Alan Belcher vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama

Yoshihiro Akiyama is a highly touted judo fighter making his UFC debut. He’s not well known to North Americans, but he soon will be. Obviously, Dana White sees him as a hot prospect, given that he’s being featured on the main card of the biggest show of the year.

It seems that Alan Belcher is being used as enhancement talent. In theory, the UFC is making a good bet. Belcher has had quite a few fights with the company. He’s known for being a good, if not great fighter. He’s also primarily a stand-up fighter, with Muay Thai being his strongest skill. He’ll have to work a lot on his takedown defense. Akiyama is known for not only his great judo throws but his submission skills too.

We can’t help but recall Belcher’s recent fight with Denis Kang. Alan was supposed to lose, but didn’t get the memo in time. We could easily see another upset here. However the UFC is still making the right move. It’s a bit risky having Akiyama face a no-name opponent. It would also look silly having the match on the main card.

If Akiyama is deserving of the hype he’s getting, he needs to face credible opponents. He’s getting one here, which means that the UFC ultimately made the right move, regardless of what happens in the fight.

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