UFC 159's Alan Belcher warns Bisping: 'I haven't felt like this in forever'

Alan Belcher sees Michael Bisping, and he knows what he wants. Of course, in order to have a chance at it, it’s Bisping he has to go through.

Belcher (18-7 MMA, 9-5 UFC) meets Bisping (23-5 MMA, 13-5 UFC) in the co-main event of UFC 159 later this month. And though both middleweights are coming off losses, a win for either would keep them right in the thick of things at 185 pounds.

The fight with Bisping is one Belcher has had his eyes on for a long time. Now that it’s finally on the horizon, the 28-year-old vet said he’s more prepared for this fight than any other. And he’s got a bone to pick with the Brit for perhaps not taking him as a serious threat in the past.

“Let me go on the record as saying I haven’t tried to sell the fight at all – everything between me and Bisping is organic,” Belcher told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio). “It’s all derived from the years I’ve been trying to fight him and trying to get what he has. He’s always just kind of shoved me off like I don’t deserve to be in there with him. So now is my chance to prove it.”

Belcher is coming off a loss to Yushin Okami at UFC 155 this past December. The unanimous decision setback snapped a four-fight streak of stoppages that included an upset of Rousimar Palhares 11 months ago at UFC on FOX 3. A few weeks later, Bisping was knocked out by Vitor Belfort in Brazil.

But what Belcher has his eye on is the level of fortune and glory Bisping has been able to achieve in the UFC since winning Season 3 of “The Ultimate Fighter” way back in June 2006 – before Belcher even had made his way to the promotion.

“The dude makes more money than most people in the UFC,” Belcher said of Bisping, whose five losses have been to a virtual who’s-who of MMA – Rashad Evans, Dan Henderson, Wanderlei Silva, Chael Sonnen and Belfort. “He’s one of the top-paid fighters. He has the UFC behind him – the big contract. I don’t know about the big fan base, but he’s been promoted to his country and he always gets opportunities to be the main event and make those big paydays. And I want the chance.”

To get that, Belcher said he’s been more motivated for this fight than anything in a long time. After an eye injury kept him out of the game for more than a year, the Mississippi native came back and picked up wins over Jason MacDonald and Palhares to extend his streak to four.

Against Bisping, he’s prepared for a battle – but he also has the confidence that he could take him out quickly.

“It’s going to be a tough, grinding fight if I don’t just run over him – because I feel like my mind’s in this fight,” Belcher said. “I haven’t felt like this in forever. Back before I had that eye injury, I was starting to get on a roll and I’ve just been trying to come back from that ever since. I questioned myself if I really, really wanted to do it and make a run at it. So now it’s good.

“I don’t really have a choice. I just want to win this fight. I don’t care about a title shot. I want to win this fight really bad.”

A second straight loss probably wouldn’t get Belcher a pink slip. But it certainly would drop him well back into the pack and outside of title contention. Bisping is facing a similar problem – a loss for him not only would be his second straight, but it would give him a 1-3 mark in his past four fights.

So as Belcher said, he doesn’t have a choice. Not if he wants that level of fame and payday Bisping has. And not if he wants an eventual run at a title fight.

“It’s funny how things work sometimes,” he said. “I needed a wake-up call (with the Okami loss). This isn’t an easy sport. I needed to be reminded of what hard work is really about and how hard you have to push yourself. … My mind’s going to be in this one. Win, lose or draw, I’m preparing myself like a mad man. I’m confident.

“I haven’t put in all this work to go back to the bottom and work my way back up. That’s not going to happen. I’m going to win this fight and continue to be one of the best in the world for the rest of my career.”

UFC 159 takes place April 27 at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. The main card, including Belcher vs. Bisping, airs on pay-per-view following prelims on FX and Facebook.

For more on UFC 159, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.

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