Vitor_Belfort

Vitor Belfort

Vitor Belfort

Brazilian-American mixed martial arts fighter

Vítor Vieira Belfort[4] (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈvitoʁ viˈejɾɐ bɛwˈfɔʁ]; born 1 April 1977) is a Brazilian professional boxer and retired mixed martial artist who competed for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he fought in the Heavyweight, Light Heavyweight and Middleweight divisions. He is the UFC 12 Heavyweight Tournament Champion, as well as the former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion and Cage Rage World Light Heavyweight Champion. Known for his explosive knockout power, Belfort is tied for fifth for the most finishes in UFC history with 14.[5] Belfort also competed for MMA promotions Pride FC, Strikeforce, Affliction, and Cage Rage.

In this Portuguese name, the first or maternal family name is Vieira and the second or paternal family name is Belfort.
Quick Facts Vítor Belfort, Born ...

Background

Born and raised in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, Belfort began training in boxing at the age of 12 under Claudio Coelho. Belfort later studied Brazilian jiu-jitsu with Carlson Gracie, who gave him his black belt. Gracie scouted Belfort at the Brazilian National Jiu-Jitsu Championships, where he won the Absolute and Heavyweight titles for blue belts under age 18. Belfort, 17 at the time, was invited to compete at Gracie's gym, where he trained with the likes of Murilo Bustamante, Ricardo Loborio, Ricardo De La Riva, Mario Sperry, and Wallid Ismail.[6]

Mixed martial arts career

At the age of 19, Belfort came to the United States to compete. In his first sanctioned mixed martial arts match, an event called Superbrawl in Hawaii, his opponent was Jon Hess, whom the young Brazilian defeated in 12 seconds by knockout, despite Hess having a seven-inch height advantage and a more than 100-pound weight advantage over Belfort.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Soon after, he moved on to compete in the UFC, where he was given the nickname The Phenom. He beat two fighters in his debut event in the UFC, winning the UFC 12 Heavyweight Tournament. At age 19, Belfort became the youngest fighter to score a victory inside the octagon.[7] Belfort's next match saw him score a technical knockout (TKO) against the UFC 6 runner-up Tank Abbott in a non-tournament fight, knocking Abbott down and finishing him with a ground and pound attack.

Heavyweight bouts

In 1997 Belfort fought against American Greco-Roman wrestler Randy Couture, the first of three fights they would have. Belfort was upset by TKO 8:16 into the match, his boxing skills negated by Couture's clinch fighting.

After this defeat, he would fight twice more in the UFC. The first of these fights was against a training partner of his, Joe Charles, whom he defeated quickly via armbar without throwing a single punch.

Light heavyweight debut

A year later, Belfort faced rising Brazilian star and future PRIDE Middleweight Champion Wanderlei Silva. Catching Silva early with a left cross, Belfort chased him across the cage with a flurry of punches, knocking Silva out by TKO in just 44 seconds.

PRIDE Fighting Championships / Heavyweight sophomore

Vítor then moved on to fight in Japan's PRIDE Fighting Championships. His first opponent was Kazushi Sakuraba in 1999. Vítor controlled the first minutes of the fight before Sakuraba scored a takedown. He spent the remainder of the fight on his back being stomped and kicked by Sakuraba. Following the fight he stopped training with Carlson Gracie and started to train with Brazilian Top Team.

Light heavyweight sophomore

He fought in PRIDE against Alistair Overeem, Gilbert Yvel, Daijiro Matsui, Bobby Southworth, and Heath Herring. For these matches Belfort used his stand-up striking skills less and instead controlled the fights and won by ground-and-pound tactics, with the exception of his fight with Southworth, which he won via rear-naked choke in the first round. However, in the opening round of the 2005 Middleweight Grand Prix he faced Alistair Overeem, losing via first-round guillotine choke.

Return to the UFC

Returning to the UFC, Belfort was scheduled to fight Tito Ortiz in the main event of UFC's first Las Vegas show at UFC 33. However, he sustained an injury prior to the event, and the bout was cancelled. Belfort eventually returned and fought Chuck Liddell (losing via decision), then Marvin Eastman (winning via TKO and opening a severe cut on Eastman's eyebrow with a knee strike).

Winning and losing the title/Belfort vs. Couture II & III

His next fight was on 31 January 2004, a rematch with Randy Couture for the UFC Light heavyweight Championship. Despite agonizing over his sister Priscila Belfort, who disappeared on 9 January, Vitor won the fight in 49 seconds after a seam from his glove cut Couture's eye, leaving Couture with a corneal abrasion that prompted a referee stoppage. A third match between the two took place on 21 August 2004. Couture won via doctor stoppage after the third round, recapturing the title.

