Vitor Belfort has battled every kind of fighter imaginable. He’s been in the cage with strikers like Alistair Overeem, wrestlers like Randy Couture and submission specialists like Kazushi Sakuraba. But Vitor Belfort, for all his experience, has never f…
VitorBelfort has battled every kind of fighter imaginable. He’s been in the cage with strikers like Alistair Overeem, wrestlers like Randy Couture and submission specialists like KazushiSakuraba. But VitorBelfort, for all his experience, has never fought anyone like Jon Jones.
The conventional wisdom is that Belfort will be able to control the striking phase of the fight. For all the talk of VitorBelfort‘s boxing prowess, however, his boxing technique is pretty much nonexistent.
His entire striking game is built around charging forward and throwing his super-fast hands. When he wins, it’s because of speed and strength, not any kind of boxing skill. If he can bully you into fleeing, especially if you back straight up, Belfort is capable of flattening anyone in the sport.
It’s not a game that is likely to work well against Jon Jones. The champion possesses two skills that are kryptonite to Belfort—kicks from a distance and ability in the clinch.
Belfort has been beaten over and over again, even by wrestlers like Sakuraba, because of his complete inability to defend kicks, especially spinning back kicks and kicks to the body. Unfortunately for Belfort fans, those are both techniques Jones is pretty good at.
Belfort is also bad in the clinch. Against Randy Couture, whenever Belfort charged forward, Couture simply let him come. Then he’d grab him in the clinch, smack him around and dump him on the mat. If anything, Jones is even more dangerous with a similar strategy than Couture was.
There’s always the famed puncher’s chance. And Belfort, make no mistake, punches hard. But I don’t see him getting the opportunity to hurt Jones. This fight isn’t going long. I see Jones, stoppage, in the first round.
Disagree? What’s your pick then, smarty pants? Let me know in the comments.
Chael Sonnen is prepared to win the UFC light heavyweight title from Jon Jones at UFC 152. There’s just one little problem.Jones is currently scheduled to defend his belt against Vitor Belfort at the same event.Sonnen, however, sees things differe…
ChaelSonnen is prepared to win the UFC light heavyweight title from Jon Jones at UFC 152.
There’s just one little problem.
Jones is currently scheduled to defend his belt against VitorBelfort at the same event.
Sonnen, however, sees things differently according to UFC president Dana White. In an interview with MMAJunkie.com, White said Sonnen has been readying himself for a fight with Jones since he accepted a late-notice title shot for UFC 151 against the 205-pound champion.
“Chael Sonnen is in full training camp right now,” White said. “He’s been training since he got offered the Jones fight. [Chael] said, ‘I’m in full camp right now because Vitor will get hurt and pull out, and it will be Jones vs. Sonnen anyway.”
Sonnen has even gone as far as promoting a new UFC 152 poster (pictured above) as a background on his Twitter page.
The UFC tried to book a bout between Jones and Sonnen after a Dan Henderson injury to save the since-cancelled UFC 151 fight card. Sonnen accepted, but Jones declined; stating that eight-days notice would not be enough to prepare for a title defense against an opponent like Sonnen.
If Belfortis going to withdraw from the UFC 152 main event, he has one week to do so. Considering there is very little physical preparation that goes into the week leading up to a fight, it would appear highly unlikely that Sonnen will find himself standing across the cage from Jones in Toronto, Canada next Saturday night.
Despite his willingness to compete against others, Sonnen is still reportedly booked for a December fight with former light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin. That matchup is expected to take place at UFC 155, the final event of the UFC’s 2012 calender.
The UFC Hall of Fame selection process is not exactly transparent. No one, other than the powers that be, know what the criteria for inclusion are. With the selection process shrouded in mystery, we can only give our opinions about fighters who are des…
The UFC Hall of Fame selection process is not exactly transparent. No one, other than the powers that be, know what the criteria for inclusion are. With the selection process shrouded in mystery, we can only give our opinions about fighters who are deserving of the nod.
So, is VitorBelfort worthy of induction or not?
For my money it is a resounding “yes”.
