MMA-URLS

Join us at Bloody Elbow tonight at Midnight ET/9 p.m. PT for discussion of the ninth episode of The Ultimate Fighter Brazil. The show will be aired on Globo in Brazil, and UFC.com everywhere else (some countries are blacked out, but the United States and Canada are good to go). Last week's third middleweight bout saw Team Belfort's Thaigo Bodao defeat Team Silva's Francisco Drinaldo by TKO at the end of the second round when Drinaldo was forced to retire. This put Belfort's team up 6-1 with one middleweight bout to go. Silva also brought up the bout between Gasparzinho and Rony Jason again, pointing out that he would never fight a teammate and that Belfort shouldn't have done that to them. Tonight's show will feature that final middleweight bout, which will be contested between Sergio "Serginho" Moraes and IFL veternan Delson Heleno. Tune in tonight and let everyone know what you think.

Posted in: bout, team, middleweight bout, belfort, brazil

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Not long after they satisfy their coaching duties on the current season of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) "Brazil," longtime mixed martial arts (MMA) veterans and bitter rivals Vitor Belfort vs. Wanderlei Silva will hook 'em up (again) in the main event of UFC 147 from the Felipe Drummond Stadium in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil, on June 23, 2012. And Wandy is letting fans follow along during his training camp. In this latest installment, Silva trains at Kings MMA with Rafael Cordeiro, UFC heavyweight Fabricio Werdum and UFC welterweight contender Jake Ellenberger, in addition to visiting the Huntington dog beach and breaking down the last episode of TUF Brazil. Silva has been looking for revenge since the pair first met inside the cage more than a decade ago at UFC 17.5: "Ultimate Brazil." Belfort defeated him in just 44 seconds by way of technical knockout. "The Axe Murderer" is fresh of a second-round shellacking of former Strikeforce 185-pound champion Cung Le while "The Phenom" recently beat the stuffing out of middleweight castaway Anthony Johnson. For episode two of Wandy's video blog click here.

Posted in: ufc, silva, episode, belfort, brazil

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Join us at Bloody Elbow tonight at Midnight ET/9 p.m. PT for discussion of the seventh episode of The Ultimate Fighter Brazil. The show will be aired on Globo in Brazil, and UFC.com everywhere else (some countries are blacked out, but the United States and Canada are good to go). Last week's fourth featherweight bout saw Team Silva's Rony Jason defeat Team Belfort's Anistavio Gasparizhno by submission to finally pick up a win for his team. Team Belfort had won five straight fights going into that bout. Jason did a fair amount of damage to Gasparzinho's arm with the finish, but he was cool with it as the two are friends. Belfort and Silva got into a pretty heated argument afterwards and they are clearly not enamored with each other at this point in the show. Tonight's show will feature the third middleweight bout of the first round. Tune in tonight and let everyone know what you think.

Posted in: show, bout, team, belfort, brazil

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It's official. Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is coming to the "Mineirinho" arena (formally known as the Felipe Drummond Stadium) in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil for UFC 147: "Belfort vs. Silva II" on June 23, 2012. ZUFFA officials confirmed the venue, first reported back on April 27, in today's official UFC 147 press release. In addition, the UFC brass will hold a special gathering on May 15 featuring government officials and IMX representatives, along with Ultimate Fighter (TUF) "Brazil" coach and UFC 147 headliner Vitor Belfort. From UFC Managing Director of International Development Marshall Zelaznik: "It is great for our fans and for the UFC to be able to stage events in new parts of Brazil. The UFC is exploding everywhere in the country and Minas Gerais, being the third biggest state in the country, seemed like the perfect place for this. Not only has Mineirinho received some major acts through the years, but it is also located in a central and touristic area of the city. It will certainly be a fantastic experience for the fans." UFC 147 will be headlined by the long awaited rematch between Belfort and Wanderlei Silva. "The Axe Murderer" has been looking for revenge since the pair first met inside the cage more than a decade ago at UFC 17.5: "Ultimate Brazil." "The Phenom" defeated him in just 44 seconds by way of technical knockout (TKO). Silva is fresh of a second-round shellacking of former Strikeforce 185-pound champion Cung Le while Belfort recently put the screws to former UFC heavy middleweight Anthony Johnson. Here is the current UFC 147 fight card and line-up: Main Event: 185 lbs.: Vitor Belfort vs. Wanderlei Silva Other scheduled bouts: 145 lbs.: TUF: Brazil Featherweight finals185 lbs.: TUF: Brazil Middleweight finals265 lbs.: Mike Russow vs. Fabricio Werdum155 lbs.: Felipe Arantes vs. Milton Vieira145 lbs.: Yuri Alcantara vs. Hacran Dias For all the latest news and notes on the UFC 147: "Belfort vs. Silva" event click here.

Posted in: ufc, vs, lb, belfort, brazil

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After several twists and turns, UFC 147 will remain in Brazil, but with a new headlining bout between Vitor Belfort and Wanderlei Silva. Retweet this Share on Facebook • Email • StumbleUpon • Reddit • Digg • Technorati • Instapaper • Tumblr • Google Reader • LinkedIn

Posted in: bull, vitor belfort, brazil, silva, belfort

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Join us at Bloody Elbow tonight at Midnight ET/9 p.m. PT for discussion of the seventh episode of The Ultimate Fighter Brazil. The show will be aired on Globo in Brazil, and UFC.com everywhere else (some countries are blacked out, but the United States and Canada are good to go). Last week's third featherweight bout saw Team Belfort's Hugo Viana defeat Team Wanderlei's Marcos Vinicius by unanimous decision in two rounds. This gives Team Belfort a 5-0 advantage in fights. Silva also expressed frustration with Belfort's constant speeches, and former UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida stopped by the house. Normally it would be a middleweight fight this week, but Belfort and Silva agreed last week to do two featherweight fights in a row. So the final featherweight matchup will see Belfort's last pick, Anistavio Gasparzinho, face off with Wanderlei's top pick Rony Jason. Tune in tonight and let everyone know what you think.

