UFC 107 Preview: The Prelims
Belcher vs. Gouveia
Dec 10, 2009
This Saturday night brings UFC
107 “Penn vs. Sanchez,” and while much of the pre-show talk
rightfully centers around Diego
Sanchez’s psycho-Buddhism and B.J. Penn’s
underwater leaping abilities, the undercard is stacked top to
bottom with quality violence that demands some top-tier fight
talk.
With fights featuring a Mississippi kickboxer, multiple elite sporting beards and a Brazilian mini-tank, everyone needs to start praying to their local Gods for some quick main card fights so we can get some undercard love on the pay-per-view. Get the next best thing in the meantime by having all your knowledge needs met courtesy of a guy who still thinks Fedor Emelianenko is an orangutan in disguise.
Alan
Belcher vs. Wilson
Gouveia
The Breakdown: Knocked off course by top-tier contenders in their last Octagon appearances, both Belcher and Gouveia find their once-promising UFC careers in more danger than Chuck Liddell’s dignity post-“Dancing With The Stars.” Ill-considered publicity stunts aside, the UFC has been cut-happy lately. Neither man can afford a two-fight losing streak in a field with all the job security of bear-baiting.
Baiting is exactly what Belcher needs to do Saturday. He struggles with distance thanks to his habit of closing the pocket by merely rushing forward with his head down, which is a lot like trying to avoid the rain by running really fast. Belcher would be much better served using his leg kicks to keep his quarry at bay since Gouveia’s rudimentary footwork makes cutting off angles difficult, and his hooking punches are a poor match for Belcher’s more disciplined hands.
The problem with that scenario is Belcher’s willingness to mortgage his brain cells for the crowd’s cheers. That is a losing proposition in this bout considering Gouveia makes up for his raw technique with pure power. Toughness isn’t a problem for Belcher, but he doesn’t have the chin to take Gouveia’s best shot and rolling the dice on a brawl will mean handing Gouveia his best chance to win.
The X-Factor: Although both fighters have the wrestling of a malnourished kitten, Gouveia is undeniably talented on the mat while Belcher relies on creating risky scrambles to escape to his feet. In recent matches with Denis Kang and Ed Herman, Belcher’s guard was porous and he struggled to control posture. Those are troubling flaws in any context and especially troublesome in this bout. While Gouveia normally doesn’t look to hit the mat unless his opponent is hurt, Belcher’s JV jiu-jitsu may be all the temptation he needs to switch gears.
* * *
The Bottom Line: More than anything else, Gouveia’s failures can be credited to his lungs, which seem to absorb oxygen at the same rate a toddler absorbs theoretical physics. Stylistically, this fight doesn’t favor Gouveia strongly enough for me to think he’ll put Belcher away early enough for his anti-cardio to stay under wraps. Some early success for Gouveia quickly goes for naught as Belcher seizes control of the bout with a steady stream of leg kicks and superior boxing en route to a unanimous decision nod.
With fights featuring a Mississippi kickboxer, multiple elite sporting beards and a Brazilian mini-tank, everyone needs to start praying to their local Gods for some quick main card fights so we can get some undercard love on the pay-per-view. Get the next best thing in the meantime by having all your knowledge needs met courtesy of a guy who still thinks Fedor Emelianenko is an orangutan in disguise.
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The Breakdown: Knocked off course by top-tier contenders in their last Octagon appearances, both Belcher and Gouveia find their once-promising UFC careers in more danger than Chuck Liddell’s dignity post-“Dancing With The Stars.” Ill-considered publicity stunts aside, the UFC has been cut-happy lately. Neither man can afford a two-fight losing streak in a field with all the job security of bear-baiting.
Baiting is exactly what Belcher needs to do Saturday. He struggles with distance thanks to his habit of closing the pocket by merely rushing forward with his head down, which is a lot like trying to avoid the rain by running really fast. Belcher would be much better served using his leg kicks to keep his quarry at bay since Gouveia’s rudimentary footwork makes cutting off angles difficult, and his hooking punches are a poor match for Belcher’s more disciplined hands.
The problem with that scenario is Belcher’s willingness to mortgage his brain cells for the crowd’s cheers. That is a losing proposition in this bout considering Gouveia makes up for his raw technique with pure power. Toughness isn’t a problem for Belcher, but he doesn’t have the chin to take Gouveia’s best shot and rolling the dice on a brawl will mean handing Gouveia his best chance to win.
The X-Factor: Although both fighters have the wrestling of a malnourished kitten, Gouveia is undeniably talented on the mat while Belcher relies on creating risky scrambles to escape to his feet. In recent matches with Denis Kang and Ed Herman, Belcher’s guard was porous and he struggled to control posture. Those are troubling flaws in any context and especially troublesome in this bout. While Gouveia normally doesn’t look to hit the mat unless his opponent is hurt, Belcher’s JV jiu-jitsu may be all the temptation he needs to switch gears.
The Bottom Line: More than anything else, Gouveia’s failures can be credited to his lungs, which seem to absorb oxygen at the same rate a toddler absorbs theoretical physics. Stylistically, this fight doesn’t favor Gouveia strongly enough for me to think he’ll put Belcher away early enough for his anti-cardio to stay under wraps. Some early success for Gouveia quickly goes for naught as Belcher seizes control of the bout with a steady stream of leg kicks and superior boxing en route to a unanimous decision nod.
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