Prior to each UFC fight card, Jay Primetown takes a look at some of the key contests at each event. In the latest installment, we look ahead to a UFC 212 main card fight between Vitor Belfort and Nate Marquardt in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Vitor Belfort (Record: 25-13, -160 Favorite, Power Ranking: C)
Belfort has been fighting professionally for two decades. He fought for the UFC as early as 1997 before leaving the promotion to fight for organizations such as Affliction and Pride before returning to the UFC in 2009 where he has been ever since. Belfort has lost four of his last five fights by TKO. He’s fought a lot of top opposition such as former middleweight champion Chris Weidman as well as top contenders Jacare Souza and Gegard Mousasi. His last win was in 2015 when he knocked out Dan Henderson in Brazil.
“The Phenom” has long been labeled one of, if not the best blitzer in the sport. After a short feeling-out process, Belfort looks to utilize speed and an aggressive blitz to quickly finish his opponents and get a knockout finish. He’s beaten some excellent fighters in this fashion such as current middleweight champion Michael Bisping and former middleweight champ Luke Rockhold.
The difference between those wins and where Belfort currently stands today is TRT. With further regulation added to the sport, the Brazilian is not the same fighter he was when he knocked out those elite opponents. His speed, strength and physique are simply not at the same level as they once were. Belfort still has good hands and a strong switch kick. He’s also certainly capable of catching top-level opponents, but his window to do that is minimal. If he’s not able to finish his opponent early, he tends to tire out and get dominated by his opposition.
Nate Marquardt (Record: 35-17, +140 Underdog, Power Ranking: C-)
A former champion in Pancrase and Strikeforce, Marquardt is a longtime veteran of MMA, first fighting professionally in 1999. Marquardt moved back up to middleweight in 2014 and has had a 3-4 record since the division change. In his last outing, he lost a unanimous decision to Sam Alvey.
Marquardt is one of the more well-rounded fighters on the middleweight roster. He’s well-versed in a variety of martial arts disciplines, including Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, kempo karate and kickboxing. Over the years, he’s shown a balanced attack, combining heavy hands, a solid kicking game and solid wrestling game. He’s a fairly low ouput fighter with 2.69 significant strikes per minute in the Octagon and successfully landing at a 49-percent clip. He combines that with securing 2.03 takedowns per 15 minutes in the cage.
Overall, Marquardt has shown an ability to finish, with 27 of his 35 wins inside the distance with over 10 victories apiece by knockout and submission. At one point, he was one of the best fighters in the world. As he has aged, durability has been a major issue. Four of his last six losses overall have been by T/KO, and that dates back to 2013. Marquardt doesn’t have the chin he used to have, and once he gets hit, he really struggles to find his footing in a fight.
Matchup
In a battle of two veteran middleweights, Marquardt travels down to Brazil to take on Vitor Belfort. Both fighters have deteriorated in recent years and simply aren’t as durable as they had been in the early part of the decade. The vulnerabilities on both sides are high, so expect this fight to end quickly. Belfort has long been one of the quickest starters in the sport. He comes out hard, and when he sees blood, he’s capable of finishing. Even during his drop in ability, Belfort has had moments of opportunity such as in his title fight against Weidman and even in his last bout versus Kelvin Gastelum. If he’s able to have that type of burst against Marquardt, he’ll be able to finish. Marquardt is much slower than Belfort and doesn’t have the athleticism to avoid the kind of blitz Belfort is capable of. Look for this fight to end quickly and for the Brazilian to have his hand raised. Belfort wins by KO/TKO is -105, and it’s by far his most likely way to win this bout. That’s as good a bet as there is on this UFC 212 Pay-Per-View slate.
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