Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has officially booked a Middleweight showdown between former Light Heavyweight champions, as Vitor Belfort will face off against fellow countrymen Lyoto Machida at UFC 224 on May 12, 2018 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
“The Phenom” teased the bout a few days ago, but it wasn’t until earlier today (Feb. 20, 2018) that the promotion confirmed the matchup, which will be Vitor’s last fight of a career that saw him compete for over two decades, including a staggering 25 times inside the Octagon.
Belfort got back into the win column at UFC 212 this past summer by edging out Nate Marquardt in a 185-pound affair. Prior to the that, the longtime veteran had dropped three straight.
Interestingly enough, Lyoto also recently broke his three-fight skid by narrowly escaping a win over Eryk Anders last month (see it). While both men have seen better days inside the Octagon than what their recent track record shows, a fight between the two of them will see to aging veterans looking for back-to-back wins for the first time in a long time.
Currently, UFC 224 will also feature a heavyweight showdown between Junior Albini and Alexey Oleynik, as well as a middleweight scrap between Cezar Ferreira vs. Karl Roberson. Keep it locked in to MMA Mania as more fights are made official, including a yet-to-be determined headliner.