On performance alone, he may come close to earning the distinction of being a hall of fame inductee, but it is no lock.
Belfort is the UFC 12 Heavyweight Tournament Champion and former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. Although, an asterisk should be placed on the latter achievement. The bout between Belfort and Couture was halted when then champion Randy Couture had his eyelid sliced by the glove of Belfort and the doctor stopped the bout.
His other claim to fame was the blitzkrieg victory over Wanderlei Silva at UFC Brazil in 1998.
Prior to dropping to middleweight in 2008, his resume was light on wins against top tier opponents.
Aside from his quick victories over Silva and Couture, his most notable victories are over Tank Abbot, GilertYvel, and Heath Herring. He dropped bouts to Couture twice, Chuck Liddell, Tito Ortiz, Alistair Overeem twice, KazushiSakuraba, and Dan Henderson.
That will not write his ticket to the UFC Hall of Fame.
So, why do I still put him in that category?
Because Belfort has evolved with the sport and remained one of the best fighters for over a decade. Dropping to middleweight assisted his spot in the hierarchy of the sport.
Not many have been able to retain success for that length of time.
Since dropping to 185 pounds, he has only lost once, when he got front kicked in the face by Anderson Silva. And his quality of wins at middleweight, and catch weight bouts as well, since that time has risen.
Belfort has found some sort of success across three divisions. Again, a task many have not been able to accomplish in the sport. While a signature title win has alluded him it does not define his career.
He has fought all over the world, in the largest promotions on the planet, and has continued to be one of the most dangerous fighters in the world for over 15 years.
A spot in the UFC Hall of Fame should not be measured in championships alone. Nor should it be measured by his UFC record alone. After all, they do now own several promotions’ rights and video libraries. The UFC Hall of Fame should include fighters from PRIDE and elsewhere, or at least include the accomplishments acquired there of their contracted fighters.
What Belfort has been able to showcase in his career has been impressive, and he has given the fans years of exciting action.
When Belfort goes back to 205 to challenge Jon Jones for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship, it will be his fifth UFC championship bout. He will enter as a heavy underdog. A win would cement his legacy in the sport. It would be a feather in his cap, but the long time mixed martial artist should not need it to enter the UFC Hall of Fame.
UFC President Dana White was not thrilled when UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones said he “felt like a piece of meat” in the wake of UFC 151’s cancellation:The Jon Jones piece of meat (expletive) thing. When I see him in (expletive) Toronto, that…
UFC President Dana White was not thrilled when UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones said he “felt like a piece of meat” in the wake of UFC 151’s cancellation:
The Jon Jones piece of meat (expletive) thing. When I see him in (expletive) Toronto, that’s the first (expletive) thing we’re going to talk about. Piece of meat? Give me a (expletive) break.
White’s delivered the outburst to a small group of reporters gathered at the UFC headquarters (via MMA Fighting).
He was just getting started:
That sounds like something a male supermodel would say: ‘I feel like a piece of meat out here (mocking voice)’…That pisses me off worse than (expletive) canceling the event.
Additionally, White ripped Jones for not taking a fight with ChaelSonnen as a last-minute replacement for Dan Henderson. For not disclosing his knee injury sooner, “Hendo” also drew the ire of White
As far as White himself? He feels that he doesn’t deserve any blame for the event falling apart.
“If somebody can even try to give me an idea of how that’s my fault that 151 got canceled, I would love to hear it,” he said.
The UFC’s head honcho then went on a long-winded rant about Jones’ head trainer, Greg Jackson, saying he hates how Jackson portrays himself as a “nice guy,” and calling him a hypocrite.
The only reason we even know who Greg Jackson is ’cause of (expletive) Diego Sanchez…Diego Sanchez came out of his camp because of GSP. GSP wanted to come train at Jackson’s camp and Diego was like (expletive) that (expletive). ‘This is my house, man. I’m going to have to fight this guy one day.’ What did Greg Jackson do? (Expletive) GSP down there isn’t he. You know why because he believed GSP would (expletive) beat Diego Sanchez. He made a business decision. I will take him over him. What happened to (expletive) family?
