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By: Jason Bent, MMATorch Columnist Our third bout of the main televised portion of the PPV card features the debut of Pride veteran Denis Kang as he tries to prove he belongs on the biggest stage of all by handling the UFC veteran in Alan Belcher. Denis Kang has everything to prove, and he will be trying to do so against a man who has nothing to lose in Alan Belcher, and this is why this particular fight could prove to be one of the best of the evening. On paper this may not look to be the very best matchup, but Belcher has been progressively becoming a better fighter while Kang has fallen a few rungs and this is very much a crossroads match for both men.
Alan "The Talent" Belcher is coming off of a disputed split decision victory over Ed Herman at 'UFC Fight Night: Diaz vs. Neer,' but in my opinion he did happen to do just enough to eke out the decision. He really has not defeated what you would call a notable opponent, and along the way has lost to such recognizable names as Kendall Grove, Yushin Okami and Marvin Eastman. At only 24 years of age, Belcher has a tremendous amount of experience and quite an upside to him, but this is also the last fight on his current UFC contract and he needs to show a lot in this particular fight if he hopes to continue with the promotion.
Belcher is very adept on his feet and quite skilled in the area of Muay Thai, and when he can keep things standing it really shows, but he is not at all a slouch on the ground. Conditioning has been key with Belcher, but this is also the case with most every fighter and especially so with the younger ones who simply have not taken full advantage of their training and have consistently gotten by on raw talent. Belcher is in fact a raw talent, with the emphasis on raw, and he is going to have to have had a much better camp for this fight and show much more than he did against Herman if he hopes to pull off the upset. In terms of striking he should have an advantage over Kang, but this is a very, very slight advantage and is more contingent on Kang looking like he has recently rather than what he once was. Alan can pull off submissions but this is not necessarily his forte, and he really should not be looking to win this one on the ground or even spend a lot of time there if he can help it.
Denis Kang is a well known name to hardcore fans of MMA, and is finally making his UFC debut in what really should be a victory for him if he indeed has anything left at this point. Kang has gone 3-3 over his last 6 fights, and this calls into question if his better days are behind him; but in facing Belcher he has a choice opportunity to erase all such doubts.
Over the course of his career, Kang has defeated the likes of Murilo Rua, Akihiro Gono and Marvin Eastman; but he has faced top competition for the bulk of his career, and even in losing has often given a solid showing of himself. Notable fighters who hold a victory over Kang include Gegard Mousasi, Yoshihiro Akiyama, Jason Miller and Joe Doerksen. Facts are that fighters like Mousasi and Akiyama are two of the best fighters in the world, and there is no shame in having lost to either, or both, of these men in the manner which Kang has done. So if you judge these losses differently it would appear that he hasn't hit a rough spot in his career but rather happened to be unlucky enough to face two buzzsaws who give everyone trouble.
Denis Kang holds a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu but is also a solid striker who did score a KO over Murilo Rua, and as such his stand up is nothing to sneer at. Primarily Kang looks to take things to the ground, and he is a tremendous submission specialist who should probably be looking to submit Belcher and try to make a nice splash on the UFC scene for those who are not familiar with him, while putting on a performance that can show those who are familiar that he should not be forgotten or counted out just yet.
For Alan Belcher to win this fight it is going to take him coming in having had a great camp and being in better cardiovascular shape than usual. He is young so he has slouched on this in the past, but against a guy like Kang it could spell doom so first and foremost he needs to be in his best shape possible. Belcher needs to keep this one standing and avoid the clinch, as well as the takedowns, and try to do his best to make this one a Muay Thai bout, as this would give him what could be seen as a slight advantage. Alan Belcher is not expected to win this fight at all, but if he comes in with the mentality that he has nothing to lose and utilizes his kickboxing skills it is possible that he could pull off the upset. It most certainly would be an upset, and Belcher is a decided underdog, but he is a live dog and should be looking to prove just as much against an opponent who is looking to do the same.
For Denis Kang to win this fight he is going to have to be capable of weathering Belcher's storm and look to take this one down to the ground where he is most comfortable. He may look to bang a little with Belcher, as this does excite the fans and could serve to make his introduction a memorable one, but he really should not take unnecessary risks simply for the sake of looking good. He needs a win and he needs to win this fight, and this should be a case of getting the 'W' today and trying to look good the next time out. Belcher should have the advantage in terms of striking but Kang does have enough pop that it is conceivable he could stop his foe although more likely he will grind it out and finish this one off by way of submission.
Bent's Prediction: Denis Kang by 2nd Round Submission
Alan Belcher is cannon fodder in this bout, and if Denis Kang is anything like he used to be it should be over by the middle of the second round. Belcher is talented and shows lots of promise, but he is facing a supremely skilled veteran who needs to start his UFC career off with a bang and should be at his very best, which at this moment is way too much for 'The Talent.' Ed Herman gave Belcher more than he could handle, so it should be a no-brainer that Denis Kang gets the win in his Octagon debut.
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Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
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