UFC on FX 7 Preview
The middleweight division is one of the least competitive in the UFC but it is not for lack of talent in the weight class. Some of the best fighters in the world reside in the UFC’s middleweight division and yet the belt has rarely changed hands. That is because the greatest fight in the UFC and the best middleweight to step into an octagon is the current champion. Anderson Silva has cleaned out an entire division in the UFC as he has been the champion since 2006. He has yet to lose a fight in the UFC and every challenger that comes along eventually falls leaving a division pretty empty. There are still challengers though and many are continuing to work their way up in hopes of ending the reign of the greatest champion in UFC history. One of these challengers is Michael Bisping who has made his way from the Ultimate Fighter to the doorstep of a title fight. It has not been an easy road for Bisping as he would win The Ultimate Fighter and enter into the UFC as a promising star. He would get off to a good start but would struggle afterwards winning some fight s and losing others. Just as he seemed to get to the top Bisping would lose another fight pushing him into the middle of the division. He hopes to change that though as he sits one win away from earning a title shot against Anderson Silva. Bisping will take on Vitro Belfort at UFC on FX7 with a title shot promised to him if he can beat the Phenom. Belfort will not have the same stakes in the fight after losing in a Light Heavyweight Championship bout in September and also losing to Anderson Silva at UFC 126. He has a distance to climb but the fact remains that if he can beat Bisping he will put himself back among the top fighters in the division. Both fighters are looking for the win to help them get that much closer to the belt and they will do it on their feet. Both fighters are stand-up experts with two very different styles and they will try to impose their style during this fight. Bisping is a boxer through and through and loves to hit and go. He has good footwork and likes to hit and then get out of the way to keep his opponent off-balance. Belfort on the other hand is a brawler who would love to get Bisping in close and unleash his fast hands. With some of the fastest hands in the division Belfort can unleash a lot of punches in a short time to overwhelm his opponent while in close. Belfort will have a large advantage on the ground as a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu practitioner. If the fight goes to the ground Bisping will be in trouble as he has very limited wrestling skills and essentially just tries to get back standing. Luckily for him Belfort prefers to stay on his feet and will probably not look to fight this match on the ground. The fight will be a stand-up war as both fighters will be looking for the knockout with two different styles. In the end it will be Bisping’s style that will come out on top. Bisping will be able to stay out of the pocket of Belfort’s attack and will earn the win although not the knockout as Belfort has a great chin. Bisping will take the unanimous decision victory and will earn himself the biggest challenge of his career in a title shot with Anderson Silva.
The UFC will try to determine their next top challenger in the main event while they take full advantage of a free fight on the main card. The best parts about undercards and free fights are that they have quickly become the place to make a name for yourself as a fighter. It has quickly become the development league for may fighters and with more and more free fights every year the UFC has created their farm system. UFC on FX 7 will be no different as a number of young fighters will take their shot as the biggest promotion in the world. This fight will see a number of fighters step in to the octagon for the first time as all look to make an impression and continue on as UFC fighters. First will be a matchup between two young Brazilian stars looking to remain in the promotion. Godofredo Castro will try to win his fight to stay in the UFC despite losing in The Ultimate Fighter Brazil finals. His opponent will be Milton Vieira who will fight in his second UFC fight at UFC on FX 7. Then there will be the promising Russian fighter Khabib Nurmagomedov who will be fighting in his third UFC fight against Thiago Tavares. After that in the Co-Main event of the evening will be former TUF: Brazil fighter Daniel Sarafian who will make his UFC debut against CB Dolloway. UFC on FX 7 will be loaded with young talent that represent the future of the UFC and also what makes these free fights so great. It will be another good card with plenty of unknowns and will once again be sure to surprise as the UFC gets back to the grind.
Fight Card:
Main Event:
Michael “The Count” Bisping vs. “The Phenom” Vitor Belfort [Sportsnet/FX]
Main Card:
Daniel Sarafian vs. CB “The Doberman” Dolloway [Sportsnet/FX]
Gabriel “Napao” Gonzaga vs. Ben Rothwell [Sportsnet/FX]
Thiago Tavares vs. Khabib “The Eagle” Nurmagomedov [Sportsnet/FX]
Undercard:
Godfredo “Pepey” Castro vs. Milton “Miltinho” Vieira [Sportsnet ONE/Fuel TV]
Ronny Markes vs. Andrew Craig [Sportsnet ONE/Fuel TV]
Diego “The Gun” Nunes vs. Nik “The Carny” Lentz [Sportsnet ONE/Fuel TV]
Edson “Junior” Barboza vs. Lucas “Mineiro” Martins [Sportsnet ONE/Fuel TV]
Yuri “Marajo” Alcantara vs. Pedro Nobre [Sportsnet ONE/Fuelt TV]
Wagner “Caldeirao” Prado vs. Ildemar “Marajo” Alcantara [Sportsnet ONE/Fuel TV]
Francisco “Massaranduba” Trinaldo vs. CJ Keith [Facebook]
The Sport Addiction 
Hoping for Belfort, but I think Bisping will give him a tougher match than many people think!