Posted in: team, featherweight, belfort, featherweight fights, team belfort

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With the long-awaited rematch between UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva and his chief rival Chael Sonnen having been shuffled off to main event the UFC 148 fight card, Wanderlei Silva and Vitor Belfort will now have top billing at UFC 147. UFC president Dana White announced the official main event change yesterday following the UFC on FOX 3 press conference; MMAJunkie brought word of the news from the presser. Silva-Sonnen 2 was expected to headlined a blockbuster stadium show in Rio de Janeiro, but the scheduled Rio+20 United Nations conference on sustainable development saw the show moved to a stadium in Belo Horizonte and the middleweight title fight rescheduled for UFC 148 this July in Las Vegas. A legend born in the Pride Fighting Championships, Wanderlei “The Axe Murderer” Silva (34-11-1, 1 NC) likely saved his UFC career in his last outing. 3-6 in his last nine fights and coming off of a knockout loss to Chris Leben, the 35-year-old badly needed a win when he faced Cung Le at UFC 139 last November. A win (and a vintage one, at that) is what Silva delivered, knocking out Le with knees and punches in the second round. Another Brazilian MMA legend, Vitor “The Phenom” Belfort (21-9) has been on a mini-tear since losing spectacularly to Anderson Silva in a battle for the belt last year. Since that knockout defeat, Belfort has finished the two opponents he’s had in the first round; Yoshihiro Akiyama by KO and Anthony Johnson by submission. The two seasoned veterans are currently serving as coaches on The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil. Their bout will take place after the show has concluded airing. UFC 147 is expected to take place on June 23 at the Estadio Jornalista Felipe Drumond in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. MMAFrenzy.com

Posted in: ufc, silva, belfort, longawaited rematch, belo horizonte

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Not long after they satisfy their coaching duties on the current season of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) "Brazil," longtime mixed martial arts (MMA) veterans and bitter rivals Vitor Belfort and Wanderlei Silva will hook 'em up (again) at the UFC 147 event from the Felipe Drummond Stadium in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil, on June 23, 2012. And Wandy is letting fans follow along during his training camp. Silva has been looking for revenge since the pair first met inside the cage more than a decade ago at UFC 17.5: "Ultimate Brazil." Belfort defeated him in just 44 seconds by way of technical knockout. The former PRIDE champ has since referred to "The Phenom" as "mentally weak" while Belfort insists "The Axe Murderer" is "just a spectator who wants to get attention for himself." Silva is fresh of a second-round shellacking of former Strikeforce 185-pound champion Cung Le while Belfort recently put the screws to former UFC heavy middleweight Anthony Johnson. For episode one of Wandy's blog click here.

Posted in: ufc, silva, belfort, axe murderer, brazil

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Join us at Bloody Elbow tonight at Midnight ET/9 p.m. PT for discussion of the sixth episode of The Ultimate Fighter Brazil. The show will be aired on Globo in Brazil, and UFC.com everywhere else (some countries are blacked out, but the United States and Canada are good to go). Last week's second middleweight bout saw Team Belfort member (and Belfort's protege) Cezar Ferreira defeat Leonardo Mafra Teixeira with a guillotine in the second round. This gives Team Belfort a 4-0 advantage in fights. The secondary focus of the episode was about life in the house, and how it's starting to wear on the fighters. As usual I was unable to find a preview for this week's episode, but based on how things have gone so far, the third featherweight quarter-final bout should go down in the episode. And you can pretty much count of Gasparzinho doing something weird or crazy once again. Tune in tonight and let everyone know what you think.

Posted in: episode, belfort, brazil, fighter brazil, team belfort

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Hey, remember when Anderson Silva front kicked Vitor Belfort in the face? Yeah, so do I. But Fuel TV figured we could all relive the infamous moment at UFC 126 in February 2011, as Silva took on Belfort for the UFC middleweight title. After months of matching the two together, the match finally took place. And despite it lasting just 3:25, it certainly made an impact, becoming one of the greatest moments in UFC history. Watch the front kick seen and heard ’round the world:

Posted in: ufc, silva, belfort, vitor belfort, front kick

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Not long after they satisfy their coaching duties on the current season of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) "Brazil," longtime mixed martial arts (MMA) veterans and bitter rivals Vitor Belfort and Wanderlei Silva will hook 'em up (again) at the UFC 147 event from the Joao Havelange Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on June 23, 2012. And Wandy is letting fans follow along during his training camp. Silva has been looking for revenge since the pair first met inside the cage more than a decade ago at UFC 17.5: "Ultimate Brazil." Belfort defeated him in just 44 seconds by way of technical knockout. The former PRIDE champ has since referred to "The Phenom" as "mentally weak" while Belfort insists "The Axe Murderer" is "just a spectator who wants to get attention for himself." Silva is fresh of a second-round shellacking of former Strikeforce 185-pound champion Cung Le while Belfort recently put the screws to former UFC heavy middleweight Anthony Johnson. Early predictions on this all-Brazilian showdown?

