Alan Belcher requested that his career be taken more serious by the UFC brass, and now he’ll have a chance to face top competition. Belcher and fellow middleweight fighter Demian Maia have verbally agreed to face one another at Ultimate Fight Night 22 on September 15.
UFN 22 is expected to lead into the season premiere of the 12th installment of The Ultimate Fighter, featuring head coaches Georges St. Pierre and Josh Koscheck.
Belcher (22-6) most recently fought at UFC 113. He defeated the returning Patrick Cote with a rear naked choke in the second round of their bout. Belcher picked up Submission of the Night honors in the victory. He has won four of his last five fights, and he was openly critical of the UFC after the Cote fight asking for better competition. Belcher went as far to call out middleweight champion Anderson Silva.
Maia (12-2) knows all about Silva. The two fought in April at UFC 112. Maia dropped a unanimous decision but gained the respect and admiration of critics and fans alike by taking the fight to Silva in the later rounds. Maia gained the opportunity to fight Silva after Vitor Belfort was forced out due to an injury. Maia’s only other career loss came at the hands of Nate Marquardt via knockout at UFC 102.
The fight between Belcher and Maia is expected to be the main event of the show. A win for Belcher could vault him to the top of the middleweight standings and earn him a title shot within a year.
