown. Diaz tries a on-armed guillotine, and gets it! DAMN! Diaz becomes the first man to stop Jim Miller! Great finish!
Nate Diaz def. Jim Miller via submission (guillotine), round 2.
Holy shit. On the replay, Joe Rogan informs us that Miller’s mouthpiece fell out in the scramble, and he was nearly biting his own tongue off before he tapped.
Well, that’s all for me tonight. It looks like we have our next two challengers at lightweight and welterweight lined up. Thanks for stopping by, Potato Nation, and I’ll catch you all next week.
We are all used to seeing Rousimar Palharesfreak the fuck out and tear off people’s limbs. But it isn’t too often that we get to see a softer side of the UFC on Fox 3 middleweight competitor.
Paula Sack visited Palhares while he crushed it in the weight room during his training camp for his fight against Alan Belcher. As you will see at around the 1:14 mark of the below video, Paula’s charms turn the hulk-smashing, cage-climbing Palhares into a blushing, giggling, pile of muscle.
We can’t be sure, but it was kinda like this. To be fair to Palhares, this is what Paula Sack looks like.
We are all used to seeing Rousimar Palharesfreak the fuck out and tear off people’s limbs. But it isn’t too often that we get to see a softer side of the UFC on Fox 3 middleweight competitor.
Paula Sack visited Palhares while he crushed it in the weight room during his training camp for his fight against Alan Belcher. As you will see at around the 1:14 mark of the below video, Paula’s charms turn the hulk-smashing, cage-climbing Palhares into a blushing, giggling, pile of muscle.
We can’t be sure, but it was kinda like this. To be fair to Palhares, this is what Paula Sack looks like.
Check out the video after the jump.
First birthday cakes, then sports psychology and now this? Will we even see the same “Paul Harris” that we’ve come to fear and love tonight against Alan Belcher? Read our play-by-play commentary to find out!
UFC middleweight contender Rousimar Palhares is finally getting help, people. Palhares recently told MMA Fighting‘s new star Dave Doyle that he’s been seeing a sports psychologist, and that he expects it to help him Saturday night against Alan Belcher on the UFC on Fox 3 card. “‘Yeah he’s helped me,’ Palhares said through interpreter and manager Alex David. ‘He’s helped so that when I get into a fight, I get focused on the fight and I don’t get distracted by anything else,'” Doyle reports.
Palhares has provided some of the most scarily entertaining moments in MMA in recent years. Most of those moments were nasty submissions, but a good amount have also just come from his bizarre behavior in the ring.
UFC middleweight contender Rousimar Palhares is finally getting help, people. Palhares recently told MMA Fighting‘s new star Dave Doyle that he’s been seeing a sports psychologist, and that he expects it to help him Saturday night against Alan Belcher on the UFC on Fox 3 card. ”‘Yeah he’s helped me,’ Palhares said through interpreter and manager Alex David. ‘He’s helped so that when I get into a fight, I get focused on the fight and I don’t get distracted by anything else,’” Doyle reports.
Palhares has provided some of the most scarily entertaining moments in MMA in recent years. Most of those moments were nasty submissions, but a good amount have also just come from his bizarre behavior in the ring.
Let’s leave aside his cranking submissions after referees have stepped in to stop the action, as he is wont to do, and look only at his 2010 fight against Nate Marquardt and his 2011 bout against Dan Miller. Against Marquardt, Palhares stopped fighting to complain to the referee about something and was promptly TKO’d by Nate.
In the fight with Miller, Palhares dropped the Jersey fighter with a kick, followed up with some strikes on the ground and walked off in celebration, arms in the air. The only problem? The referee never stopped the fight.
Referee Herb Dean prodding Palhares to get off the top of the Octagon cage, where he was celebrating, and continue to fight Miller was one of the goofiest most awesome things we’d seen in awhile. In fact, it was so great that we won’t even link up to it, we’ll paste it right here for you, smack dab in the middle of this post:
Palhares is a great fighter and is fast-rising in the 185 pound division, but dude seems a bit off. That’s a big part of why we love him.
He tells Doyle that he began working with the sports psychologist after the Miller incident and that it has helped him focus on the matter at hand while competing, instead of getting distracted. In all seriousness, good for him.
There’s no stigma attached to athletes who get psychological help anymore. Palhares is also in good company, even within the UFC – both Rashad Evans and Georges St. Pierre have spoken at length about their seeing sports psychologists.
