UFC 147 Saturday, June 23, 2012 at 10 p.m. (ET) on Pay-Per-View Mineirinho Gymnasium in Belo Horizonte, Brazil Yuri Alcantara (-270) Profile: An impressive lightweight/featherweight contender in the UFC, Alcantara (27-3) has made a huge impact on Zuffa since he landed out of the Jungles of Brazil and into the WEC at the end of 2010. In his first and only WEC bout, the 31-year-old Brazilian fighter knocked out equally quick rising star Ricardo Lamas in the first round. When the WEC was merged with the UFC, Alcantara continued his winning ways with decision wins against Felipe Arentas and Michihiro Omigawa in dominating fashion at UFC 134 and UFC 142, respectively. Hacran Dias (+210) Profile: Promotional newcomer Dias (20-1-1) will make his UFC debut in front of a friendly Brazilian crowd at UFC 147 after traveling on the Brazilian independent circuit since 2005. Dias, like so many Brazilians, looks for the submission win via his deadly BJJ and advanced grappling skills. The 28-year-old featherweight has nine wins via submission and is riding an eight-fight winning streak, with six of those taking place in Shooto Brazil. He also possesses knockout power despite registering just two TKO wins in the past five years and three overall during his career. Opening MMA Odds Analysis: MMA oddsmaker Nick Kalikas has installed Alcantara as the -270 favorite (bet $270 to win $100) while Dias opened as a +210 underdog (bet $100 to win $210) according to the MMA odds. Alcantara will be the first true test for Dias, who has not faced the same caliber of opponents during his run to a nearly perfect record. Dias was originally one of the applicants for The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil but was able to bypass the show and signed a three-fight deal with the UFC, so those in the organization have high hopes for him. However, facing a dominant opponent like Alcantara right away in his debut might be too tough for him, although this experience figures to make him a better fighter in the long run regardless of the result.
