UFC 113 Preview: Patrick Cote Returns After Lengthy Layoff to Battle Alan Belcher
by Leland Roling on May 6, 2010 11:43 AM EDT
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The first contest to open UFC 113's main card on Saturday will be a middleweight clash between former UFC middleweight contender Patrick Cote (13-5, 4-5 UFC) and Muay Thai specialist Alan Belcher (15-6, 6-4 UFC). The bout marks the return of Cote to active competition after sustaining a knee injury during a championship title fight against current UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva at UFC 90 that sidelined him for roughly 18 months. Cote will now eye a spot near the top with a win while Belcher will continue to try to break into the upper-echelon of the division with a fourth win in five fights.
Cote rattled off four straight wins in the UFC after initially going 0-4 in his previous stints with the promotion. He defeated Scott Smith, Kendall Grove, Drew McFedries, and Ricardo Almeida on his way to a title shot at UFC 90 during a year-and-a-half long resurgence. While many were critical of Cote's shot at Silva, the division lacked any clear cut breakaway contenders with the exception of Cote at the time.
Belcher has been one of the long-time staples of the UFC. He's been with the promotion for almost four years since his debut at UFC 62. His most recent victory came at UFC 107 in which he fought Wilson Gouveia at a catchweight of 195 pounds after Gouveia failed to make weight. He crushed Gouveia in a little over three minutes, earning a "Fight of the Night" honor. He earned the same honor in a narrow split decision defeat at the hands of Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 100, and introduced PRIDE veteran Denis Kang to the UFC by submitting him via guillotine choke at UFC 93.
Striking should be the emphasis in this battle. Belcher is one of the larger middleweights in the division, and while he tends to lose speed due to his size -- the amount of damage he can inflict on his opponents is rather high. He does seem to have problems with his pace and conditioning as the fights drag on, and speedier, smaller fighters can be overwhelming for him if they move in and out of range.
Belcher's biggest asset in this showdown should be his Muay Thai techniques. His size assists him in putting opponents into danger along the fence, and his power obviously factors into the damage he inflicts.
Cote's strategy will more than likely revolve around his footwork and peppering Belcher with blows from the outside while avoiding kicks and smothering clinch work. He's definitely a speedier fighter than Belcher, and as we saw in the Silva fight -- he has the speed to evade strikes. That should work to his advantage as Belcher's size limits his speed, and I imagine Cote will be able to land some significant strikes while avoiding Belcher's power.
While much of the time as of late has been spent rehabilitating his knee and getting back into fighting form, it's still going to be very interesting to see how he reacts to actually battling it out in the cage with a heavy striker like Belcher. Will he be hesitant to being hit in his legs? Or will he be fearless?
This could potentially be a real barn burner of a fight, and it could give both men some significant bonus money if their styles play out as they should. While I think Cote's ring rust is a huge question mark, Belcher's defense doesn't inspire confidence in a pick for me. He has a very real chance of winning, but I think Belcher allows his opponents to land way too often. Cote has the potential to hit like that bus that Luke is always telling people to jump in front of.
I also think Belcher's conditioning is a factor. As a bulkier middleweight who cuts down significantly, he may always have that problem. If Cote can tire him out with footwork for a couple of rounds, he'll have a higher percentage chance at downing Belcher in the third.
Belcher's best chance, albeit it's very unlikely, is to use his size to put Cote on his back and force him to use his jiu-jitsu to regain his feet. That may be a bad gameplan in that it may tire out Belcher quicker, but I think it's his best chance at avoiding damage and doling out his own punishment.
In the end however, I have to go with Patrick Cote. It's a risky pick due to the ring rust, but Cote's fists should do the talking in this potential Fight of the Night candidate.
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Belcher takes this.
He has been improving steadily on his past few fights… He’s Bigger, longer, and doesn’t have to comeback from an injury that kept him out for a year an a half…
He’s also defensively deficient, gets tired much faster than his opponents, is slower in his striking ability, and wastes a lot of energy. I think Cote is going to come out quicker and be able to evade Belcher.
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"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
by Leland Roling on May 6, 2010 10:38 AM EDT up reply actions
I think Cote will be the one who's going to get tired faster this time though.
ring rust is a big factor I think… that long a layoff, plus having to recover from that injury is no joke. I really don’t expect to see the same Cote in there.
by Anton Tabuena on May 6, 2010 10:44 AM EDT up reply actions
From what I’ve read, he could have came back sooner, but has opted to train and get his conditioning back in order to stifle any ring rust that may come of the injury. I don’t know if he’ll gas out quickly. He’ll definitely have some rust.
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"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
by Leland Roling on May 6, 2010 11:01 AM EDT up reply actions
Ring rust is only a factor with stupid fighters...
