Alan Belcher - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

John Alan Belcher is an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

Mixed martial arts

Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...

who fights in the middleweight division of the UFC

Ultimate Fighting Championship

The Ultimate Fighting Championship is the largest mixed martial arts promotion company in the world that hosts most of the top-ranked fighters in the sport...

. He fights out of Remix MMA in Biloxi, Mississippi

Biloxi, Mississippi

Biloxi is a city in Harrison County, Mississippi, in the United States. The 2010 census recorded the population as 44,054. Along with Gulfport, Biloxi is a county seat of Harrison County....

, where he is also the owner. Belcher holds notable wins over Jorge Santiago

Jorge Santiago

|-| Loss|align=center| 23-10| Demian Maia| Decision | UFC 136| |align=center| 3|align=center| 5:00| Houston, Texas, United States||-| Loss|align=center| 23–9| Brian Stann| TKO | UFC 130| |align=center| 2|align=center| 4:29...

, Jason MacDonald

Jason MacDonald

Jason Anthony MacDonald is a Canadian mixed martial artist who is currently fighting with the Ultimate Fighting Championship as a middleweight. He is also a veteran of the Maximum Fighting Championship and TKO Major League MMA in his native country of Canada...

, Ed Herman, Dennis Kang, and Patrick Côté

Patrick Côté (fighter)

Patrick Côté is a French-Canadian mixed martial artist. He currently fights as a middleweight, most recently in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, and was the TKO Major League MMA middleweight champion...

. He is ranked as the #10 middleweight fighter in the world by MMAweekly, as of november 2011.

Mixed martial arts career

Belcher made his professional debut in July 2004 against Tim Ellis in Freestyle Fighting Championship and won by TKO. His MMA career then picked up significantly in early 2006, the year in which Belcher amassed 9 fights, going 8–1. Alan has won 5 of his last 6 fights in the UFC with his only loss being a very controversial split decision loss to Yoshihiro Akiyama

Yoshihiro Akiyama

, born Choo Sung-hoon , is a Japanese mixed martial artist and judoka. He is a fourth-generation Japanese of Korean descent and acquired Japanese nationality in 2001....

Ultimate Fighting Championships

In 2006 he lost a unanimous decision at the hands of Yushin Okami

Yushin Okami

is a Japanese mixed martial artist. He currently fights at middleweight for the Ultimate Fighting Championship . Okami is currently ranked the #3 best middleweight in the world by Sherdog and the #2 best middleweight by MMAWeekly....

at UFC 62
UFC 62
UFC 62: Liddell vs. Sobral was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on August 26, 2006. The event took place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada and was broadcast live on pay-per-view in the United States and Canada.The main event was a Light...

in his UFC debut.

Belcher made his second UFC appearance against Jorge Santiago

Jorge Santiago

three months later, winning by stunning head kick KO in the third round of a very close fight.

At UFC 69
UFC 69
UFC 69: Shootout was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on Saturday, April 7, 2007 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas...

, Belcher lost to The Ultimate Fighter 3
The Ultimate Fighter 3
The Ultimate Fighter 3 was the third season of the mixed martial arts reality television series The Ultimate Fighter. It premiered on April 6, 2006, immediately after the conclusion of Ultimate Fight Night 4. The season featured sixteen fighters with still-feuding former champion Tito Ortiz and...

winner Kendall Grove

Kendall Grove

Kendall Kekoa Grove is an American mixed martial artist. He was the winner of The Ultimate Fighter 3 on Spike TV.- Early life :...

. Belcher then defeated Sean Salmon

Sean Salmon

Sean Michael Salmon is an American mixed martial artist who currently competes as a light heavyweight...

one month later at UFC 71
UFC 71
UFC 71: Liddell vs. Jackson was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The event took place on Saturday, May 26, 2007 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.-Background:...

with a guillotine choke 53 seconds into the first round. Belcher took the fight on ten-days notice after Eric Schafer

Eric Schafer

Eric John Schafer is an American mixed martial artist who competes a middleweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.-Background and early career:Schafer attended the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh....

pulled out due to sustaining a broken rib during training. This fight was at 205 pounds.

Belcher then defeated Kalib Starnes

Kalib Starnes

Kalib Axel Starnes is a retired Canadian mixed martial artist of Metis descent. He was featured in the third season of the reality TV series, The Ultimate Fighter...

at UFC 77
UFC 77
UFC 77: Hostile Territory was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship . The event took place on Saturday, October 20, 2007 at the U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio...

on October 20, 2007. After controlling the fight with punches and knees from the clinch, the fight was eventually stopped in favor of Belcher due to a large gash over Starnes' right eye.

Belcher was scheduled to fight at UFC 81
UFC 81
UFC 81: Breaking Point was a mixed martial arts event held on February 2, 2008 by the Ultimate Fighting Championship at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on the Las Vegas Strip....

against Ricardo Almeida

Ricardo Almeida

Ricardo Almeida is a retired Brazilian-American mixed martial artist and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu grappler residing in Bordentown, New Jersey.-Background:...

