Palhares believes Belcher's pre-UFC on FOX 3 talk means one thing: He's worried

trustkill · 05-03-2012, 06:54 AM

Link to full article: Palhares believes Belcher's pre-UFC on FOX 3 talk means one thing: He's worried | MMAjunkie.com

Quote:

NEW YORK CITY – Middleweight Rousimar Palhares knows when an opponent is worried about him, which is by now a regular thing.

"When they start talking a lot, I think that's because they're worried," Palhares (14-3 MMA, 7-2 UFC) said through his translator and manager, Alex Davis.

Is Alan Belcher (17-6 MMA, 8-4 UFC) worried?

He has, after all, given those leglocks quite a bit of lip service, mostly because everyone and their brother wants to know how he's going to defend an inevitable attempt.

As you'd expect, he expressed confidence he could survive and get back to his feet, where his kickboxing skills would presumably give him an advantage. The prospect of injury drove him.

Yet in earlier interviews, he even said he'd be willing to go to the ground with Palhares.

That brought a smile to the face of the soft-spoken Brazilian.

"No problem at all," Palhares said.

Contenders are lining up as middleweight champ Anderson Silva prepares to rematch Chael Sonnen at UFC 148, and Silva's dominance as a striker makes Palhares an intriguing matchup if the title doesn't change hands.

But it's been a bumpy road to the top, and not just because the submission specialist lost key fights to Dan Henderson and Nate Marquardt. It's been said that UFC matchmaker Joe Silva has a hard time finding opponents for him because of the imminent threat he presents to knees and ankles. The Brazilian doesn't grab them – he clamps down and doesn't let go. Talking is the last thing he hears then – cries of pain are louder.

"Everything he does, he does tight," Palhares' longtime coach, Murilo Bustamante, told MMAjunkie.com (UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps | MMAjunkie.com). "So when he grabs the position, in one or two seconds, people have to tap because it's too tight."

In the past year, he's gotten a lot of people talking by outpointing standout Dan Miller and heel-hooking Mike Massenzio at UFC 142 – his 10th win by submission. But the talk hasn't always been positive – he's battled a reputation as a wild card inside the octagon and at submission grappling tournaments.

After seeing a sports psychologist and working through issues of focus in competitions, though, he's gotten back on the right track.

When he's on the right track, attention drifts toward how his opponents are doing to deal with him. Belcher added two more to the scoreboard of ankle-lock questions today during an open workout in support of the event, which takes place Saturday at IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J., and airs live on FOX.

Like Belcher, Palhares assured that he's not afraid to fight where his opponent has the advantage.

"I'm well prepared," he said. "If it doesn't go to the ground, I'm going to have to trade with him."

But if he gets an ankle, he'll be thinking one thing.

"I'm going to get it," Palhares said, smiling.