Posted in: ufc, silva, belfort, brazil, pride champ

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Vitor Belfort and Wanderlei Silva have played nice so far on the first season of The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil. As coaches of their respective teams, the two have shown plenty of respect for each other. However, when they enter the Octagon on June 23 at UFC 147, you can expect nothing but fireworks, as Belfort looks to make it 2-0 vs. “The Axe Murderer.” In a recent interview with Sherdog, “The Phenom” gave us his take on what will happen from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil later this year. Back at UFC 17.5, Belfort dropped Silva in the first minute of their match, earning a KO victory. I’m expecting the best out of me. I’m only focused on me. I know Wanderlei is a tough guy and he’s gonna come hard, but my arm is gonna be raised that night and he knows that. He’s trying to use his bad attitude to try and impress, but he knows I’m a better man, a better athlete. Belfort is looking to work his way back into contention in the UFC’s middleweight division. He earned an impressive victory over Anthony Johnson earlier this year, giving him two straight wins since a loss to UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva. This is a match that Wanderlei Silva has been waiting years for, so expect him to try and take Belfort’s head off in the early going. Belfort’s skill-level at this time, however, should be enough to fend off Silva and secure the victory.

Posted in: ufc, silva, wanderlei silva, wanderlei, belfort

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Not long after they satisfy their coaching duties on the current season of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) "Brazil," longtime mixed martial arts (MMA) veterans and bitter rivals Vitor Belfort and Wanderlei Silva will hook 'em up (again) at the UFC 147 event from the Joao Havelange Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on June 23, 2012. And "The Phenom" tells Sherdog.com he doesn't expect their UFC 17.5 rematch to end any differently. "I'm expecting the best out of me. I'm only focused on me. I know Wanderlei is a tough guy and he's gonna come hard, but my arm is gonna be raised that night and he knows that. He's trying to use his bad attitude to try and impress, but he knows I'm a better man, a better athlete. I'm focused and I don't need to talk trash about anybody." Hear more from the "happy" and "blessed" former champion, after the jump. For more on Vitor Belfort vs. Wanderlei Silva at UFC 147 click here.

Posted in: ufc, wanderlei, vitor, belfort, im

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Posted in: belfort, wandy, feeling, feeling belfort, furyxu

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Wanderlei Silva has been involved in plenty of rematches throughout his long MMA career. One rematch, however, has avoided him for 14 years in Vitor Belfort. Silva and Belfort, who are currently coaching opposite one another on The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil, will square off at UFC 147: Silva vs. Sonnen 2 on June 23. During an appearance on The MMA Hour earlier this week, Silva discussed just why he’s so excited to face “The Phenom” once again. Belfort earned a KO victory over Silva in 44 seconds back in 1998. This is the fight of my life. I’ve waited all my career for this fight. I’ve waited for (14) years for this fight. He is one of the guys I really, really want to fight before I (retire). This fight is the fight of my dreams. I’ve been fighting since I was 13 years old. I’ve fought for 21 years of my life. Silva also talked about knowing the end of the road is coming up, as he is currently 35 years old. The former superstar in Japan added that he’d like to make one more appearance in Japan before calling it a career. Belfort and Silva could each make another run at the UFC middleweight title, but both are several victories away. Belfort will have the speed advantage on Silva, but you always have to be on the lookout for Silva’s knockout ability.

Posted in: fight, silva, year, wanderlei silva, belfort

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Vitor Belfort and Wanderlei Silva selected their teams for TUF Brasil Sunday night, each picking from a crop of featherweights and middleweights. The show, which airs on Globo in Brazil and streams on TUF.TV here in the states, also featured the first bout between fighters who made it into the house. Silva won the coin flip and claimed the top pick, selecting Rony “Jason” Mariano Bezerra from the featherweight ranks. Belfort, who earned the right to select the first fight, made Cezar “Mutante” Ferreira his first pick. In the opening fight, Belfort’s Godofredo “Pepey” de Oliveira defeated Wagner “Galeto” Campos from Team Silva, earning a decision and leaving “The Phenom” in control of the fight selection. Next week’s match-up will be revealed on the show. TUF Brasil Season Summary: Silva’s Team: Rony “Jason” Mariano Bezerra, John “Macapa” Teixeira, Wagner “Galeto” Campos, Marcos Vinicius “Vina” Borges Pancini (featherweights), Leonardo “Macarrao” Mafra Teixeira, Delson “Pe de Chumbo” Heleno, Francisco “Massaranduba” Drinaldo, Renee Forte (middleweights) Belfort’s Team: Hugo “Wolverine” Viana, Anistavio “Gasparzinho” Medeiros, Godofredo “Pepey” de Oliveira, Rodrigo Damm (featherweights), Cezar “Mutante” Ferreira, Daniel Sarafian, Sergio “Serginho” Moraes, Thiago “Bodao” Rela (middleweights) Team Records: Belfort 1, Silva 0 Advancing to Semifinal: Godofredo “Pepey” de Oliveira Eliminated: Wagner “Galeto” Campos

Posted in: fight, team, silva, featherweight, belfort

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Wanderlei Silva and Vitor Belfort are currently coaching opposite one another on the first international season of The Ultimate Fighter. The two Brazilians are leading their respective teams, and will square off later this year in a rematch 14 years in the making at UFC 147. Back in 1998, Belfort scored a 44-second knockout of Silva, as the two met as fresh youngsters in the game. “The Axe Murderer,” however, doesn’t feel like “The Phenom” comes from the same fighting background as he does, according to comments made in a recent interview with Fighters Only Magazine. Each has his own opinion, each can express his own point of view. But I think he lives in his own world. In his own mind he is right, but for me, he lives in Disneyland. But I was born in the real world, I’m from the streets. The guy is a lion when he is doing the hitting – but when he is hit, he shows the fear on his face. I will beat him and I will do it with heart. Silva (34-11-1) has went just 4-6 since joining the UFC, while Belfort (21-9) sports a 10-5 Octagon record. The winner will make a nice move up the middleweight rankings, while the loser of this fight could be looking at a long road back to contention this late in their respective careers. Photo Credit: Twitter.com/MikeChiappetta

