It will be a classic, intergenerational showdown in the co-main event of UFC 187 Saturday night in Las Vegas, when middleweight champion Chris Weidman defends the belt against veteran Vitor Belfort. Belfort is a true legend of the sport, and his career stretches back to the 1990s and the pioneer days of the UFC.
Weidman, meanwhile, has been assembling a legendary career of his own. So far undefeated, he exploded into the limelight in July 2013 when he knocked out Anderson Silva, one of the most dominant champions in UFC history.
Weidman is arguably the hottest fighter in the sport right now. He’s a former All-American wrestler with basic, but extremely effective, striking and dangerous submissions.
Weidman has victories over outstanding wrestlers like Mark Munoz and top strikers like Silva and Lyoto Machida. In beating Demian Maia, he handled arguably the best pure BJJ fighter in the UFC.
Weidman’s youth, size and well-rounded game have made him a justifiable favorite for this bout. According to Odds Shark, Weidman is anywhere from a -375 to -500 favorite. Belfort is an underdog of between +310 and +375.
There will definitely be bettors interested in taking Belfort at those odds. He’s one of the biggest names in the sport’s history for a reason.
Belfort was the UFC’s original phenom, exploding onto the scene at just 18. He was an all-action, knockout machine.
In his UFC debut in 1997, he knocked out both Tra Telligman and Scott Ferrozzo, in a combined two minutes and 10 seconds. A few months later he stopped Tank Abbott in less than a minute.
Those are performances that longtime fans have never forgotten. And you don’t have to dig into ancient history to find examples of Belfort laying a path of destruction. His three most recent fights were sensational stoppages of Mike Bisping, Luke Rockhold and Dan Henderson.
Belfort’s sudden power makes him a threat in any fight he enters. The memories of Belfort winning in a hurry no doubt contributed to UFC featherweight Jose Aldo’s prediction with Portal do Vale Tudo that his countryman would win in the first or second round.
“Vitor is a phenom,” said Aldo, stating what has been obvious for nearly 20 years now.
A potential opponent for the winner, Ronaldo Jacare focused more on the two fighters as they are right now when he picked Weidman to win for Globo Esporte, noting that the younger champion is at “a better stage” in his career.
Belfort’s dangerous striking can never be discounted, but it’s tough to see him winning this fight in any manner besides an early stoppage. Weidman is younger, bigger and stronger than Belfort, and his high-level wrestling will allow him to control the terrain of the battle.
Even though Weidman is only a brown belt to Belfort’s black, I’d still give the Renzo Gracie student an edge when it comes to the submission game, due to his much stronger wrestling.
Weidman has a lot in common with one of Belfort’s toughest past opponents, Randy Couture. He’s a powerful wrestler who has learned to strike very effectively in an MMA bout.
I see Weidman using his wrestling to force a lot of clinches in the early rounds, neutralizing Belfort’s ability to get off with dangerous punches or kicks. By the second half of the fight, he will have the older man fatigued, allowing him to win by TKO or choke in Round 4.
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