After a stunning debut in the early years of the UFC, Vitor “The Phenom” Belfort disappeared. Eventually he re-surfaced and found his way back to MMA and finally the UFC.
This time his competition included some of the finest MMA athletes in history. Allistair Overeem and Anderson Silva proved too big or too good for the Phenom to re-capture his old glory.
But there’s something about Vitor that keeps fans believing and the establishment calling. It’s more than the “puncher’s chance” he always brings. It’s the dynamic quality of his whole package and the devastating finishes he’s able to deliver.
Unlike some elite UFC fighters, Belfort shows up to fight. And fans are paying to see men fight, not play “the fight game.”
At this juncture and age, Belfort has one final run at relevance. The heavyweight class belongs to Jon Jones and will do so for the next 3 years (at least). Until Anderson Silva retires, middleweight is a no-win for Belfort.
Standing 6 feet and weighing an approximate 180 to 195 outside the ring, cutting to the 170 welterweight mark is not unthinkable.
BJ Penn dropped from welterweight’s 170 to lightweight’s 155. And dominated.
George St.Pierre stands 5′ 10″ and probably floats to 180-185 lbs outside the octagon.
With Vitor’s furiously fast and potent hands and his “big man” advantage of sucking down to welterweight, his best bang-for-his-buck move is paying GSP a visit at 170.
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