Middleweight fighter Alan Belcher has had to withdraw from his planned fight at UFC 81 according to a report on the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s website. He apparently has a severe case of bronchitis. Belcher was scheduled to face Ricardo Almeida on Saturday night in Las Vegas.
The report states that undefeated Alaska Fighting Championship veteran Rob Yundt, who is currently 6-0, will step in to take his place in a bout against Ricardo Almeida.
Almeida is making his return not only to the UFC, but mixed martial arts in general following a layoff of nearly four years. He had been on a six-fight winning streak and held the middleweight King of Pancrase title when he decided to walk away from the sport in mid-2004 to focus on his jiu-jitsu academy.
All of Yundt’s fights thus far have taken place in the Alaska Fighting Championship and Almeida will be the biggest test of his young career. Yundt has a powerful, athletic build with a strong wrestling base and mauling ground and pound style.
As of the time of publication, the bout between Almeida and Yundt was still listed by the UFC for broadcast on the pay-per-view portion of the card.