Belfort vs. Ortiz

His next fight in the UFC was against Tito Ortiz on 5 February 2005. The fight was Ortiz's last fight on his contract. Belfort had early success in the first round, landing his best punches when the fight was on the feet, although he was taken down late in the round and took some of Ortiz's best elbows. Belfort again had a strong start in the second but was taken down a second time and took damage from elbows late in the round. Both fighters were exhausted by round 3; Belfort was too tired to land a single punch and was taken down and dominated, with Ortiz again landing damaging elbows. After a hard-fought battle, Belfort lost a close split decision: some people, including then UFC Light heavyweight champion, Chuck Liddell believed he deserved to win the first as well as the second round, due to his octagon control and breaking Ortiz's nose with punches, early in round 1.

Strikeforce

Vitor then fought in Strikeforce for a rematch with Alistair Overeem, in which Belfort was defeated via unanimous decision.

Return to Pride and steroid controversy

At Pride 32: The Real Deal on 21 October 2006, Belfort lost a unanimous decision to Pride Welterweight Champion Dan Henderson. After the fight, Belfort tested positive for an illegal substance, 4-hydroxytestosterone.[8] In his defense, Belfort argued that he had purchased an over the counter supplement which contained 4-Hydroxytestosterone. Belfort also explained that he may have received 4-Hydroxytestosterone as the result of rehabilitative injections given to him by Brazilian endocrinologist Dr. Rodrigo M. Greco after his surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his knee in the summer of 2006. The Nevada State Athletic Commission eventually received a statement from Dr. Greco stating that he did give Belfort post-surgical injections containing testosterone.[9] While conceding that Belfort may have not known about the testosterone, the NSAC explained that even if Belfort was given injections by a medical practitioner who did not inform him that they contained anabolic steroids, it would still be a violation of the banned substances policy. On 21 December 2006, he was suspended for nine months from the date of the hearing and fined $10,000.

Cage Rage

Vítor Belfort defeated Ivan Serati by TKO at Cage Rage 21 in England on 21 April 2007. He defeated James Zikic on 22 September 2007, at Cage Rage 23 to claim the Cage Rage light heavyweight title in a unanimous decision. He entered the fight with a broken hand and during the fight threw minimal punches and utilized takedowns and ground and pound techniques.

Affliction

Vítor spent a brief time training for his Affliction fight against Terry Martin with Chute Boxe in Brazil. However, he completed his preparation for the fight at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas. Randy Couture and Shawn Tompkins helped train him for the fight, in which he achieved a second-round KO by landing a flying knee and following up with an uppercut straight-left combination.

After the fight, Couture said Belfort was thinking about moving to Las Vegas and training at Xtreme Couture full-time.

Belfort's next fight was slated to be against Matt Lindland at the second Affliction event, however, he was forced to pull out due to a hand injury sustained during the Terry Martin fight. The second Affliction event was postponed anyway and rescheduled for January 2009, enabling Vítor to fight on that card.

With rumours of a possible bout with reigning Dream Middleweight Grand Prix winner Gegard Mousasi circulating, it was announced that Vítor would finally fight Lindland at Affliction: Day of Reckoning. Lindland was originally slated to fight Renato Sobral at a catchweight, but promoters of Affliction preferred the Belfort vs. Lindland fight at Middleweight. The fight ended in a KO at thirty-seven seconds, as Belfort delivered a strong left to Lindland's jaw and followed up with four unanswered power shots as he hit the ground.

Third UFC run

Belfort in 2010

During a press conference, Dana White announced that the UFC had re-signed Belfort to a contract. His first match was against Rich Franklin at a catchweight of 195 lbs, headlining UFC 103, which he won by knockout three minutes and two seconds into the first round.

Middleweight bouts, & Title shot

Belfort was expected to face Anderson Silva for the UFC Middleweight Championship on 2 January 2010, at UFC 108. However, Silva's manager, Ed Soares, announced that Silva would not be fully recovered from his injury by that time, so the fight was postponed.[10] Belfort was again slated to fight Silva on 6 February 2010, at UFC 109 and 10 April 2010, at UFC 112, respectively, but both fights were canceled because of a surgery for Silva and an injury suffered by Belfort.[11] Belfort was scheduled to fight Yushin Okami at UFC 122. However, Dana White tweeted Belfort would instead challenge Silva at UFC 126 for the belt.[12] Belfort lost by knockout after getting hit with a front kick to the face and taking two punches after falling to the mat.

