Former UFC middleweight champion, Hall of Famer, and color-commentator, Michael Bisping believes former-foe Vitor Belfort will “100 percent” use performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) ahead of his upcoming September 11. professional boxing match against veteran former world champion, Evander Holyfield.
Belfort, a former undisputed UFC light heavyweight champion, returns to the squared circle this Saturday night at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida — clashing with former champion, Holyfield in a short-notice professional boxing match, after originally slated opponent, Oscar De La Hoya was forced from the event due to a positive COVID-19 test result.
The Triller Fight Club promoted event was originally scheduled to land at the Staples Centre in Los Angeles, California, however, the California State Athletic Commission refused to grant the soon-to-be 59-year-old, Holyfield a license to compete in a professional boxing match, with the entire card subsequently shipped up and moved to the ‘Sunshine State’.
Giving his thoughts on the showdown on his podcast, Believe You Me recently, Bisping elected against providing a detailed breakdown of the matchup — but insisted that he hoped Holyfield beat Belfort, who he claimed was a “piece of sh*t“.
“I hope Evander (Holyfield) beats the f*ck out of him (Vitor Belfort),” Bisping said. “That’s all I’m going to say, I’m not going to go into a technical breakdown of it. God (only) knows what Vitor (Belfort) has been doing. We knew he had good boxing, we knew he had fast hands, we knew he could pack a punch.“
“Evander Holyfield is a big dude… I f*cking hope (he beats Belfort),” Bisping explained. “I would take great pleasure in that. I don’t care what you say, he was on juice and he beat me fair and square. When people beat me in the past, I don’t harbour a grudge, I wish them all the best… He’s just a piece of sh*t. I don’t give a f*ck… I hope Evander batters him.“
Responding to a Twitter user who shared his hope that Belfort wouldn’t utilize testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) for the matchup with Holyfield, Bisping insisted that Belfort would be “juiced up“.
“He’s (Vitor Belfort) 100 percent juiced up,” Bisping tweeted in response to the user, @Darkstar4555. “100 percent.“
Bisping competed against UFC alum, Belfort back in January 2013 at UFC Fight Night Sao Paulo where he suffered a damaging second round high-kick knockout loss in a headlining bout.
Following the win, Belfort would stop both Luke Rockhold and Dan Henderson with a wheel kick and high-kick, respectively, before he withdrew from a middleweight title fight against then-champion, Chris Weidman after he had been notified that he failed a drug test at the beginning of 2014 due to elevated levels of testosterone.