Bodog Beat

Alan Belcher looks to spoil the US debut of Yoshihiro Akiyama. (AP Images)

The opening fight on the main card for Saturday’s UFC 100 features the stateside debut of Korean-Japanese sensation Yoshihiro Akiyama. He’s an accomplished judoka who turns 34 this month, and he’s a –275 chalk against Mississippi’s own Alan Belcher (+215).

We’ve seen other fighters from Japan (including those from PRIDE) have trouble navigating their maiden UFC voyages against less accomplished fighters. Belcher is definitely the less accomplished fighter here despite spending the last three years in the Octagon; his record there is 5-3, including a victory over Denis Kang – himself a veteran of PRIDE making his first fight for UFC back in January.

Akiyama has already proved himself a step above Kang, courtesy of a first-round KO two years ago for the HERO'S promotion, an offshoot of K-1. The kickboxing experience Akiyama picked up should combine with his judo skills to make his transition to the Octagon a smooth one.

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