BEHIND THE SCENES MMA ARTICLES & INTERVIEWS
08/31/2012
Vitor Belfort is Extremely Lucky
By Christopher “sLapDatSuCKa” Jester
With the cancellation of UFC 151, and the UFC’s scrambling to find a replacement opponent for Jon Jones, the luckiest man in the UFC has to be Vitor Belfort. After Dan Henderson pulled out of his championship fight against Jon Jones, many fighters on the UFC roster vied for a spot against the Light-Heavyweight champion. Surprisingly though, the selection went to a man who is not on the roster as a Light-Heavyweight.
Vitor Belfort most recent fight was against Anthony Johnson at a catchweight bout of 197 lbs., but he usually fights at middleweight where he has gone 2-1 since returning to the UFC. This is a lucky break for the 35-year-old Brazilian, who became the champion’s opponent after #1 contender Lyoto Machida declined the fight and after Jon Jones turned down a fight against Chael Sonnen.
Originally scheduled to face Alan Belcher at UFC 153, Belfort offered to step in and fight Jon Jones. Although his originally intention was to save the failing UFC 151, he was still offered to Jon Jones at the next event (UFC 152) in a championship match. Who wouldn’t snatch away this deal? Without a doubt, this is a much better offer than fighting Alan Belcher at middleweight.
The second biggest story out of this ordeal is that Vitor Belfort will now begin training with the Blackzillians. Who also trains with the Blackzillians? Rashad Evans, Jon Jones’ former training partner and last opponent. This could possibly result in a large advantage for Vitor Belfort who will have the know-how from Rashad Evans on how Jones operates inside the Octagon. While that did not fare well for Evans in his fight against Jones, it will at least give Belfort a boost in tips to fighting the younger warrior.
The Light-heavyweight title is not new to Vitor Belfort. He was once the champion of this coveted belt back in 2004 when he beat Randy Couture at UFC 46. He would lose it in his next fight and first title defense against the man he took the title from. So this has become a much greater opportunity for him as he has a chance to put the UFC title around his waist once again.
Despite members of the MMA community writing off Belfort’s chances, the Brazilian is a tough veteran with power in both hands that one can ever doubt. That said, the Brazilian will have to muster all of his strength if he hopes to defeat the young and talented Light-Heavyweight champion. Regardless of the odds against him though, perhaps the former champion can catch lightning again and seize the opportunity of being placed in this matchup and just maybe it will pay dividends for him in the end.
Follow Christopher “sLapDatSuCKa” Jester on Twitter @sLapDatSuCka
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