Belfort made his return at UFC 133 against Yoshihiro Akiyama.[13] Belfort initially thought the UFC would try to put him on the card at UFC 134 in Brazil, but the fight with Akiyama came together to help bolster the card in Philadelphia.[14] Belfort contracted Hepatitis A in April, shortly after accepting the fight, but his representative, Pedro Lima, said that it would not jeopardize the bout with Akiyama.[15] Belfort was successful in his return, winning the fight by knockout one minute and fifty-two seconds into the first round.

Belfort was briefly linked to a matchup with Cung Le, expected to take place on 19 November 2011, at UFC 139.[16] However, Belfort was removed from the bout due to injury and replaced by Wanderlei Silva.[17]

Missed weight bout

Belfort faced Anthony Johnson on 14 January 2012, at UFC 142.[18] During the UFC 142 weigh ins, Johnson came in 11 pounds over the 186 lb weight allowance and was fined 20 percent of his earnings.[19] Belfort requested that Johnson not weigh more than 205 lbs the day of the fight. The UFC had Johnson weigh in a second time. Johnson officially weighed in at 204 lbs on fight day, and the fight with Belfort proceeded as scheduled, with Belfort winning via rear naked choke in the first round, his first submission win in over a decade.[20]

The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil

Belfort was selected to coach The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil against Wanderlei Silva. The rematch between Belfort and Silva was expected to take place on 23 June 2012, at UFC 147.[21] However, on 27 May 2012, Belfort was forced to pull out of the bout, citing a broken hand in training, and replaced by Rich Franklin.[22]

In a recent interview, Belfort expressed disinterest in actually fighting Wanderlei Silva. He told Fighters Only magazine, "I guess Wanderlei will be able to fight in October but I only want that my next bout that accredits me to dispute the belt. I don’t know, maybe Michael Bisping. I was only defeated once recently, by Anderson Silva, and all my wins were very convincing."[23] He further stated, "I don’t know how long I will stay in this division. I wanted to do more two or three fights. If my body will no longer permit this big weight cutting, I will go up (to 205 lbs). I am not afraid of Jon Jones or somebody else... It's not for me to choose my opponents."[23]

Third Light heavyweight title shot

Belfort was expected to face Alan Belcher on 13 October 2012, at UFC 153.[24] However, he replaced Lyoto Machida in a bout against Jon Jones at UFC 152 for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship after Machida rejected the offer due to lack of time to train before the fight. Despite almost submitting Jones via armbar in the first round, he was dominated during the remainder of the bout and submitted via keylock at 0:54 of the fourth round.[25]

Return to Middleweight

Belfort returned to face Michael Bisping on 19 January 2013, at UFC on FX: Belfort vs. Bisping, winning via TKO due to a head kick and punches at 1:27 of the second round.[26] Belfort injured Bispings right eye with his head kick.[27]

Belfort faced the final Strikeforce Middleweight Champion and promotional newcomer Luke Rockhold on 18 May 2013, at UFC on FX: Belfort vs. Rockhold.[28]

Return to Light heavyweight

Belfort faced Dan Henderson at light heavyweight in a rematch on 9 November 2013, at UFC Fight Night 32.[29] Belfort defeated Henderson via first-round knockout to become the first person to defeat Henderson via strikes. The win also earned Belfort his fifth Knockout of the Night bonus award.[30]

Middleweight return

Belfort was expected to face UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman at UFC 173.[31] However, Belfort chose to withdraw from the fight following the Nevada State Athletic Commission's ban on exemptions for testosterone replacement therapy and was replaced by Lyoto Machida.[32] Subsequently, Belfort revealed that he had failed a random drug test in February, due to elevated levels of testosterone.[33]

Belfort was expected to face Chael Sonnen on 5 July 2014, at UFC 175 as a replacement for Wanderlei Silva.[34] However, Sonnen failed a random drug test and was removed from the bout.[35] The following day it was announced by MMA writer Kevin Iole that Belfort had also been removed from the card due to the inability of the UFC to find him a new opponent.