Cote is tough and will not get finished…
He hung in there with Anderson and did tag him a few times…
That was actually a GOOD fight, but with an anticlimactic ending due to injury.
Belcher has a slow pace if he is not initiating the action…
Cote will pick and Choose…
Cote by decision
by Roll NControl on May 6, 2010 1:00 PM EDT up reply actions
Cote by KO. His chin is incredible, and he hits harder. As Leland mentioned, Cote is also faster and is very technically sound.
Odds
Hmm, I like these predictions!
I know who I’m picking on sherdog.com!
I'm from Canada, and they think I'm slow eh!
I'm hoping Cote takes this
But that’s a ton of ring rust to shake. He does have better cardio than Belcher and has punching power, but I’m just worried that he’s gonna look like a fish out of water out there.
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wow still 50/50 split.
i got cote. yeah some ring rust but man he has to be motivated to train after he hung in there with silva.
and as you said Leland,
this fight could very well steal the show, and rightfully so…. but I think, the Stout vs Stephens bout is the one that’s going to bring in the fireworks.
I hope Stephens takes his damn head off.
:)
Walking the line between intelligence and ignorance since 1985
@deowade
by Damon O. on May 6, 2010 11:00 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
same here,
He may not be as talented as the top dogs, but Stephens is still one of my favorite fighters…
by Anton Tabuena on May 6, 2010 11:01 AM EDT up reply actions
Plus
It annoys me that a man with zero power is called “Hands of Stone”. BLAAARGH.
Walking the line between intelligence and ignorance since 1985
@deowade
Actually...
Sam Stout has been on a tare lately…
Stephens has been disappointing…mainly compared to that UPPERCUT of DosAnjos…
Stout will finish him easily…
by Roll NControl on May 6, 2010 1:03 PM EDT up reply actions
Is that right?
Has Sam Stout finished anyone since he’s stepped foot in the UFC?
Walking the line between intelligence and ignorance since 1985
@deowade
You dont have to finish people in order
to beat the living $hit out of them…
He has improved in the last year…
It is a whole lot harder to finish people by KO/TKO at the lighter weights…
Sam is a kickboxer too…
that would be why…
by Roll NControl on May 6, 2010 1:47 PM EDT up reply actions
Van Damme was a kickboxer and he KO'd Tong Po
I don’t understand what your last statement means
Follow me on twitter @thisredengine
For some reason I read that as Van Damme ko’ed Pootie Tang.
"I am a man who pisses largely and frequently, which they say is a sign of great mental activity" -Henry Miller-
Correction
Only way VD does that is if Pootie Tang isn’t wearinghis belt.a rubber.
Walking the line between intelligence and ignorance since 1985
@deowade
by Damon O. on May 6, 2010 2:14 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
The hell are you talking on about?
Walking the line between intelligence and ignorance since 1985
@deowade
Another uppercut from china to put stout away would be bad assssss
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by II SMASH II on May 6, 2010 11:22 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Canadians bringing the fireworks
Stout and Cote should showcase some of the finest aspects of Canadian MMA Saturday night.
by Worldisart on May 6, 2010 11:15 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I'm picking against them both...
Stephens is a huge underdog though.
by Anton Tabuena on May 6, 2010 11:24 AM EDT up reply actions
You’re just bitter against Canadians because you had to rock our flag for so long. : )
http://www.twitter.com/TB_Money
I don't know what you are talking about.
by Anton Tabuena on May 6, 2010 11:31 AM EDT up reply actions
Blocked what out?
I don’t know what you guys are referring to.
by Anton Tabuena on May 7, 2010 1:39 AM EDT up reply actions
What bet did you lose?
I thought you were a Canadian. Glad to see your not one though.
Google Ron Paul!
I'm Filipino.
I didn’t lose anything. ;)
by Anton Tabuena on May 7, 2010 1:42 AM EDT up reply actions
Lost a bet, to Ubernoober if I’m not incorrect.
"I'm AJB and I endorse this nut-puncher."
by AJB on May 7, 2010 5:24 AM EDT up reply actions
what bet?
I have no recollection of that happening.
by Anton Tabuena on May 7, 2010 8:23 AM EDT up reply actions
You need to start doing a Clinton: “How do you definte ‘bet’? What exactly does the verb ‘lose’ imply?”
"I'm AJB and I endorse this nut-puncher."
by AJB on May 7, 2010 9:02 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I'm taking Cote
But I fear Stout’s lack of power is going to hurt him here. I just have flashbacks of Stephens’ Mortal Kombat style KO of Dos Anjos back at UFC 91.
Regardless, both fantastic exciting Canadian fighters, I think win or lose they’ll assert themselves well.