, but Belcher had to pull out two days before the fight due to a severe case of bronchitis

Bronchitis

Acute bronchitis is an inflammation of the large bronchi in the lungs that is usually caused by viruses or bacteria and may last several days or weeks. Characteristic symptoms include cough, sputum production, and shortness of breath and wheezing related to the obstruction of the inflamed airways...

.

Belcher was scheduled to fight Patrick Cote

Patrick Côté (fighter)

at UFC 83
UFC 83
UFC 83: Serra vs St-Pierre 2 was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The event was held on April 19, 2008, at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. UFC 83 was the UFC's first event in Canada...

in Montreal, but Cote withdrew due to a knee injury. Newcomer Jason Day

Jason Day (fighter)

Jason Day is a Canadian mixed martial artist born in Lethbridge, Alberta. He has fought for a variety of Mixed martial arts promotions, including the Ultimate Fighting Championship, TKO Major League MMA, and King of the Cage....

replaced Cote. Belcher eventually was caught by a punch causing Day to swarm punches at Belcher against the fence. The fight was ruled a TKO in favor of Day in the first round.

After a split decision victory over Ed Herman, Belcher fought UFC newcomer and Pride FC veteran Denis Kang

Denis Kang

Denis Kang is a Canadian mixed martial artist of Korean French descent. He was the PRIDE FC welterweight grand prix finalist in which he lost to Kazuo Misaki...

at UFC 93
UFC 93
UFC 93: Franklin vs. Henderson was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on January 17, 2009 at The O2, Dublin in Dublin, Ireland....

. Kang won the first round after taking down and controlling Belcher on the ground. However, Kang began to fight more and more conservatively, and when he tried to take Belcher down again late in the second round, Belcher caught him in a tight guillotine that made Kang almost immediately tap out, winning him a $45,000 Submission of the Night bonus. The fight was considered an upset to many MMA fans.

Belcher lost a split decision to Japanese superstar Yoshihiro Akiyama

Yoshihiro Akiyama

, born Choo Sung-hoon , is a Japanese mixed martial artist and judoka. He is a fourth-generation Japanese of Korean descent and acquired Japanese nationality in 2001....

, at UFC 100
UFC 100
UFC 100 was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on July 11, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada.-Background:...

on July 11, 2009. The fight earned Fight of the Night honors, rewarding both fighters with a record setting $100,000.

Belcher defeated Wilson Gouveia

Wilson Gouveia

Wilson Gouveia is a Brazilian mixed martial artist.At and , Gouveia fights as a light heavyweight in the Maximum Fighting Championships organization after a stint as a middleweight in the UFC. He holds a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and is a member of American Top Team...

on December 12, 2009, at UFC 107

UFC 107

UFC 107: Penn vs. Sanchez was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on December 12, 2009 in Memphis, Tennessee at the FedExForum.-Background:...

by TKO in the first round. During the fight, Belcher displayed a good chin and precise punches. The fight was awarded Fight of the Night which rewarded both fighters with $65,000. The award meant Belcher had received three bonuses in a row in 2009.

Belcher defeated Patrick Côté

Patrick Côté (fighter)

on May 8, 2010, at UFC 113

UFC 113

UFC 113: Machida vs. Shogun 2 was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on May 8, 2010, at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.-Background:...

by way of rear naked choke after a controversial face plant that rocked Cote and enabled Belcher to secure the choke. During his post-fight interview, Belcher called out UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva

Anderson Silva

Anderson da Silva is a Brazilian mixed martial artist. He is the current UFC Middleweight Champion and the promotion's longest reigning champion. With 14 consecutive wins, Silva holds the longest winning streak and title defense streak in UFC history...

. Belcher received an extra $65,000 for winning the Submission of the Night award which was his fourth consecutive fight night bonus.

Belcher was expected to face Demian Maia

Demian Maia

Demian Maia Baptista is a Brazilian mixed martial artist and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner. He currently fights for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Maia is currently ranked the #6 middleweight in the world by Sherdog and Yahoo! Sports., and the #8 middleweight fighter in the world by...

on September 15, 2010, at UFC Fight Night: Maia vs. Belcher in his first main event. However, on August 1, 2010, Belcher withdrew from the fight with Maia after undergoing emergency eye surgery. Alan stated on his Twitter

Twitter

Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...

account that he started to lose the vision in his right eye whilst in Brazil.

Belcher's manager, Malki Kawa, in April updated his recovery, saying that Belcher was back in training and looking forward to a return to the Octagon in September. The UFC hadn't yet announced many plans for September, although there will be a UFC Fight Night event in New Orleans on September 17, where Belcher would be a natural fit.

Belcher faced Jason MacDonald

Jason MacDonald

on September 17, 2011 at UFC Fight Night 25

UFC Fight Night 25

UFC Fight Night: Shields vs. Ellenberger was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on September 17, 2011 at the Ernest N...

. Belcher stuffed a takedown from MacDonald and ended up on top early in the first round. Belcher quickly postured up and began landing punches and elbows with laser-beam precision to open Jason's guard. He then passed and continued to punish MacDonald and won the fight via verbal submission due to strikes in the first round.

