Alan Belcher is currently one of the top contenders in the UFC’s middleweight division, but it turns out he’s actually got his eyes on a move to the light-heavyweight ranks.
Currently on a four-fight winning streak at 185lbs, Belcher was expected to face Vitor Belfort at UFC 153 until the Brazilian was pulled out for an unexpected title fight with Jon Jones. That actually proved to be a blessing in disguise for ‘The Talent’ who was suffering from a spinal fracture that will require him to take time out.
When the 28 year-old returns he plans to continue his assault on the middleweight division in the hopes of eventually getting a chance to fight Anderson Silva for the belt, but in a new interview with Bloody Elbow’s Stephie Daniels he reveals that’s not his only ambition.
“You know, I’m looking for an excuse to move up to 205 anyway,” Belcher says when asked if he would have made the same decision as Belfort and agreed to fight Jones for the light-heavyweight title.
“The only thing that’s held me back is having to work my way through the division, so if I could skip ahead and fight a top contender, or fight for the belt, I’ll be the first person to sign up for that. The reason I’m still cutting the weight and being at middleweight is because I’m one of the top fighters in the world, and I’m very close to a title shot. An opportunity like that would be killer, and you can expect something like that in the future.”
For now though Belcher faces some time on the sidelines and hopes to face a top 5 contender at middleweight towards the end of the year.