Don’t forget what Shogun was like in his first two fights after knee surgery against Griffin and Coleman.
knee surgerys a hell of a thing to come back from
cote’s more than likely gonna be visibly slower as well, i wanna see him win this but im going with belcher
We have a saying back home that if your coming on, COME ON!!!!
I’m surprised that many people think Cote will win. Belcher has been improving in each fight, crushed Gouveia, crushed Kang, and I thought he beat Akiyama. Cote hasn’t fought in almost two years. I think Belcher rolls him, and it won’t even be close.
Crushed Kang? You mean, got whipped badly through the first round and then in the second Kang stuck his head into a choke for no reason. Belcher HAS been improving, and his win over Gouveia was impressive. But he didn’t dominate Kang OR Akiyama (I do think he lost to Akiyama), and Cote is better than both of them.
"I'm AJB and I endorse this nut-puncher."
If there was an edit feature, I would’ve deleted the “crushed Kang” part, you are right, but I stand by my prediction. 18 months is a long time, and I’ve never been sold on Cote to begin with. No real analysis, I just think Belcher is underrated and Cote is overrated.
by WestbergIDFC on May 6, 2010 12:20 PM EDT up reply actions
Belcher was, I think, underrated; lately I think the opinions of him are more realistic (Leland’s take on Belcher is very similar to mine). Cote may be being overrated somewhat at the moment, but he also gets underrated because of the Anderson Silva fight. Belcher hits hard; Cote hits harder than almost anyone at MW. Both guys can take a hit. Neither is extremely fast, but Belcher is probably more fluid with his combos while Cote is faster in avoiding shots because of his footwork. I think Cote’s defence and chin are better than Belcher’s, but that’s just opinion – I don’t have any specifics to back that up.
It’s a DAMN close fight, no matter how you cut it.
"I'm AJB and I endorse this nut-puncher."
Kang was highly overrated. Gouveia came in way overweight and was visibly exhausted before he even stepped into the cage. Akiyama beat Belcher, barely.
Follow me on Twitter @lelandroling
"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
by Leland Roling on May 6, 2010 12:29 PM EDT up reply actions
He didn't really "crush" Kang
He was losing up until he pulled that guillotine out of his ass. Although I also had him winning the Akiyama fight.
Belcher’s main problem that no one has brought up yet is simple: inconsistency. He’s good enough to have beaten guys like Jorge Santiago, Kang, and Gouveia, but he has also lost fights he should have won, namely against Kendall Grove and Jason Day. If Belcher shows up 100% mentally focused, he takes this fight.
"If I wanted to spend a half hour between two hairy legs I'd go to your mother's house." -Don Frye
Cote/Belcher picks are pretty even
I think I may just pick a draw here.
"It's fourth and fifteen and you're looking at a full-court press." - Lt. Frank Drebin, Police Squad
I will take Belcher via Fruitypants.
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Cote’s MT is very good; he just uses it differently than Belcher. Cote knows to check kicks, throws a decent leg kick (especially the inside leg kick), but mostly uses kicks and footwork to set up his punches. It’s not because he’s a pure boxer; it’s because he has dynamite in his fists.
Some guys just seem to have heavy power in their hands, regardless of how or when they throw; Pat Barry, Dan Henderson, so on. Cote is definitely in that group, and he knows it.
"I'm AJB and I endorse this nut-puncher."
Belcher is good and all
But he’s fighting freakin Patrick Cote!
This fight will make me a rich man… in virtual money
Alan Belcher looked good against Sexyama, but not so good against Gouveia. I don’t think there’s much chance he goes and stands there and trades with Patrick Cote the way he did with Cote and comes out of it well.
Still, Belcher is for real, and Cote’s coming off of a long layoff. The interesting thing about this fight is that we get to see whether Cote’s rise to the top was just one of those really unlikely events, or whether he can stick around as as a top 10 middle. Really excited for this fight.
Gouveia was gassed instantly, probably the reason why his cut was so terrible as well. I don’t really give Belcher a ton of accolades for that fight per say.
Follow me on Twitter @lelandroling
"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
by Leland Roling on May 6, 2010 2:06 PM EDT up reply actions
Oh, the other thing is that if Cote and Wandy both win their next fights, put them in against each other.
I'd like to see that even if they lose
Wand vs anybody at MW I’d like to see, really.
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by slapjaw ackrite on May 6, 2010 1:50 PM EDT up reply actions
Cote’s iron chin and heavy hands are a bad matchup for Wandy.
"I am a man who pisses largely and frequently, which they say is a sign of great mental activity" -Henry Miller-
Don’tjinxit don’tjinkit don’tjinxit….
"I'm AJB and I endorse this nut-puncher."
by AJB on May 7, 2010 5:25 AM EDT up reply actions
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