Belfort was expected to face Weidman on 6 December 2014, at UFC 181.[36] However, on 22 September, it was announced that Weidman had suffered a broken hand and the bout was again rescheduled to take place on 28 February 2015, at UFC 184.[37][38] In turn, on 30 January 2015, the UFC announced that Weidman had pulled out of the bout again, citing an injury he sustained in training.[39] The bout with Weidman eventually took place on 23 May 2015, at UFC 187.[40] Belfort found initial success with a flurry of punches early in the opening of the first round, but Weidman survived them, secured a takedown, achieved the mount position and defeated Belfort via TKO due to punches.[41]

Belfort faced Dan Henderson in a rubber match at UFC Fight Night 77 on 7 November 2015.[42] He again defeated Henderson via a combination of head kick and punches.[43] The win also earned Belfort his first Performance of the Night bonus award.[44]

Belfort next faced Ronaldo Souza on 14 May 2016, at UFC 198[45] He lost the fight via TKO in the first round.[46]

A long discussed fight with Gegard Mousasi took place on 8 October 2016, at UFC 204.[47] Belfort lost the fight via TKO in the second round.[48]

Belfort faced Kelvin Gastelum on 11 March 2017, at UFC Fight Night 106.[49] He lost the fight via a combination of punches in the first round resulting in a K.O.[50] However, Gastelum subsequently tested positive for marijuana and the result was overturned to a No Contest.[51][52]

Belfort faced Nate Marquardt on 3 June 2017, at UFC 212.[53] He won the fight by unanimous decision, his first decision win in nearly a decade.[54]

Belfort was expected to face Uriah Hall on 14 January 2018, at UFC Fight Night: Stephens vs. Choi.[55] However, on 13 January 2018, it was announced that Hall did not make it to the weigh-in because he fainted and suffered seizures from weight-cutting practices and the bout was cancelled.[56][57]

Belfort faced Lyoto Machida on 12 May 2018, at UFC 224.[58] He lost the fight after being knocked out by a front kick to the face.[59] Following the fight, Belfort announced his retirement from MMA competition.[60]

On Monday 17 December 2018, Vitor Belfort announced his intentions to return from retirement on the Helwani Show.[61]

ONE Championship

On March 1, 2019, it was reported that Belfort signed by ONE Championship.[62] On April 28, 2020, Belfort announced that he will be making his promotional debut against Alain Ngalani.[63] Belfort has since parted ways with ONE Championship without fighting for the promotion.[64]

Grappling

ADCC Championships

In 2001 Belfort participated in the ADCC championships, in their Absolute division. Prior to that competition he had already faced Hiroki Fukuda, winning by submission, and Mark Robinson, losing by points. In the championship Belfort faced Genki Sudo, winning by points, Ricco Rodriguez, winning by points, Ricardo Arona in the semi-final, losing by points and finally in the 3rd place fight defeating Ricardo Almeida by advantage after Almeida was unable to continue due to an injury to his knee, winning the bronze medal.

Boxing career

Neves vs. Belfort

On 11 April 2006, Belfort made his professional boxing debut against Josemario Neves. Belfort won by TKO within the first minute after knocking his opponent down three times. This has been his sole venture into the sport of professional boxing so far.

Belfort has expressed a desire to return to professional boxing, stating in 2008 that he was interested in talking with Golden Boy Promotions regarding a deal. In 2010, in response to former IBA Heavyweight Champion James Toney's challenge to fight an MMA fighter in the boxing ring, Belfort expressed interest in representing the sport of MMA against Toney in a 6-round professional match.[65] James Toney, however, went on to be defeated in the UFC Octagon by Randy Couture at UFC 118.

Holyfield vs. Belfort

Main article: Evander Holyfield vs. Vitor Belfort

In early June 2021, Triller announced that Belfort would face YouTuber Michael "The Real Tarzann" Holston in a professional boxing bout on June 19, 2021.[66] However, the bout was cancelled due to unknown reasons.

On June 17, 2021, it was reported that Belfort had agreed to an exhibition boxing match with former six-division boxing world champion Oscar De La Hoya in September 2021, which will be promoted by Triller.[67] In July, news surfaced that the bout was changed to a professional boxing bout and was set to take place on September 11, 2021.[68]

On September 3, De La Hoya announced that he would not be fighting Belfort due to contracting COVID-19. In a message to his fans, he stated that he was fully vaccinated and receiving hospital treatment. In turn, it was announced that former heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield will be stepping in to face Belfort and that the event was being moved from California to Florida.[69] Belfort won the exhibition match via technical knockout.[70]

Rahman Jr. vs. Belfort

On August 27, 2022, DAZN announced that Belfort would be boxing professional heavyweight Hasim Rahman Jr. in the main event of MF & DAZN: X Series 002 on October 15, 2022, in Sheffield, England. The bout was postponed to MF & DAZN: X Series 003 on November 19, 2022, and was expected to take place at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas.[71] Belfort withdrew from the fight after testing positive for COVID-19[72]

Belfort vs. Jacare

Belfort was booked to compete against fellow MMA veteran Ronaldo 'Jacare' Souza in a professional boxing match at Gamebred Boxing 4 on April 1, 2023.[73] Belfort defeated Jacare via unanimous decision.[74]

