After a 16-month lay-off, “The Talent” Alan Belcher (black trunks) is ready to return to the cage and prove once again that he is a formidable opponent in the UFC’s 185lbs. division. (Photo courtesy of Zuffa, LLC.)
Over his seven-year professional career, “The Talent” Alan Belcher (16-6) has steadily climbed the ranks of MMA’s middleweight division. The Mississippi native initially burst on to the scene in 2004 at just 20 years old, making a name for himself in several local circuits and even competing in Korean promotion X-Impact World Championships. In 2006 Belcher signed with the UFC, where he has since amassed a 7-4 record within the premier organization. “The Talent” is well known for his slick submissions, as evident by his pair of “Submission of the Night” awards, but is perhaps even more renowned for his purist Muay Thai style and do-or-die approach to fighting. He has gone four for five since September 2008, taking out “Short Fuse” Ed Herman (17-8), Denis Kang (35-13-1), Wilson Gouveia (12-8), and “The Predator” Patrick Cote (15-7) in the process and earning four consecutive performance-based fight bonuses. Belcher was slated to take on former top contender Demian Maia (13-3) at UFC Fight Night 22 as the marquis fight, but just six weeks before the event, the unthinkable happened - “The Talent” was forced to withdraw from the bout after sustaining a detached retina and undergoing emergency eye surgery. For many, such an injury would have been career-ending. But for Belcher, he’s healed up and ready to stake his claim in the UFC’s middleweight division once again. Just a few days shy of his long awaited return at UFC Fight Night 25 this Saturday, Belcher spoke with MMA Gospel staff writer Matt Homeyer about his injury, his road to recovery, and his determination to move forward. Continue reading »
