Vitor Belfort still has designs on retiring following his next fight and it appears he couldn’t be any happier with the choice of opponents. Belfort was originally scheduled to compete in January in a middleweight showdown against Uriah Hall that…
Vitor Belfort still has designs on retiring following his next fight and it appears he couldn’t be any happier with the choice of opponents. Belfort was originally scheduled to compete in January in a middleweight showdown against Uriah Hall that was announced as the last of his career. Unfortunately, Hall suffered a brutal weight cut […]
We might get to see Lyoto Machida and Vitor Belfort trade leather this spring. MMAFighting.com is reporting that a middleweight clash between Machida and Belfort is in the works for UFC 224. The event takes place inside Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro…
We might get to see Lyoto Machida and Vitor Belfort trade leather this spring. MMAFighting.com is reporting that a middleweight clash between Machida and Belfort is in the works for UFC 224. The event takes place inside Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on May 12. This would be the last bout under Belfort’s UFC contract. “The Phenom” […]
Two Brazilian MMA legends are set to do battle at UFC 224 in what could be a retirement fight for both men in front of their Brazilian fans, according to a report by MMA Fighting. Lyoto Machida will reportedly take on Vitor Belfort in a battle of aging former champions in at May’s UFC 224 […]
Two Brazilian MMA legends are set to do battle at UFC 224 in what could be a retirement fight for both men in front of their Brazilian fans, according to a report by MMA Fighting.
Lyoto Machida will reportedly take on Vitor Belfort in a battle of aging former champions in at May’s UFC 224 Rio de Janeiro.
Both men have seen better days as fighters, with Machida recently snapping a brutal three-fight losing streak with a split decision victory over Eryk Anders this month. Meanwhile, Belfort was knocked out by Kelvin Gastelum (which was overturned due to a failed drug test by Gastelum), and was then TKO’d by Jacare Souza and Gegard Mousasi before snapping his losing streak with a decision victory over Nate Marquardt at UFC 212.
Belfort (26-13-1 NC) has indicated multiple times that his next fight will likely be his last and seeing how he specifically mentions Brazil as the location of his swan song, this appears to be the UFC placating a longtime veteran. “The Phenom” was supposed to take on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 17 winner Uriah Hall last month, but Hall was removed at the last minute following a bad weight cut.
Machida too has his back up against the proverbial wall, and could likely retire should he suffer another blistering knockout loss. The two have trained in the past, but apparently had no qualms about signing on to fight one another.
UFC 224 takes place on May 12, 2018.
Who do you think wins this fight between two Brazilian former UFC champions and MMA pioneers?
Does a win for either man keep him from retirement?
Iron sharpens iron in mixed martial arts (MMA), and many fighters forge unbreakable bonds with their current and former training partners who they have shared blood, sweat, and tears with on a daily basis in the pursuit of excellence. However, it would be wishful thinking to believe that this is always the case. In this […]
Iron sharpens iron in mixed martial arts (MMA), and many fighters forge unbreakable bonds with their current and former training partners who they have shared blood, sweat, and tears with on a daily basis in the pursuit of excellence.
However, it would be wishful thinking to believe that this is always the case.
In this article, we’ll look at what happens when friendships fracture, team loyalty falls by the wayside, and full-blown feuds form between fighters who have fought in the UFC, leading to dirty laundry being aired in public and, in some cases, scores being settled the old-fashioned way in the Octagon.
10. Antonio Silva vs. Thiago Silva
Thiago Silva didn’t exactly leave the American Top Team (ATT) camp good terms in 2012, claiming he had wasted three of his years at the gym, and one former teammate who was only too happy to see him leave was fellow Brazilian Antonio ‘Bigfoot’ Silva.
Months later ‘Bigfoot’ called out his “mentally sick” ex-training partner to fight him in the Octagon, revealing that they had once been close friends until Thiago “stabbed me in the back and cheated me.”
’Bigfoot’ didn’t go into specifics, but denied it was due to his rival’s departure from ATT.
For his part, Thiago claimed that ‘Bigfoot’ was simply “mad” and “jealous” due to the fact he was the better fighter and had had repeatedly beat him up in training.
However, the 205-pound Silva wasn’t willing to back that up by fighting the 265-pound ‘Bigfoot’ at heavyweight and insisted they meet at a 220-pound catchweight instead.
’Bigfoot’ labeled him a coward, but said he’d consult with his doctor about whether the weight cut was viable.
The fight never materialized though, with Thiago being released by the UFC the following year after repeated allegations of domestic abuse by his estranged wife came to light.
According to former middleweight champion Michael Bisping, he won’t be fighting Vitor Belfort in his proposed retirement fight in London this March. The idea of a rematch between the two gained momentum after Belfort was removed from last weekend’s UFC St. Louis co-main event following his opponent Uriah Hall’s withdrawal from the bout. Bisping discussed […]
According to former middleweight champion Michael Bisping, he won’t be fighting Vitor Belfort in his proposed retirement fight in London this March.
The idea of a rematch between the two gained momentum after Belfort was removed from last weekend’s UFC St. Louis co-main event following his opponent Uriah Hall’s withdrawal from the bout.
Bisping discussed Belfort’s challenge on his podcast “Believe You Me,” and put the idea to rest in no uncertain terms:
“I’m not fighting Vitor Belfort in London,” said Bisping. “I’m not fighting Vitor Belfort in London. I am not fighting Vitor Belfort in London. 100 percent, I’m not fighting him. Zero percent chance.”
“I may or may not have one more fight,” explained Bisping. “So here’s the thing. I don’t like Vitor Belfort. People looking at this video are probably saying, ‘Look at his eye, he’s a f**king mess.’ It is part of the reason why I never wanted to do a video podcast before, because my eye is a mess and it was Vitor Belfort that did it and he was roided out of his mind. He’s a known drug cheat. I don’t like the guy. I find him to be a hypocrite. It’s his last fight and he’s probably going to juice like crazy again anyway because who gives a f**k. ‘Oooh, I failed. So what? Retired. Done. Gone.’”
Belfort knocked out Bisping with a second-round head kick back in 2013, when Belfort was in the midst of his TRT era. At the time, testosterone-replacement therapy was still somewhat allowed with an exemption, which Belfort exploited during a terrifying run where he knocked out Luke Rockhold, Bisping, and Dan Henderson.
Bisping suffered a notoriously debilitating eye injury due to Belfort’s head kick, which affects the Brit to this very day.
Belfort barked back, of course, in an effort to goad the former champ into a rematch:
We’ll have to wait and see if Bisping gives in to ‘The Phenom’s’ trash talk, but at this point, it doesn’t seem like the former champion is looking to go out against the legendary but controversial Brazilian.
And even though Belfort is way past his prime, perhaps it’s best Bisping takes some more time off following two stoppage losses in one month last November. Who should ‘The Count’ fight in his final fight – if he should even fight again at all?
Vitor Belfort is not happy that Michael Bisping turned down a rematch against him. Back in Jan. 2013, Belfort took on Bisping in his middleweight return. “The Phenom” earned a second-round TKO. “The Count” suffered a retinal det…
Vitor Belfort is not happy that Michael Bisping turned down a rematch against him. Back in Jan. 2013, Belfort took on Bisping in his middleweight return. “The Phenom” earned a second-round TKO. “The Count” suffered a retinal detachment of his right eye. Controversy ensued as Belfort was on testosterone replacement therapy at the time. A […]