So, if the head docs out there are going to help out our beloved “Paul Harris” focus on maiming people inside the ring, that’s fine with us. But if we stop getting crazy “hulk-up” celebrations and “what did I do?” confused looks of innocence after holding on to submissions for 36 minutes after his opponents tap-out, from Palhares, so help us, mental health community, we will never forgive you.
No matter how much you read up on all of these fighters, or how sure you are that one guy is that much better than his opponent, there is virtually always one or more big.
No matter how much you read up on all of these fighters, or how sure you are that one guy is that much better than his opponent, there is virtually always one or more big upset on each fight card. MMA betting is a fickle game. In my opinion, there is no other sport in the world where you can find as much value as you can in MMA lines. Sure, there’s the well known and hyped, huge favorites (-400 or higher) that are pretty sure things.
However, there are also a few fights each night where a heavy favorite is basically unproven, or facing a tough style matchup. How some of these fighters warrant laying 3 to 1 odds when they haven’t beaten any worthy opponents, or if we know nothing about their opponent that night, who could be a VERY dangerous fighter, is beyond me. That is where my strategy of picking one of these “Dog” fights on each card has padded my bankroll over the years.
On a given night of say 10 fights, I like to do my due diligence on each fighter individually, then see how they match up with their opponent. I will then usually pick my three FAVORITE FAVORITES. In other words, the three favorites I like the most I lock in, hoping to go 3-0, 2-1 at worst. Then, during the course of my research I will find value in 2 or 3 Dogs. From there I will narrow it down to the best “Dog of the Night”, and put 1/2 a unit on it, so as to not blow the entire nights winnings. Because the odds on these Dogs are usually +150 or better (sometimes as high as +350), we can see huge profits from these Dog wagers.
Let’s take UFC on Fox Saturday night. Of the big Dogs, my pick to pull off the upset is Alan Belcher (16-5). Belcher is 6’2″, vs. the 5’8″ submission specialist Rousimar Palhares (23-3). Belcher has the experience to understand that if this fight goes to the ground, he will be tapping faster than Spider in Goodfellas when Tommy shoots him in the foot.
The key to this fight for Belcher will be to stay on his feet and use his 4 inch reach advantage to keep Palhares away from him, while scoring points and winning each round. Belcher’s conditioning is superior, and if he can get the fight into the 3rd when both fighters will be lathered up and “slippery when wet,” the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu specialist will be less dangerous with his leg lock attempts. Belcher may be able to finish him in the 3rd, but if I were in his corner I would advise him to keep his distance and go for the 29-28 decision, and pad our bankrolls at +220.
(Is there anyway we could get the guy on the far right to…what’s the word I’m looking for….leave?)
Since the UFC has made its conversion to a major network, they’ve had their fair share of ups and downs. Their first event, though featuring a match that could headline any pay-per-view, was little more than an hour long infomercial for the sport, topped off by the shortest title fight this side of Andrei Arlovski’s flash knockout of Paul Buentello back at UFC 55. Their second event was forced to shuffle around its main card participants as a result of Mark Munoz’s grisly injury, resulting in two mediocre bouts and a tepid main event. And don’t even get us started on Jon Jones’ commentary.
However, not all is lost (unless we’re talking about last week’s TUF ratings. Bazinga!), for this Saturday’s card promises to deliver the kind of head-to-toe action that mainstream and hardcore audiences alike have been waiting for. It’s got a Diaz, a Miller, a cartoon character, and a mythical swamp beast on its main card alone, so what could possibly go wrong? But just in case the Zuffa brass are looking for a few extra pointers from a fan’s perspective, we’ve compiled the following list of five things that would surely elevate UFC on FOX 3 above that of its predecessors. Enjoy, and let us know what other improvements could be made to the UFC on FOX in the comments section.
5. Tito Ortiz Return to his Role as a Ringside Commentator
FOX is a network that prides itself on being the voice of the simple, common man. And there is perhaps no man simpler than that of Tito Ortiz. Let’s be real here; Ortiz’s night of commentary at Affliction: Day of Reckoning was easily the funniest Goddamn moment in the history of MMA, bar none. Brian Fantana could not muster one-tenth of its hilarity if he were to report on every Panda birth from here to Chongqing, and we should give “The People’s Champ” another go-around for comedic purposes only. Besides, when was the last time ringside commentary really blew your mind? We love Joe Rogan and all, but we’d be much more inclined to stick around after the fight if there was a possibility that the announcer in question would suffer an aneurysm whilst trying to determine his next word.