White also cited the problems between Rashad Evans and Jones at Jackson’s MMA camp as another example of Jackson, who he also called a “(expletive) con-artist,” not being loyal to his “family.” (Evans eventually left the camp.)
White put Jones on notice that he would get a stern talking to once they crossed paths in Toronto, at UFC 152 on Sept. 22.
After Jones declined the fight with Sonnen, it seemed academic that “Bones” would rematch LyotoMachida at UFC 152. But “The Dragon” didn’t want the fight on short notice.
When the smoke finally settled, former UFC light heavyweight champion VitorBelfort was booked to fight Jones next Saturday. Belfort hasn’t fought at 205-pounds in five years and was clearly a last ditch effort to find an opponent for the UFC’s youngest champion.
Were White’s comments justified or is the UFC President beating a dead horse at this point?
After all the hoopla that was UFC 151, we turn our sights to UFC 152’s main event between Vitor Belfort and Jon Jones. This is a fight fans won’t want to miss.Jones certainly hasn’t endeared himself to fans since pummeling nearly al…
After all the hoopla that was UFC 151, we turn our sights to UFC 152‘s main event between VitorBelfort and Jon Jones. This is a fight fans won’t want to miss.
Jones certainly hasn’t endeared himself to fans since pummeling nearly all viable contenders at 205. It has been one setback after another when it comes to public relations. The man touted as the “Michael Jordan of MMA” has been a PR nightmare.
From his late night Bentley crash that resulted in a DWI charge to his refusal to fight ChaelSonnen as a late replacement at UFC 151, Jones has been deemed by many as arrogant and self-centered.
Worst of all, he refuses to apologize and continues to be a drama queen through it all. Saying that he’ll bear the cross for what happened to UFC 151 was just another bad joke for his image at this point.
Fear not fight fans! All this drama and chaos should bring a glimmer of hope to all that wish to see “Bones” fall. If he is not 100 percent focused and ready on fight night, “The Phenom” has the tools to stop him in his tracks.
With a big mouth, never-ending confidence and a charismatic bravado, Chael Sonnen went from being a forgettable wrestler to a worldwide sensation almost overnight. His rants that focused on middleweight champion Anderson Silva, Brazilian culture and ot…
With a big mouth, never-ending confidence and a charismatic bravado, ChaelSonnen went from being a forgettable wrestler to a worldwide sensation almost overnight. His rants that focused on middleweight champion Anderson Silva, Brazilian culture and other assorted topics commonly left readers wondering, “Did he really just say that?”
The braggadocio of Sonnen made the world believe that he was a true-blue contender, and although his losses to Demian Maia and Paulo Filho would seemingly dictate otherwise, the American Gangster had recently put together big wins over YushinOkami and Nate Marquardt (who were ranked No. 4 and No. 2 respectively) to his credit.
Due to the love-him-or-hate-him image of Sonnen, many claim that he is not a serious threat in the cage and that he is a product of hype. Contrarily, people commonly agree that Michael Bisping, someone with similar personality traits and cocky self-image, is worthy of a title shot. There are some big differences between the two men, but the biggest of them all comes in terms of quality wins.
On September 22, Michael “The Count” Bisping will meet Brian Stann on the main card of UFC 152. Bisping believes that a win over Stann is the only thing between him and a crack at the UFC middleweight championship.
I’ve been there in the UFC now for six years, fighting the best the UFC’s had to offer and I’m still here. I’ve got a stellar record and I want to fight the champ. Obviously I got to earn that right, and that starts on September 22nd pay-per-view against Brian Stann.
I’m training as hard as I ever trained. I’ve got a fantastic camp going on. Other than that, I’m going to go out there to completely embarrass Brian Stann. I’m going to prove that I’m in a completely different league, beat the crap out of him and take my title shot.
If the things that Bisping said in this interview were true, then I would have no issues with him contending for the belt. However, the claim that he has been fighting the best that the UFC has to offer is a bit misleading.
