Vitor Belfort wants title shot with win over Dan Henderson in Brazil

Vitor Belfort needed three explosive wins in 2013 to earn a shot at the middleweight title, and hopes one win is enough for him to get enter another title fight.

“The Phenom” is slated to meet Dan Henderson in a five-round middleweight fight at UFC Fight Night 77, headlining the return of the promotion to Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Nov. 7. The Brazilian star, who avenged a 2006 decision loss to “Hendo” with a first-round knockout in 2013, wants a fight against the winner of Chris Weidman vs. Luke Rockhold next.

“Getting past Dan Henderson, I want the winner of this fight, either Weidman or the trash talker Rockhold,” Belfort said during an interview to TV show “Revista Combate” in Brazil. “We’re on the race. You go to your goal, or you ask to leave. It’s important to have a goal, a focus in your life. The fun thing about the next chance you have is that you earn it today. I’m focused on Dan Henderson now, on my training, focused on going there and doing my job.”

Belfort challenged Weidman for the middleweight gold in May, losing via first-round TKO. “The Phenom” has won six of nine fights since returning to the UFC in 2009, with all three losses coming in title fights against Anderson Silva, Jon Jones and Chris Weidman.

Weidman vs. Rockhold hasn’t been officially announced by the UFC yet, but is expected to take place later this year.

Vitor Belfort needed three explosive wins in 2013 to earn a shot at the middleweight title, and hopes one win is enough for him to get enter another title fight.

“The Phenom” is slated to meet Dan Henderson in a five-round middleweight fight at UFC Fight Night 77, headlining the return of the promotion to Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Nov. 7. The Brazilian star, who avenged a 2006 decision loss to “Hendo” with a first-round knockout in 2013, wants a fight against the winner of Chris Weidman vs. Luke Rockhold next.

“Getting past Dan Henderson, I want the winner of this fight, either Weidman or the trash talker Rockhold,” Belfort said during an interview to TV show “Revista Combate” in Brazil. “We’re on the race. You go to your goal, or you ask to leave. It’s important to have a goal, a focus in your life. The fun thing about the next chance you have is that you earn it today. I’m focused on Dan Henderson now, on my training, focused on going there and doing my job.”

Belfort challenged Weidman for the middleweight gold in May, losing via first-round TKO. “The Phenom” has won six of nine fights since returning to the UFC in 2009, with all three losses coming in title fights against Anderson Silva, Jon Jones and Chris Weidman.

Weidman vs. Rockhold hasn’t been officially announced by the UFC yet, but is expected to take place later this year.