Posted in: silva, wanderlei silva, belfort, vitor belfort, middleweight rankings

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The prospect of Wanderlei Silva vs Vitor Belfort II is on the horizon and the truly head scratching question is not so much who will win, but rather why such a mismatch on paper is being treated as a legitimate contest. Wanderlei Silva is a declining, chinny brawler whose aggression and swinging wild has been working against him since 2006, while Vitor Belfort is a heavy-handed boxer who decimated Silva a decade ago before the PRIDE superman began his physical decline. The sport of MMA is a beautiful and fascinating one, but it is a combat sport and so we often have to realize that it is almost as rotten as boxing. Big name fighters are fed stylistic dream match ups, while hardworking fighters without fan interest are sought out simply to lose in the most spectacular fashion possible. In the sport of MMA, where skill sets are so lop-sided and there are so many areas to the fight, putting on glorified exhibitions is an easier task than in any other combat sport. Of course, there is always the chance of an upset, but often the man with the better skill set can be assured to come out on top. Examples are not in short supply - just recently Chael Sonnen was matched against one dimensional brawler Brian Stann in order to announce his return to the UFC with a bang. Here are some of the most transparent hype building match ups in recent memory. Wanderlei Silva vs Vitor Belfort II Gift match for whom? Vitor Belfort. How? Wanderlei's looping punches and straight forward charges leave colossal gaps for a competent boxer to shoot through. Where Cro Cop ended Silva's image as a world class MMA striker by side stepping the swinging Brazilian's charges, Belfort could easily trade blow for blow and come off the better. Silva has been chinny since his early days, but recently proved vulnerable to even light-fisted Michael Bisping and Cung Le. What's more is that Belfort has already destroyed Silva once before, and neither of their styles has changed all that much since. Why is this match happening? Vitor Belfort and Wanderlei Silva are legends in Brazil, and will doubtless gain much attention as the coaches for The Ultimate Fighter Brazil. What's more, the rivalry angle of this match can be played up enormously. Brazilian fighters are always feuding and reconciling (anyone remember when Wanderlei vs Anderson was the talk of the internet?), drama comes naturally to them and will likely make everyone forget the cold, hard logic around this match. Vitor needs another stunning knockout victory without risking his record against a competent wrestler. When fights go past the opening exchanges, he looks lackluster. Most hilarious factor? Vitor Belfort is 7 - 1 in his last 8. Wanderlei Silva is 3 - 5 in his own and looked vulnerable in the most recent two wins. This match makes absolutely no sense from a realistic sporting point of view, only from an entertainment one. Kimbo Slice vs James Thompson Gift match for whom? Kimbo Slice How? Kimbo Slice was a one dimensional brawler. He had a big punch and few other skills for MMA. James Thompson has the worst chin in the heavyweight division and British level wrestling. Why did this match happen? Kimbo Slice was the marquee attraction for EliteXC, the famously corrupt promotion under the Pro-Elite banner. After Kimbo's massacring Bo Cantrell and Tank Abbott, EliteXC realised that they would need to have him fight fighters with some notable wins in the last decade to sell the brawler to discerning MMA fans. Most hilarious factor? Even with the odds stacked in his favor, Slice couldn't knock out the glass jawed Brit. After getting laid on for much of the second round while being hit with 30 unanswered, wheezing elbows, Kimbo eventually finished with an unspectacular TKO by opening Thompson's cauliflower ear. The legend of Kimbo's punching power, all that he had, went up in smoke. Brock Lesnar vs Frank Mir Gift match for whom? Brock Lesnar How? Frank Mir already had a history of being pounded out on his back after he lost his first submission attempts. Ian Freeman did it, Marcio Cruz did it, and Brandon Vera finished him by trapping him in half guard and TKOing him. Why did this match happen? Brock Lesnar was anticipated to be a huge draw even in his debut with the UFC, but management wanted more than that. They wanted to build him up to a title shot in record time. Mir was an ex-champion who had looked unspectacular in his matches since his return from a tragic motorcycle accident. As mentioned before, he has also always struggled when trapped under competent positional grapplers. Mir also had little to no striking ability, and his wrestling was sub-par. Brock Lesnar was stylistically tailor made to lay on Mir for either three rounds or until he could hammerfist Mir into unconsciousness. It only took half an hour of Countdown to UFC footage for everyone to forget Mir's recent slump and believe he was a top ten fighter. Most hilarious factor? It's always funny when a gift match up backfires on the promoter. A chance stand up and inexperience had Lesnar caught in a kneebar in Mir's only seconds of effective offense throughout the short match. The UFC PR department rolled with the punch however, and both men were suddenly top ten prospects, setting up a rematch for the title which went exactly the same way as the first, but with Lesnar not giving Mir the space to move. Anderson Silva vs Forrest Griffin Gift match for whom? Anderson Silva How? Anderson Silva is a counter-puncher to the point of inactivity if his opponent doesn't oblige him. Forrest Griffin has pillow fists and relentless aggression. Anderson could make a fool of Forrest without fear of getting hurt. Both are world class fighters, but Forrest's lack of wrestling meant he couldn't get this fight to the ground even if he wanted to. Add to this the understanding that he and UFC management apparently had that he would run at Silva and it seems almost as shady as the aforementioned EliteXC offering Seth Petruzelli a bonus for standing with Kimbo Slice. Why did this match happen? Anderson Silva is the greatest fighter on the planet, but he does himself no favors when he refuses to engage with Jiu-Jitsu players or people who won't throw the first punch. After a pair of spectacularly unimpressive performances against Patrick Cote and Thales Leites, it was necessary for him to make a big splash. A fight at 205lbs against a legitimate contender would do this. But why would they pick one of the multitude of well rounded wrestlers or power punchers such as Quinton Jackson or even Matt Hammill for him to meet when they had a number 2 ranked lightheavweight who was tailor-made to stand with and lose to him. Most hilarious moment? The most hilarious moment of this fight was the many MMA fans who didn't realize it was Anderson's stylistic match up that made him so incredible here and so lackluster in his last two title defenses. What is even more impressive is the amount of weight fans and spectators put on "motivation". The Griffin win was put down to want of a challenge, while the mediocre performances against lesser competition at middleweight were put down to lack of interest. When Silva met Demian Maia in his next fight and again refused to engage, it became obvious to all but the most stubborn fanatics that styles make fights. Even for the greatest fighter on earth. Anderson Silva's striking tactics and techniques will be broken down in Jack Slack's upcoming ebook: "Advanced Striking: Tactics of Boxing, Kickboxing and MMA Masters" which will be available around Easter. Jack Slack breaks down striking strategy and technique at his websitewww.fightsgoneby.com He can also be found on Twitter @JackSlackMMA