Personal life

Belfort was born on 1 April 1977, in Rio de Janeiro to a French-Brazilian father and a Greek-Brazilian mother. He is married to Joana Prado, with whom he has three children.[75][76][77] They started dating in 2000 and broke up, but reunited during a reality show in 2002.[78] The same year, Belfort appeared with Joana when she was photographed for the Brazilian edition of Playboy.[79]

On 9 January 2004, Belfort's sister, Priscila, disappeared and the relatives received no information about her. In August 2007, a woman identified as Elaine Paiva confessed that she participated in her kidnapping and killing,[80] and that she was kidnapped to pay off a four thousand dollar debt Paiva had with drug dealers. Paiva was arrested along with three others alleged to be involved in the kidnapping. The group allegedly buried her body in the woods in Rio de Janeiro where police conducted searches, but her remains have never been found. Her family however does not accept this version of events, and believes that Priscila is still alive somewhere. Belfort still maintains a missing page on the Brazilian version of his website.

Belfort speaks Portuguese, English, and Spanish.[81] He is a devout Christian.[82] Belfort believes the most important key to his success and longevity in the sport is that he is happy with what he does. "I just thank God every day. I’m happy. I’m healthy. Bottom line is it's just the way you treat life and life will treat you back. Make sure you’re happy with whatever is going on in your life. I think the key of life is just be happy with what's in front of you and the decision of my life is under God and God knows what's best for me."[83] Belfort also appeared in a testimonial video on I Am Second, in which he shares his story of his faith in Jesus Christ.

Belfort's autobiography Vitor Belfort: Lições de garra, fé e sucesso was published by Thomas Nelson Brazil in 2012.

Belfort appears in the video for the song "I'm Down" by The Almost.

On April 26, 2018, Belfort became a naturalized American citizen.[84]

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts

Submission grappling

Mixed martial arts record

Professional record breakdown
41 matches 26 wins 14 losses
By knockout 18 7
By submission 3 2
By decision 5 5
No contests 1
More information Res., Record ...

Pay-per-view bouts

More information No., Event ...

Boxing record

Professional

More information 2 fights, 2 wins ...
More information No., Result ...

Exhibition

More information 1 fight, 1 win ...
More information No., Result ...

Submission grappling record

KO PUNCHES

Result Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Notes
WinBrazil Ricardo AlmeidaTechnical Submission (Injury)ADCC 2001 Absolute Division20013rd Place Spot-Wins Bronze Medal.
LossBrazil Ricardo AronaPointsADCC 2001 Absolute2001Semi-Finals.
WinUnited States Ricco RodriguezPointsADCC 2001 Absolute2001Quarter-Finals.
WinJapan Genki SudoPointsADCC 2001 Absolute2001Opening Round.
LossUnited States Mark RobinsonPointsADCC 2001 +99 kg2001Quarter-Finals.
WinJapan Hiroki FukudaSubmission (Rear-Naked Choke)ADCC 2001 +99 kg2001Opening Round.