While The Count has squared off with “the best”, such as middleweight title contenders Dan Henderson and ChaelSonnen, he came up short in both instances. In addition, Wanderlei Silva was an unranked fighter who had lost five of his last six bouts before meeting Bisping at UFC 110. Once again, Bisping was given an opportunity to beat a highly regarded opponent with name value, but came up short.
Then, there is the “stellar record” that the British star referenced. Since moving down to middleweight, Bisping has put together eight wins, while losing three bouts. That makes his win percentage 72.7 percent, which is a very strong number, but it needs further examination to avoid being misleading.
When looking strictly at Bisping‘s record against the division’s former world champions or title contenders, The Count has found success in one of four fights—the three aforementioned losses with the lone victory coming against Jason “Mayhem” Miller last December.
Miller’s presence in that list is a mere technicality, as he once fought for the Strikeforce Middleweight championship, but he was gifted that based on name value alone, as he had never even competed in the organization prior to the shot at gold.
Against elite competition, we can see that Bisping‘s “stellar record” is actually 1-3, with a major leap in calling Mayhem an elite fighter.
You may be asking yourself about the other opponents whom Bisping has bested. Let’s take a brief look.
Charles McCarthy was an unranked cast member of The Ultimate Fighter 4 whose biggest career win was over Gideon Ray. He entered the fight with a record of 10-4 and promptly retired after the loss to Bisping.
Jason Day was also unranked, but coming off of a win over Alan Belcher. His record was 18-7 heading into the fight with Bisping, but he clearly wasn’t ready for the UFC. After this loss, he would lose four of his next five fights, and he hasn’t competed since June 2011.
Chris Leben is arguably the biggest win of Bisping‘s career. A fan favorite known for his brawling style and unflinching chin, Leben does well against fighters who are willing to stand and bang, but Bisping kept Leben at bay by jabbing from a distance and circling away for much of the fight. Leben was ranked No. 22 at the time of this fight.
Denis Kang is yet another fighter on this list who is no longer on the UFC roster. A former star for PRIDE, Kang had some star power, but it was quickly removed when he lost his promotional debut to Alan Belcher. Going 4-4 leading up to the Bisping fight, Kang was unranked and was released by the UFC after a disappointing 1-2 run.
Dan Miller is a solid fighter, but he had lost two straight bouts leading up to the contest with Bisping. Miller has never defeated a ranked fighter in his career, with his biggest win coming over Joe Doerksen. He, too, was unranked.
YoshihiroAkiyama has not looked good in a single UFC appearance. His decision win over Alan Belcher is deemed to be controversial, and all four of his other Zuffa bouts ended in a loss. He was ranked No. 17 at the time of this fight.
Jorge Rivera fought Michael Bisping on the eve of his 39th birthday. He was ranked No. 25 in his division, and the fight is horribly marred by an illegal knee that The Count planted on his opponent in a moment of rage. Rivera is a prideful guy and chose to continue, but there is little question that this fight should have been a DQ loss for Bisping.
To sum up, we are looking at five unranked fighters (Miller wasn’t ranked, either), No. 25 Rivera, No. 22 Leben and No. 17 Akiyama.
With the recent divisional departures of ChaelSonnen, Demian Maia and VitorBelfort, the big-mouthed basher from the U.K. is now ranked No. 3 in the world. Of the fighters who you just read about, who exactly did Michael Bisping beat to make him worthy of his ranking?
Sure, Brian Stann is ranked No. 7 in the world, but that’s really by default. With Sonnen and Belfort leaving, everyone got boosted two spots in the rankings without doing anything to earn their new spot.
I am positive that the comments on this article are going to be fueled with readers who scream that Bisping performed well against ChaelSonnen on short notice. Sure, that’s true. But did he win the fight? Can we please not forget that right now, Michael Bisping is coming off of a loss?
People seem satisfied ranking the Brit at No. 3 and praising him as if he is a title contender. Is it because he the best British fighter in the UFC? Is it because of his status as a winner of The Ultimate Fighter? Is it possible because he is the most popular middleweight to never challenge Anderson Silva? I’m not sure.
In the immortal words of Ric Flair, to be the man, you’ve got to beat the man, and as of today, the best man that Bisping beat was sitting at No. 17.