Posted in: fighter, mir, silva, vitor, belfort

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Joana Prado is not the only model in the Belfort home. Her husband, former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Middleweight number one contender, Vitor Belfort, graced the March 2012 cover of GQ magazine in Brazil. "The Phenom" is fresh off a first round submission victory over Anthony Johnson at UFC 142 in front of his hometown crowd in Rio de Janeiro earlier this year. In addition to high-end photo shoots, Belfort is currently in the midst of filming the first-ever The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) Brazil, opposite his rival Wanderlei Silva. At the conclusion of the mixed martial arts (MMA) reality show, Belfort and Silva will meet inside the Octagon at later this year ... most likely in the summer. And hopefully the rematch lasts longer than 47 seconds, which is how their first encounter ended in favor of Belfort way back in 1998. Check out a behind-the-scenes video of Belfort during his GQ photo shoot after the jump (it's in Portuguese):

Posted in: ufc, wanderlei silva, belfort, belfort home, highend photo

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Them fightin' words! Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC) veterans Dan Henderson and Vitor Belfort have a history that dates back to their days competing "Far East" in PRIDE FC, Japan's longtime premiere mixed martial arts (MMA) organization. The two went toe-to-toe in 2006 at PRIDE 32 in Las Vegas, Nevada, and when it was all said and done, "Hendo" walked away with a unanimous decision victory. Now, it seems that the two are engaging in another battle, this time, they are throwing verbal jabs at one another. Fresh off his first round submission win over Anthony Johnson at UFC 142: "Aldo vs. Mendes" back on Jan. 14, 2012, Belfort tells Tatame.com that he took the bout against Johnson because many fighters refused to fight "Rumble," including Dan Henderson. "Hendo," meanwhile, also told the Brazilian MMA news outlet that he was never offered a fight with Johnson and and also takes a jab at Belfort's past illegal substance issues. Make the jump to see the mud start slinging: "He's a strong guy, feared in UFC. Dan Henderson refused to fight him, everybody declined it. He's a guy who's hard to match-up in this division, but I accepted it at a glance. I have never feared any man... I thought it was good challenge and I said yes. I showed how I value the fans and the UFC." Not true, according to the former PRIDE FC Middleweight and Welterweight champion Dan Henderson, who says Vitor's neurons are getting destroyed by steroids. "That's not true, this fight was never offered to me. Steroids might be killing Vitor's neurons, he's getting crazy to say something like that." In 2006, after their bout at PRIDE 32: "Real Deal," Vitor Belfort tested positive for the banned substance 4-Hydroxytestoerone. Even though "The Phenom" claimed the positive result stemmed from an over-the-counter supplement, the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) suspended Belfort for nine months and fined him $10,000. That didn't stop Henderson from taking a jab at "The Phenom" in defense of his ducking accusations. A future rematch between the two longtime MMA veterans would be a very nice treat for fans around the globe. Furthermore, weight issues would be nonexistent, seeing as how both have competed at middleweight and light heavyweight. For the time being, Henderson is currently playing the waiting game and anxiously awaiting the results of the UFC on Fox 2 main event between Rashad Evans and Phil Davis to see just where in line he stands for a chance to contend for the UFC's light heavyweight title, which is currently held by Jon Jones. Belfort, on the other hand, will next participate as a coach for The Ultimate Fighter (TUF): Brazil and will then tangle with opposing coach Wanderlei Silva later in the year. What's your take Maniacs, hitting below the belt on "Hendo's" part? Or is all fair in love and MMA? Sound off!

Posted in: ufc, henderson, dan, vitor, belfort

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On the heels of last weekend’s stirring victory over Anthony Johnson at UFC 142 in Rio de Janeiro, middleweight contender Vitor Belfort was featured this week in popular Brazilian newspaper O Globo.