See also

References

  1. [1]
    "Fight Card – UFC 187 Johnson vs. Cormier". UFC.com. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
  2. [2]
    Faux, Justin (14 May 2013). "UFC debutant Rockhold: 'Black belts don't mean s*** to me'". MMA Kanvas. Archived from the original on 9 November 2013.
  3. [3]
    Cruz, Guilherme (6 May 2015). "Chris Weidman receives black belt in jiu-jitsu ahead of UFC 187 bout with Vitor Belfort". MMAfighting.com.
  4. [4]
    Mixed martial arts show results. State of Nevada. 5 February 2011
  5. [5]
    "By The Numbers – The Best Finishers in UFC History". UFC.com. Retrieved 18 May 2018.
  6. [6]
    "Vitor Belfort, from the Beginning - the Phenom Emerges".
  7. [7]
    "UFCStats – Stats and Records from Inside the Octagon". Ufcstats.x10hosting.com. Retrieved 1 November 2009.
  8. [8]
    "Vitor Belfort & Pawel Nastula Test Positive (UPDATED)". MMAweekly.com. 26 October 2006.
  9. [9]
    Trembow, Ivan (21 December 2006). "Vitor Belfort & Pawel Nastula Suspended". MMMAWeekly.com. Retrieved 19 March 2009.
  10. [10]
    "Anderson Silva vs. Vitor Belfort not happening at UFC 108 in January". MMAJunkie.com. 31 October 2009. Retrieved 31 October 2009.
  11. [11]
    Morgan, John. (28 November 2009) Anderson Silva's recovery slow, not fighting Vitor Belfort at UFC 109. MMAjunkie.com. Retrieved on 2 March 2011.
  12. [12]
    Vitor Belfort Confirms Likely UFC 127 Title Fight with Anderson Silva. Violent Monkey (30 September 2010). Retrieved on 2 March 2011.
  13. [13]
    "Yoshihiro Akiyama and Vitor Belfort to wage war at UFC 133". ESPN UK. 21 April 2011.
  14. [14]
    "UFC President Dana White Announces Belfort vs. Akiyama at UFC 133 in Philadelphia". MMAWeekly.com. 21 April 2011.
  15. [15]
    "Vitor Belfort Stricken with Hep A, Fight with Akiyama at UFC 133 Still a Go". MMAWeekly.com. 25 April 2011.
  16. [16]
    "Vitor Belfort says he's fighting Cung Le at UFC 139 in San Jose". mmajunkie.com. Archived from the original on 19 October 2011. Retrieved 10 September 2011.
  17. [17]
    "UFC 139 shakeup: Vitor Belfort out, Wanderlei Silva in against Cung Le". mmajunkie.com. Archived from the original on 24 September 2011. Retrieved 21 September 2011.
  18. [18]
    "Vitor Belfort vs. Anthony Johnson slated for UFC 142 in Brazil". mmajunkie.com. 1 November 2011. Archived from the original on 4 January 2012.
  19. [19]
    "UFC 142 weigh-in results". mmajunkie.com. 13 January 2012. Archived from the original on 10 July 2012.
  20. [20]
    "Anthony Johnson Misses Weight for UFC 142". mmaweekly.com. 13 January 2012.
  21. [21]
    "UFC 147 official with Silva-Sonnen, Silva-Belfort on June 23 in Rio de Janeiro stadium". mmajunkie.com. 26 March 2012. Archived from the original on 29 March 2012.
  22. [22]
    "Rich Franklin steps into UFC 147 headliner against Wanderlei Silva". mmajunkie.com. 30 May 2012. Archived from the original on 1 June 2012. Retrieved 30 May 2012.
  23. [23]
    Howie, Chris (3 May 2007). "Belfort Wants Bisping, Uninterested In Wanderlei Silva". Retrieved 29 June 2012.
  24. [24]
    "Alan Belcher and Vitor Belfort agree to meet at UFC 153 in Brazil". MMAjunkie.com. 24 July 2012. Archived from the original on 26 July 2012.
  25. [25]
    "UFC 152 Results: 'Jones vs. Belfort' Play-by-Play & Updates". Sherdog. 22 September 2012. Retrieved 23 September 2012.
  26. [26]
    "UFC makes official Jan. 19 card in Brazil with Vitor Belfort vs. Michael Bisping headliner". MMAjunkie.com. 3 November 2012. Archived from the original on 6 November 2012.
  27. [27]
    Battison, Paul. "Michael Bisping: Former UFC star looks back on remarkable career in new documentary". BBC Sport. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
  28. [28]
    "'UFC on FX 8: Belfort vs. Rockhold' set for May 18 in Jaragua do Sul, Brazil". mmajunkie.com. 14 February 2013. Retrieved 14 February 2013.
  29. [29]
    "UFC targets Vitor Belfort vs. Dan Henderson rematch for Nov. 9 event in Brazil". mmajunkie.com. 20 August 2013. Retrieved 20 August 2013.
  30. [30]
    "UFC Fight Night 32 bonuses: Belfort, Martins, Akhmedov, Perpetuo win $50,000". MMAjunkie.com. Retrieved 8 November 2013.
  31. [31]
    Stupp, Dann (1 February 2014). "Chris Weidman vs. Vitor Belfort title fight slated for UFC 173 in May". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 1 February 2014.
  32. [32]
    Erickson, Matt (28 February 2014). "Vitor Belfort out of UFC 173 title fight, Chris Weidman now meets Lyoto Machida". MMAjunkie. Retrieved 28 February 2014.