(Is there anyway we could get the guy on the far right to…what’s the word I’m looking for…leave?)
Since the UFC has made its conversion to a major network, they’ve had their fair share of ups and downs. Their first event, though featuring a match that could headline any pay-per-view, was little more than an hour long infomercial for the sport, topped off by the shortest title fight this side of Andrei Arlovski’s flash knockout of Paul Buentello back at UFC 55. Their second event was forced to shuffle around its main card participants as a result of Mark Munoz’s grisly injury, resulting in two mediocre bouts and a tepid main event. And don’t even get us started on Jon Jones’ commentary.
However, not all is lost (unless we’re talking about last week’s TUF ratings. Bazinga!), for this Saturday’s card promises to deliver the kind of head-to-toe action that mainstream and hardcore audiences alike have been waiting for. It’s got a Diaz, a Miller, a cartoon character, and a mythical swamp beast on its main card alone, so what could possibly go wrong? But just in case the Zuffa brass are looking for a few extra pointers from a fan’s perspective, we’ve compiled the following list of five things that would surely elevate UFC on FOX 3 above that of its predecessors. Enjoy, and let us know what other improvements could be made to the UFC on FOX in the comments section.
5. Tito Ortiz Return to his Role as a Ringside Commentator
FOX is a network that prides itself on being the voice of the simple, common man. And there is perhaps no man simpler than that of Tito Ortiz. Let’s be real here; Ortiz’s night of commentary at Affliction: Day of Reckoning was easily the funniest Goddamn moment in the history of MMA, bar none. Brian Fantana could not muster one-tenth of its hilarity if he were to report on every Panda birth from here to Chongqing, and we should give “The People’s Champ” another go-around for comedic purposes only. Besides, when was the last time ringside commentary really blew your mind? We love Joe Rogan and all, but we’d be much more inclined to stick around after the fight if there was a possibility that the announcer in question would suffer an aneurysm whilst trying to determine his next word.
4. Alan Belcher Walk Out of the Octagon Unassisted
We know this one’s a long shot, but suffice it to say, we’d rather not have a fight on a major television network end with a man screaming in pain like dying rabbit as a result of his opponent’s incompetency, his own stubbornness, or a combination of the two. Though it may seem like the bookies have already written him off, we actually have a little more faith in “The Talent” than we originally let off. The guy’s a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu blackbelt with great hands to boot, so perhaps he’ll be able to stifle the limb mangling power of Rousimar Palhares. We’re just praying that we don’t have to see someone’s appendage torn from the rest of their body on live television (that’s right, I brought it back).
3. This. (Props to RubberDucky for reminding us of how glorious a gif this truly is.)
The middle finger is basically the last bastion of American freedom, which would make the Diaz brothers its flag waving supporters. No network/fight promotion team supports the basic freedoms of Americans more than FOX and the UFC. The right to bear arms, the right to free speech, equal rights for women; the UFC and FOX have rallied behind the best of them, so why not support perhaps the most American gesture in the country’s history? Being a New Yorker, I am perhaps more versed in the art of the bird than most, and I can honestly tell you that when I am flipped off by some bitch and/or bastard in the car behind me for brake-checking his/her tailgating ass, I am filled with a sense of patriotism that is truly indescribable. If UFC fighters didn’t live in fear that their love for this country could cost them their jobs, we guarantee that this beautiful gesture would become a highlight of fight nights from this day forth. There aren’t many similarities between your average fighter and your average couch potato, but this could be one area where we could all share a common connection, if only for a couple of seconds at a time.
Pat Barry is a man of many faces. On one hand, he’s a guy who will decapitate you with a high kick in the blink of an eye. On the other, he’s a karaoke-singing goofball with a penchant for releasing funny videos on them Interwebs. In his last octagon appearance, Barry followed up a first round starching of Christian Morecraft with a tribute to “planking,” despite the fact that planking had already been long forgotten about and replaced by owling. So if Barry is looking to get real old school (re: 2007) with his Internet trendology, he should unleash his dead-on Techno Viking impression, as seen above. either during his entrance or immediately after KO’ing Lavar Johnson (granted he is able to). It would go viral faster than Diego Sanchez’s exorcism routine and be ten times as awesome to witness. If you’re still our friend, Pat, please make this happen. We are still buddies, right?