Posted in: anthony johnson, belfort, trade punches, weekend ’s, brazilian newspaper

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Former UFC light heavyweight champ Vitor Belfort enjoyed a big win over Anthony Johnson at UFC 142, finishing Johnson in the first round by rear naked choke. After the big win, Belfort spoke to the Brazilian news outlet O Globoabout Johnson (translated by Tom Mendes): (Johnson) pretended to be hungry when he came after me, but in reality he was not doing anything dangerous. A wrestler is not going to be able to take me down and smother me. It's no use. I come from jiu-jitsu. You can try but it won't lead to anything. I come from jiu-jitsu. Belfort also had some words for his next opponent, Wanderlei Silva: If he does that (trade with me) I'll break him again. He no longer has the chin to trade with me. Tell him to change strategies or it's going to be another knockout. Belfort and Silva are expected to coach the first installment of The Ultimate Fighter to be shot in Brazil. It will air on Fuel TV here in the states. Belfort KO'd Silva at the first UFC Brazil in 1997. SBN coverage of UFC RIO 142: Aldo vs. Mendes

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submitted by MattyBlayze [link] [4 comments]

Posted in: ufc, breakdown, belfort, mattyblayze, aldo

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The usual Vitor Belfort didn't show up post-UFC 142. A fiery, impassioned statesman at times replaced the placid, Jesus-loving fighter we've come to know over the years. Responsibility outweighed pomp and circumstance. "I think the platform that we have is such that I didn't see a better moment in time to really make people aware that it's important for us to fight for the causes we believe in," Belfort said through a translator following this Saturday's pay-per-view event.

Posted in: belfort, vitor belfort, circumstance i, years responsibility, brazils kidnappings

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WHERE DOES HE RANK?I wrote in my breakdown of the UFC 142 main event between Jose Aldo and Chad Mendes that “Aldo can’t just beat Mendes if he wants to reinsert himself into the pound-for-pound discussions. He needs to destroy him…” Mission accomplished. Aldo made minced meat out of a man who many believed had the perfect set of skills to dethrone the first UFC featherweight champion. And he made it look easy – very easy.People have to start giving Aldo credit as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world, if not THE best.  His WEC/UFC resume is ridiculous. The only person to make him seem even remotely human in the last six years was Mark Hominick. Aldo had lots of pre-fight issues that arguably contributed to that performance. But even if we disregard those issues, everyone is entitled to a bad night now and then. Anderson Silva came much closer to losing to Chael Sonnen than Aldo did against Hominick. Georges St-Pierre suffered a knockout loss during Aldo’s undefeated run. So I don’t want to hear any of this Mark Hominick stuff when it comes to Aldo’s pound-for-pound claim.I’ll be the first to say it. Aldo deserves to stand above Jon Jones in the pound-for-pound debate. That isn’t a knock on Jones, who had the most impressive 2011 of anyone in the sport. But he only recently began facing the best of the best. Aldo has been doing that for several years, and pound-for-pound supremacy is about sustained, proven greatness. Jones is on his way. Aldo is already there.Where Jones stands in the mythical pound-for-pound debate is a matter of opinion. I still firmly lean toward Silva at the top, but I’d put Aldo on par with GSP as vying for the second position. Jones and then Frankie Edgar finish off my top five. Agree? Disagree? State your case in the comment section below. I’ll be reading, as always. “THE PHENOM” IS MAKING A COMPELLING CASEVitor Belfort looked incredible in his first-round submission win over Anthony Johnson. The former champion took his share of lumps, including a vicious diving punch on the ground. But his overall skill proved to be too much for the light heavyweight version of Johnson. Ok, he wasn’t actually a light heavy, but he didn’t make the 186-pound limit, as everyone already knows. The win was the second straight annihilation win for Belfort after suffering the dramatic front kick loss to Silva. Belfort will now set his sights on Wanderlei Silva after the pair coach opposite each other on “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil,” which starts filming shortly. If he obliterates Silva, like he did Johnson and Yoshihiro Akiyama, then there is little doubt that he deserves a rematch with Anderson Silva. Say what you will about the knockout loss to “The Spider”; it was a single strike loss. I’ve written about that type of loss many times before. They do nothing to prove that one man is superior to the other. All they do is prove that one man got caught. Silva did not dominate Belfort when he knocked him out. He landed a single strike. Had Belfort’s flying left hand found its mark when Silva’s back hit the ground, the result could have easily been different. That is why a rematch between the two is, in my opinion, the biggest fight available in the middleweight division.But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Belfort must first get past Wanderlei without getting injured. Anderson must heal and rehabilitate his ailing shoulder. Then, Anderson must get past the winner of Chael Sonnen versus Mark Munoz. I guarantee you that he hopes Munoz wins because Sonnen came within two minutes of dethroning the champion. So, it is far from a lock that Anderson will defeat the winner of Sonnen-Munoz. If he does, I think we may just pay witness to the biggest fight in the history of the middleweight division. “RUMBLE” GETS COSTLY LESSON Let’s quickly deal with business first. According to a post-fight interview with UFC President Dana White on FUEL TV, Johnson was likely going to be released from his UFC contract following the loss to Belfort, with White citing a 'three strikes and you're out' policy. Johnson missed weight at UFC 76, UFC 104 and now UFC 142. At some point, this guy has to get it right on the scales. We don’t see this sort of issue with other top fighters. Johnson was completely unprofessional with the way he handled his move to middleweight. I don’t care what he points to as the reason. He fought at 170 pounds not long ago. Yet, he missed the middleweight limit? Crazy. Unfathomable. Inexcusable.  