  33. [33]
    "Vitor Belfort Reveals Failed February NAC Drug Test due to Elevated Testosterone". Sherdog.com. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
  34. [34]
    Erickson, Matt (28 May 2014). "Wanderlei Silva out vs. Chael Sonnen, Vitor Belfort in at UFC 175". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
  35. [35]
    Okamoto, Brett (10 June 2014). "Chael Sonnen fails random drug test". espn.com. Retrieved 10 June 2014.
  36. [36]
    "Weidman to Defend Title Against Belfort". UFC. 23 July 2014
  37. [37]
    "Weidman Hurt; Hendricks-Lawler II Now Headlines UFC 181". ufc.com. 22 September 2014. Retrieved 22 September 2014.
  38. [38]
    "UFC President Dana White announces Weidman-Belfort and Rousey-Zingano at UFC 184". mmasucka.com. 20 October 2014
  39. [39]
    Morgan, John (30 January 2015). "Chris Weidman-Vitor Belfort off, Ronda Rousey-Cat Zingano is UFC 184 headliner". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 30 January 2015.
  40. [40]
    "Jones-Johnson, Weidman-Belfort, Cerrone-Nurmagomedov top UFC 187 in May". mmajunkie.com. 19 February 2015. Retrieved 19 February 2015.
  41. [41]
    Erickson, Matt (30 April 2015). "UFC 187 results: Chris Weidman retains title with quick TKO of Vitor Belfort". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 23 May 2015.
  42. [42]
    "UFC Fight Night 77 set for Sao Paulo with Vitor Belfort-Dan Henderson trilogy rematch". mmajunkie.com. 2 August 2015. Retrieved 6 August 2015.
  43. [43]
    Marrocco, Steven (8 November 2015). "UFC Fight Night 77 results: Vitor Belfort stops Dan Henderson after another head kick". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 8 November 2015.
  44. [44]
    "UFC Fight Night 77 bonuses: Who took home $50,000 for their stoppages in São Paulo?". mmajunkie.com. 8 November 2015. Retrieved 8 November 2015.
  45. [45]
    Shaun Al-Shatti (19 January 2016). "Vitor Belfort vs. Jacare Souza announced for UFC event in Brazil". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 19 January 2016.
  46. [46]
    Ben Fowlkes (14 May 2016). "UFC 198 results: 'Jacare' Souza makes easy work of Vitor Belfort for first-round TKO". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
  47. [47]
    Guilherme Cruz (27 July 2016). "Gegard Mousasi vs. Vitor Belfort set for UFC 204". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  48. [48]
    Dave Doyle (8 October 2016). "UFC 204 results: Gegard Mousasi stops Vitor Belfort in second round". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 9 October 2016.
  49. [49]
    Guilherme Cruz (14 December 2016). "Vitor Belfort vs. Kelvin Gastelum, Edson Barboza vs. Beneil Dariush set for UFC Fight Night 107". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  50. [50]
    Dave Doyle (12 March 2017). "UFC Fight Night 106 results: Kelvin Gastelum rolls over Vitor Belfort". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 12 March 2017.
  51. [51]
    Jordan Breen (7 May 2017). "Gastelum-Belfort declared No-Contest; Gastelum suspended 90 Days, fined 20 percent of purse". sherdog.com. Retrieved 7 May 2017.
  52. [52]
    Staff (8 May 2017). "After overturned win, UFC's Kelvin Gastelum says he's done fighting in Brazil". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
  53. [53]
    Danny Segura (28 April 2017). "Vitor Belfort vs. Nate Marquardt targeted for UFC 212". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
  54. [54]
    Damon Martin (4 June 2017). "Vitor Belfort earns closely contested decision against Nate Marquardt at UFC 212". foxsports.com. Retrieved 4 June 2017.
  55. [55]
    Simon Samano (19 October 2017). "Vitor Belfort announces fight vs. Uriah Hall for January 2018". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
  56. [56]
    "Vitor Belfort vs. Uriah Hall scratched from UFC St. Louis". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
  57. [57]
    "Vitor Belfort comments about Uriah Hall fight fallout". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  58. [58]
    Brett Okamoto (17 February 2018). "Vitor Belfort-Lyoto Machida match slated for UFC 224 in Rio". espn.com. Retrieved 17 February 2018.
  59. [59]
    "UFC 224 results: Lyoto Machida front kick flattens retiring Vitor Belfort in second". MMAjunkie. 13 May 2018. Retrieved 13 May 2018.
  60. [60]
    "Vitor Belfort Gives Emotional Retirement Speech at UFC 224 (Video) | MMAWeekly.com". www.mmaweekly.com. 13 May 2018. Retrieved 13 May 2018.
  61. [61]
