Belcher looking forward to a “challenging fight”

MMA veteran Alan Belcher is looking forward to a ‘challenging fight’ when he faces Japanese sensation Yoshihiro Akiyama in the Octagon at UFC 100 in Las Vegas on Saturday.

Akiyama holds an impressive 12-1 record before making his debut in the UFC, but Belcher had no problems accepting the fight.

“That’s what fighting is all about, to test yourself,” Belcher told 5thRound.com.

“It should be a challenging fight. I think Akiyama is a really well-rounded guy. He’s a great judo player. His stand-up looks good. His ground is strong. He’s got a good record. I think it’s going to be a good match.”

Belcher could be closing in on a fight against middleweight champion Anderson Silva if he manages to win the fight over Akiyama.

“Obviously, I understand that it makes more sense for me to fight somebody like Akiyama,” Belcher said. “It kind of puts me up the ladder a little bit more. Either way, it doesn’t matter just as long as I get back in there.”

Tags: Anderson Silva, UFC, Yoshihiro Akiyama