He needs to take a hard look at himself and everyone around him because these sorts of repeated weight issues are unprecedented in the UFC, particularly when moving UP, not down, in weight. Now, to the good part. I thought Johnson looked tremendous at middleweight (or junior light heavyweight), despite the loss to Belfort. He appeared to increase his speed and explosiveness with the extra weight, just like I predicted.  He also appeared to match Belfort’s strength, which shocked me. If not for a couple of quick stand-ups, Johnson may have sent Belfort to the filming of TUF with a shocking (in my opinion) loss on his record. He was certainly winning the round before getting caught in a well executed rear naked choke. All that suggests to me that middleweight is the perfect division for this guy. I hope Johnson hires a weight cutting guru or dietician and figures out this whole scale thing. It is a tragedy that this guy is wasting his tremendous potential, particularly now that he is entering the prime of his fighting career, by battling the scale, rather than battling for championships. I think the latter is a real possibility if he can figure out the former.PALHARES SHOWS THE BEAUTIFUL VIOLENCE OF BRAZILIAN JIU-JITSURousimar Palhares is one scary ground fighter. The vertically challenged middleweight looks like a cartoon character with his muscular build. But those muscles are far from beach muscles. They are evidence of his ridiculous physical strength. Mix that with his otherworldly BJJ, and you have one of the most intimidating ground fighters in all of mixed martial arts. “Toquinho” may have rudimentary standup, but I can guarantee you that nobody in the middleweight division wants any part of his ground game – nobody. That includes pound-for-pound kingpin Anderson Silva.DON’T EVISCERATE YAMASAKI JUST YETMario Yamasaki got it wrong on Saturday night. We all know that. But before you eviscerate the referee, ask yourself whether you have ever made a mistake at your job. I know I certainly have. You have, too.Yamasaki’s mistake wasn’t borne from incompetence. He thought Erik Silva was illegally striking the back of Carlo Prater’s head, so he disqualified him in the interest of promoting fighter safety. That deserves praise, not condemnation. The danger of repeatedly striking someone in the back of the head is well documented. As a lifelong boxing fan, I will never forget watching Nigel Benn hit Gerald McClellan in the back of the head again and again in their 1995 title fight. We’ll never know for sure, but the illegal blows may have been the catalyst that forever changed McClellan’s life. Kudos to Yamasaki for doing what the referee in London didn’t have the courage to do back in 1995.Of course, the replay showed that Silva landed legal blows, so he was wrongfully disqualified. But there was nothing Yamasaki could do about his decision after watching the replay. The UFC, unlike other professional sports, does not provide for replay to change a referee’s decision. The result highlights the need for instant replay in MMA. Other major sports take advantage of technology within prescribed limited. Our sport should do the same.At the end of the day, though, Yamasaki wrongfully disqualifying Silva doesn’t really matter. The Brazilian bomber has the ability to appeal the loss, which may result in a reversal of the outcome. Dana White stepped up big time and paid Silva his full purse – show money and win bonus – so he wasn’t personally impacted at all by the loss. I’m also certain that he will be treated, when considered for future UFC bookings, as if he won the bout. As far as I’m concerned, this is a no-harm, no-foul situation.ARE YOU KIDDING ME?Edson Barboza’s spinning wheel kick knockout over Terry Etim was the most impressive final round knockout that I may have ever witnessed in the UFC. Maybe I will think of something that compares in the coming days, but for now, I’m left in pure awe of the moment. By the way, it was the first ever spinning wheel kick knockout in UFC history. It won Knockout of the Night. I’m thinking it should win Knockout of the Decade. Not to anoint myself matchmaker, but I would LOVE to see a bout between Barboza and Donald Cerrone. That matchup could easily produce Fight of the Year fireworks.PYLE RIGHTS THE SHIP; IS THERE TIME?Five months after getting blasted by Rory MacDonald in less than four minutes, Mike Pyle returned to form with a dominant performance against Ricardo Funch. Pyle is a grizzled veteran of the sport, having competed all over the world since making his professional debut against Quinton “Rampage” Jackson way back on November 13, 1999. Pyle’s UFC success – five wins in eight bouts – is certainly noteworthy. The problem is he has yet to defeat an actual contender inside the Octagon. It remains to be seen whether he is a division gatekeeper or a legitimate contender. At 36 years old, the time for him to make a run is now.   BRAZIL ALMOST RUNS THE TABLEBrazil is the home of mixed martial arts. It was fitting, therefore, that each of the 10 fights involved at least one Brazilian. Two bouts pitted Brazilian versus Brazilian. Let’s remove those two bouts from the analysis, since it was guaranteed that a Brazilian would win the matchup. That leaves us with eight. UFC 134 also involved eight bouts where Brazilians fought “others.” The locals went 7-1 in both situations. I know this isn’t country versus country, but 14-2 is nothing to sneeze at. Are Brazilians, on average, the best mixed martial artists in the world? They are making one heck of an argument.