    "Morning Report: Vitor Belfort not retired yet, planning on coming back in 2019". 19 December 2018.
  62. [62]
    "Former UFC Champion Vitor Belfort signs with ONE Championship". MMAWeekly.com. 1 March 2019. Retrieved 1 March 2019.
  63. [63]
    Alexander K. Lee (28 April 2020). "Vitor Belfort says he's fighting Alain Ngalani for ONE debut". mmafighting.com.
  64. [64]
    "The curious case of Vitor Belfort in ONE Championship". South China Morning Post. 9 June 2021. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
  65. [65]
    "Vitor Belfort lobbies Dana White to Fight James Toney in the ring". MMASpark.com. Archived from the original on 17 September 2010. Retrieved 5 September 2010.
  66. [66]
    Jay Pettry (4 June 2021). "Vitor Belfort to Box YouTuber 'The Real Tarzann' on June 19 Triller Boxing Show". Sherdog.
  67. [67]
    "Triller lines up Vitor Belfort vs. Oscar De La Hoya boxing exhibition for September". MMA Junkie. 17 June 2021. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  68. [68]
    Steven Marrocco (21 July 2021). "Vitor Belfort vs. Oscar De La Hoya no longer an exhibition, now a pro boxing match". mmafighting.com.
  69. [69]
    "Oscar De La Hoya hospitalized with coronavirus; Vitor Belfort to fight Evander Holyfield instead". Sky Sports. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  70. [70]
    The Athletic Staff. "Vitor Belfort defeats Evander Holyfield by first-round TKO". The Athletic. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
  71. [71]
    Astbury, Matt (11 October 2022). "MF & DAZN: X Series 003: How to watch Hasim Rahman Jr vs. Vitor Belfort on DAZN". DAZN. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
  72. [72]
    King, Nolan (15 November 2022). "Greg Hardy replaces Vitor Belfort as opponent for Hasim Rahman Jr". boxingjunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
  73. [73]
    Jones, Phil (8 February 2023). "https://jitsmagazine.com/ronaldo-jacare-souza-to-make-boxing-debut-against-vitor-belfort/". JitsMagazine. Retrieved 9 February 2023. {{cite web}}: External link in |title= (help)
  74. [74]
    Collier, Jamal (1 April 2023). "Anthony Pettis bests Roy Jones Jr. by majority decision". ESPN.
  75. [75]
    "Vitor Belfort Is A Proud Papa Again". Evilmaster.proelite.com. Archived from the original on 19 April 2008. Retrieved 19 March 2009.
  76. [76]
    Vitor Belfort, Joana Prado, Vitoria Belfort, Davi Belfort And Kyara Belfort. allwrestlingsuperstars.com
  77. [77]
    "Em Casa Joana Prado e a filha Kyara já deixaram a maternidade". Ofuxico.terra.com.br. 8 June 2009. Retrieved 19 July 2009.[dead link]
  78. [78]
    "Pela carreira de Belfort, Joana Prado vira dona de casa e se afasta do showbiz" (in Portuguese). UOL Esporte. 20 June 2011.
  79. [79]
    "Vitor Belfort and Joana Prado in Playboy Magazine". Retrieved 5 August 2009.
  80. [80]
    "Priscila Belfort teria sido seqüestrada por uma dívida de R$ 9 mil com traficantes" (in Portuguese). Oglobo.globo.com. 17 April 2006. Archived from the original on 31 December 2008. Retrieved 19 March 2009.
  81. [81]
    "Vitor "The Phenom" Belfort". PRIDEFC Official Website. Pride. 2005. Retrieved 30 May 2010.
  82. [82]
    Vitor's Story, IamSecond.com
  83. [83]
    "UFC 133's Vitor Belfort Credits His Success In Life With Being Happy". MMAWeekly.com. 3 August 2011. Retrieved 3 August 2011.
  84. [84]
    "I am proud to be a Brazilian American citizen". Retrieved 8 February 2022.
  85. [85]
    Thomas Gerbasi (25 June 2013). "Unofficial Half-Year Awards - The Fighters of 2013". Ultimate Fighting Championship.
  86. [86]
    John Joe O'Regan. "Browne, White, Gustafsson, Rousey winners at World MMA Awards VI – Fighters Only" Archived 9 January 2016 at the Wayback Machine. fightersonlymag.com.
  87. [87]
    "First Team". sherdog.com.
  88. [88]
    "UFC 46: Supernatural | MMA Event". Tapology.
  89. [89]
    "UFC 49: Unfinished Business | MMA Event". Tapology.
  90. [90]
    "UFC 51: Super Saturday | MMA Event". Tapology.
  91. [91]
    "UFC 103: Franklin vs. Belfort | MMA Event". Tapology.
  92. [92]
    "UFC 126: Silva vs. Belfort | MMA Event". Tapology.
  93. [93]
    "UFC 152: Jones vs. Belfort | MMA Event". Tapology.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Vitor Belfort.
More information Awards and achievements ...
Share this article:

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article Vitor_Belfort, and is written by contributors. Text is available under a CC BY-SA 4.0 International License; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.