Personal life

Belcher and his wife Ashlee had their first child, a daughter named Ava Elize on January 18, 2010.

Mixed martial arts record

|-
| Win
|align=center| 17-6
| Jason MacDonald

Jason MacDonald

New Orleans, Louisiana

New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...

, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 16–6
| Patrick Côté

Patrick Côté (fighter)

| Submission (rear-naked choke)
| UFC 113

UFC 113

UFC 113: Machida vs. Shogun 2 was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on May 8, 2010, at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.-Background:...

|
|align=center| 2
|align=center| 3:25
|Montreal, Quebec, Canada
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 15–6
| Wilson Gouveia

Wilson Gouveia

| TKO (punches)
| UFC 107

UFC 107

UFC 107: Penn vs. Sanchez was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on December 12, 2009 in Memphis, Tennessee at the FedExForum.-Background:...

Memphis, Tennessee

Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....

Yoshihiro Akiyama

, born Choo Sung-hoon , is a Japanese mixed martial artist and judoka. He is a fourth-generation Japanese of Korean descent and acquired Japanese nationality in 2001....

| Decision (split)
| UFC 100

UFC 100

UFC 100 was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on July 11, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada.-Background:...

Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...

, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 14–5
| Denis Kang

Denis Kang

Denis Kang is a Canadian mixed martial artist of Korean French descent. He was the PRIDE FC welterweight grand prix finalist in which he lost to Kazuo Misaki...

| Submission (guillotine choke)
| UFC 93

UFC 93

UFC 93: Franklin vs. Henderson was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on January 17, 2009 at The O2, Dublin in Dublin, Ireland....

|
|align=center| 2
|align=center| 4:36
|Dublin, Ireland
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 13–5
| Ed Herman

Ed Herman (fighter)

Edward Benson Herman is an American mixed martial artist. He currently fights for the Ultimate Fighting Championship in their middleweight division and holds notable wins over Kyle Noke, Brian Ebersole, David Loiseau, Dave Menne, Scott Smith, Nick Thompson and Joe Doerksen...

Omaha, Nebraska

Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...

Jason Day (fighter)

| TKO (punches)
| UFC 83

UFC 83

UFC 83: Serra vs St-Pierre 2 was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The event was held on April 19, 2008, at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. UFC 83 was the UFC's first event in Canada...

|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 3:58
|Montreal, Quebec, Canada
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 12–4
| Kalib Starnes

Kalib Starnes

Kalib Axel Starnes is a retired Canadian mixed martial artist of Metis descent. He was featured in the third season of the reality TV series, The Ultimate Fighter...

| TKO (doctor stoppage)
| UFC 77

UFC 77

UFC 77: Hostile Territory was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship . The event took place on Saturday, October 20, 2007 at the U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio...

Cincinnati, Ohio

Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...

, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 11–4
| Sean Salmon

Sean Salmon

Sean Michael Salmon is an American mixed martial artist who currently competes as a light heavyweight...

| Submission (guillotine choke)
| UFC 71

UFC 71

UFC 71: Liddell vs. Jackson was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The event took place on Saturday, May 26, 2007 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.-Background:...

Las Vegas, Nevada

Kendall Grove

Kendall Kekoa Grove is an American mixed martial artist. He was the winner of The Ultimate Fighter 3 on Spike TV.- Early life :...

| Submission (brabo choke)
| UFC 69

UFC 69

UFC 69: Shootout was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on Saturday, April 7, 2007 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas...

Houston, Texas

Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...

, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 10–3
| Jorge Santiago

Jorge Santiago

San Diego, California

San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...

Yushin Okami

| Decision (unanimous)
| UFC 62

UFC 62

UFC 62: Liddell vs. Sobral was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on August 26, 2006. The event took place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada and was broadcast live on pay-per-view in the United States and Canada.The main event was a Light...

Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas, Nevada

San Diego, California

Las Vegas, Nevada

Kansas City, Kansas

Kansas City is the third-largest city in the state of Kansas and is the county seat of Wyandotte County. It is a suburb of Kansas City, Missouri, and is the third largest city in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. The city is part of a consolidated city-county government known as the "Unified...

Tulsa, Oklahoma

Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...

Tulsa, Oklahoma

Tulsa, Oklahoma

Marvin Eastman

Marvin Lee Eastman is an American mixed martial artist with a background in collegiate wrestling and Muay Thai. He is currently the light heavyweight champion of the Elite Fighting Championship and the IFO champion...

Enid, Oklahoma

Enid is a city in Garfield County, Oklahoma, United States. In 2010, the population was 49,379, making it the ninth largest city in Oklahoma. It is the county seat of Garfield County. Enid was founded during the opening of the Cherokee Outlet in the Land Run of 1893, and is named after Enid, a...

Tunica, Mississippi

Tunica is a town in Tunica County, Mississippi, United States, located near the Mississippi River. Until the early 1990s the town was one of the most impoverished places in the United States, semi-famous for the particularly deprived neighbourhood known as "Sugar Ditch Alley", named for the open...

, United States
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External links

Official UFC Profile

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