Alan Belcher

(Photo courtesy of fightsport.fr)

The UFC's most epic event of the year isn't really the time or place to trot out unfamiliar faces from regional leagues. And so we have another lonely edition of The New Guys, with only one fighter on the UFC 100 lineup who's never competed in the UFC before. The good news is, he's one of Japan's biggest MMA superstars, and could make a serious dent in the UFC's rising middleweight division. So without further ado...

YOSHIHIRO AKIYAMA (MW)

Experience: 12-1 record with 2 no-contests (10 wins by first-round stoppage), with multiple appearances in K-1 HERO's, K-1 Dynamite!!, and DREAM. Holds notable victories over Denis Kang, Melvin Manhoef, and Kestutis Smirnovas. His only official loss came in his second MMA match against heavyweight kickboxer Jerome LeBanner, who significantly outweighed him. Akiyama most recently defeated Masanori Tonooka via armbar at DREAM.6 last September.

Will be fighting: Alan Belcher (14-5, 5-3 UFC)

(Quit faking it, girl.  We all know books aren't funny.)

Some big changes in Yoshihiro Akiyama’s life lately.  First he signs with the UFC and holds press conferences in both Japan and Korea to trumpet the move, but he also just got married to Japanese supermodel Shiho Yano, commonly known in her home country simply as “Shiho” or “Charismatic Shiho.”  

According to the Korea Times, Shiho said of the union, “I'm comfortable to be with Akiyama.  I'm grateful I met him.”  Awwww.  Isn’t that…sort of nice.

Akiyama, who is rumored to be making his Octagon debut at UFC 100 this summer, possibly against Dream fighter-slayer Alan Belcher, joins a long and storied list of famous pro athletes who marry supermodels.  Naturally, upon hearing the news, we rushed right out onto the information superhighway to find arousing photos of Akiyama’s new wife.  The results were somewhat disappointing.  Apparently in Japan they don’t require their models to strip down the way we do, which is their loss.  Someone should tell them that chicks who want to get rich and famous off their looks will do almost anything. 

Dana White's UFC 93 video blog, episode 3 - Watch more free videos

Dana White’s latest video-blogging effort is very long but not very interesting.  He pumps a little iron, tries to convert kilograms to pounds, wanders around Dublin, and strikes up conversations with a few fighters.  Yawn.  Just goes to show that the tedium of anyone’s daily life is still boring, even if they’re the head of the UFC.

Alan Belcher seems to think he’s gotten a good deal for himself in securing a bout with Denis Kang, who’s making his UFC debut this Saturday.  Oddsmakers certainly don’t agree, but as Belcher points out, the vibe from the crowd in the UFC is very different from Japan.  Just how much that will affect Kang, who’s been around in this sport for a while now, that remains to be seen.

After the jump, Affliction hypes Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou vs. Renato “Babalu” Sobral with some help from Loretta Hunt and Josh Gross.

(Anyone else have a sudden hankering for soccer kicks and head stomps?)

Newly acquired ATT fighter and former Pride bad-ass Denis Kang could make his UFC debut in front of a different foreign audience, as rumor has it he may take on Alan "The Talent" Belcher at UFC 93 in Dublin, Ireland on January 17. Bout agreements have reportedly been sent to both camps, and while it's not yet official Belcher says he's accepting and is waiting to hear from Kang.

Starting Kang off with Belcher, who's coming off a very narrow decision win over Ed Herman at Ultimate Fight Night 15, may be a sign that the UFC is perfectly willing to bring him along slowly rather than try to fast-track Kang for a title shot. Not that Belcher's a punk, but he's also not quite as explosive or experienced as Kang.

If this fight gets added to the card along with Franklin-Henderson and Coleman-Rua, the UFC will have every reason to expect a successful debut in Dublin. Then again, the event is already sold out, so maybe they aren't too concerned.

('I came to chew bubblegum and represent the 209. I am all out of bubblegum.')

No one can see the future, but as long as we're going to speculate as to how things will turn out in Omaha on Wednesday (and let's face it, we are), we might as well go all the way with predictions so specific they can't possible come true....or can they?

Nate Diaz vs. Josh Neer

Despite his impressive performances since coming off "The Ultimate Fighter," the UFC doesn't seem interested in moving Diaz up in competition. Instead they move him laterally, pitting him against the journeyman Neer, who Nate's big bro already beat. It'll be no easy task for Diaz to top his double-birdie performance against Kurt Pellegrino, but he's a showman. Diaz will get bullied around the Octagon by Neer early on, but at some point he'll remember he's the better submissions fighter. The thought will dawn on him all at once and he'll jump on Neer's back, lock in a standing rear-naked choke, and extend his middle fingers on either side of Neer's head as he submits.

When will it happen: 3:17, round two.

What to watch for: the look on Joe Rogan's face when he has to interview Diaz after the bout and ask him to talk us through the Bud Light replay. What isn't bleeped out will be completely unintelligible.

Mac Danzig vs. Clay Guida

This is the kind of fight worth getting excited about. The stoic, cerebral Danzig takes on Enkidu, the wild man of the woods (officially known as Clay Guida). It's the classic highly-technical vegan vs. tough-but-crazy caveman battle. Danzig will start overly cautious and be initially overwhelmed as Guida wades into him with reckless abandon. But as the fight wears on Danzig will start to figure things out, striking and circling and wearing Guida out with knees to the body. Then Guida will freak out, charging right into a triangle choke, and his face will be blocked by his hair as it changes colors before he finally consents to tap.

When will it happen: 2:03, round three.

What to watch for: Guida's brother, who failed to make weight for his first "Ultimate Fighter" bout and was reportedly kicked off the show for it, will appear on camera at some point looking sad and not eating.