UFC on FX 7 preview

This Saturday when the UFC invades Brazil, I can’t pretend my interest goes past the Main Event. Though I must say that I look forward to the crowd’s enthusiasm and the Main Event provides plenty of intrigue. Michael Bisping has long been an underrated fighter, partly due to his time spent in the TUF house and more so due to his boisterous persona. Vitor Belfort has probably been overrated through the years due to his high profile debut in the UFC and his prolific knockouts, Together, what we have is a perfect mesh of styles and a tough fight to call.

Michael Bisping is a polarizing figure that people just have a hard time giving respect. He’s been facing the best in the Middleweight division for many years in pursuit of a title fight. He has tremendous stamina and excellent hands to go along with an underrated chin and a supreme will to win. There is always something his detractors will offer, but the man is near the top of the sport.

Vitor Belfort almost shocked the world when he sunk that arm bar onto Jon Jones. While things didn’t go his way he still reintroduced his name into the MMA world once again. The Brazilian has lethal power in both hands and obvious submission skills that surpass those of his counterpart. At the same time, Vitor has been involved at the top of the sport for a long time and you have to wonder how desperate he is to look across the cage at Anderson Silva or Jon Jones again when it’s clearly all that Bisping wants.

The stakes couldn’t be higher. Bisping has long been after a title shot that has somehow evaded him and Vitor has spent years in and out of activity while maintaining his early reputation as one of the most dangerous men in the sport.

The action, to me, is tough to visualize. Both of them are stand up tacticians with Belfort having a decide edge in power and Bisping being the more active fighter with excellent footwork and a never ending motor. I see an excellent fight transpiring with both combatants finding themselves on the cusp of victory several times during the bout.

Expect Belfort to start the fight in his usually aggressive manor with Bisping using tight counters and his footwork to keep the Brazilian at bay. I think Michael has more of a chin than his reputation would lead you to believe, so my stab is some nice early exchanges that will end with Belfort flooring the Brit with a left hand along the way to secure the opening round.

Bisping is nothing if not resilient, and in round two I’m looking for him to switch things up and use his underrated takedowns to put Belfort on his back as they engage in an unexpected ground battle. Michael will avoid the Brazilians submissions and use effective ground and pound that will tire Vitor heading into the final round where Bisping will pick apart a tired Vitor standing up en route to a decision win and a shot at the Middleweight crown.

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