Posted in: ufc, ’t, silva, belfort, aldo

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Aldo, first name Jose, marched toward the Octagon to Jay-Z’s “Run This Town (Tonight)” and did exactly that, snatching his 14th straight victory in front of his Rio de Janeiro faithful. The first-round knockout of No. 1 contender Chad Mendes will force even the most stubborn minds to rethink whether Jon Jones or Anderson Silva or Georges St-Pierre really is the most talented fighter on the planet. Fresh off his fifth world title defense, Aldo is now a certified superstar – and it is legitimate to speculate if there is any current fighter at either 145 pounds OR 155 pounds that will beat this guy on his A game (You have to think that Aldo would be favored against anybody at either weight class). Scary part: he is only 25 years old, nowhere near his physical prime. Brazilian fighters added more ammunition to claims that they produce the world’s best mixed martial artists by rewarding home fans with a 7-1 record on the night against opponents from other nations. The UFC has held three events in South America’s largest country. In those shows Brazilian fighters have amassed a combined (and staggering) 16-2 record against foreigners. Can’t conceive how Anthony Johnson failed to make weight BY 11 POUNDS!!! Will forever boggle the mind, no matter how many excuses are conjured up. Let’s put this Cardinal Sin of professional fighting into historical perspective: Up until the 142 weigh-in, the Poster Boy for jaw-dropping overweightedness had been Paulo  Filho, another incredible talent who famously tipped the scales at seven pounds over before his middleweight world title defense against Chael Sonnen for WEC 36. Those who cheer for Karma to always prevail in the end can take comfort in this: Being overweight for a main card fight is usually a bad omen for the perpetrator. Filho, like Johnson, was as much of a failure in the fight as he was during the weight cut. Both Filho and Johnson paid for their transgressions not only with reduced paychecks, but also losses inside the cage. Disqualification of Erick Silva for alleged strikes to the back of the head, wiping away what would have been a jubilant 29-second triumph in front of his countrymen, was heart-wrenching to watch, especially since video replays showed scant evidence of the fouls. Reminds me of Jon Jones losing via disqualification after annihilating Matt Hamill at The Ultimate Fighter finale 10 (illegal elbows being the culprit, the lone “loss” of Jones’ career). Though he remained poised and polished during an interview with Joe Rogan immediately following the defeat, Jones went backstage, away from fans and cameras, and was emotionally devastated. I can’t help but think that Erick Silva (13-2, 1 NC) was the same Saturday night in Rio after being deprived of what have been the finest moment of his career thus far. Extraordinary is my thought on Joe Rogan’s impromptu interview with referee Mario Yamasaki following the Prater-Silva shocker. How often do you see that? Rogan is just so brutally candid, which I happen to think is generally a good quality in people. He felt Silva’s pain and wanted Yamasaki – one of the sport’s most competent and veteran referees – to explain the call. Fight of the Night bonuses ($65,000) went to Edson Barboza and Terry Etim. Gabriel Gonzaga, whom some had written off after he lost three of four UFC fights and embarked on a one-year hiatus, returned to the Octagon with a vengeance. The 250-pound BJJ world champ had lamented relying too much on his striking and returned to his roots with a rear naked choke that dealt Ednaldo Oliveira (13-1-1, 1 NC) his first career loss. Heel hooks are rarely successful in the UFC, but Rousimar Palhares is an exception to the rule. The 185-pound ball of muscle clamped onto Mike Massenzio’s ankle early in the first round and, before Palhares even commenced any of the limb, Joe Rogan accurately predicted that trying to escape so early in the bout without benefit of sweat was futile: “Fight’s over,” Rogan said. And it was, just 63 seconds in, giving Palhares his seventh win in nine UFC fights. One remark: I’ll bet you Massenzio spent the majority of his camp focusing on how to defend heel hooks, leg locks and kneebars. But it’s hard to mimic the kind of beastly latch Palhares imposes on a limb. Only Frank Mir can be considered an equal in that department, as both are clearly the last two guys you want cranking on your limb. I suspect that Anthony Johnson, after missing weight three different times under the UFC banner, could someday return to the UFC. But if I was him, and that forgiveness and opportunity for redemption ever comes, I might opt for the 205-pound weight class instead (just to be on the safe side).Jose Aldo’s spontaneous sprint into the stands at HSBC Arena – for those who might think it unprecedented    was not Jr.’s first foray into the crowd. An overflow of emotion prompted him to do the MMA version of a “Lambeau Leap” after a first-round knockout of Rolando Perez four years ago at WEC 38 (in San Diego, Calif.). Word is that Aldo’s renowned trainer, Andre Pederneiras, was not too fond of the Aldo running into the stands (nor was he fond of Aldo’s daring habit of doing somersault’s off the Octagon following wins). Aldo had been much tamer in his celebrations until Saturday, as the energy in the sold-out arena and the sentimental value of the moment apparently overcame him (and also probably scared the crap out of the security officials responsible for the arduous task of extracting the raging showman from a virtual mosh pit of fans). Knockout of the Night went to Edson Barboza, whose spinning wheel kick to the face sent Terry Etim to the canvas stiff as a wooden board. By coincidence, the third-round knockout happened just as Joe Rogan was noting that Etim, likely trailing on the judges’ scorecards, might need to attack more. Rogan wondered aloud, “Do you want to take a chance and risk getting knocked out? (at that moment Barboza spun and the heel of his foot thumped Etim’s jaw).“Oh!!” Barboza, a lightweight, improved to 10-0. Lovely Brazilian women in the crowd didn’t get as much love from the cameras as some of us would have liked. Miscellaneous fact worth mentioning: There are at least four different fighters named Anderson Silva in MMA, PLUS another named “Wanderson” Silva. “THE” famous Anderson Silva is 31-4 in his legendary career. The combined record of the three other Anderson Silvas (and Wanderson Silva) is 10-15. Not since March 2001, back in his days with Pride, had Vitor Belfort submitted an opponent in live competition (Bobby Southworth being the answer to the trivia question). Though Belfort is renowned for his hand-speed and punching prowess, that decade-long submission drought is remarkable when you consider that Belfort has been a BJJ black belt since the tender age of 19 (receiving the honor under the late, great Carlson Gracie). Another important point about Belfort: His career resurgence is as admirable as it is rare. Here is a man who, in the mid-2000s, fought seven times AND LOST FIVE OF THEM. Many – including myself -- wrote Belfort off entirely, thinking “The Phenom” had all the physical talent in the world but lacked the mental toughness and drive to rise to elite status again. And now? The 34-year-old Belfort has won seven of his past eight, which is a credit to his own mental maturity and the fine team he has assembled around him, which includes kickboxing coach Ray Sefo, Gilbert “Durinho” Burns (BJJ black belt world champion) and Ginastica Natural pioneer Alvaro Romano. Opinion: The Vitor Belfort-Wanderlei Silva rematch, slated for later this year, will not go past one round. But me, like you, will darn sure be watching every second of their fisticuffs. It’s been more than 13 years – 13 YEARS – since these two icons collided. I don’t remember ever waiting 13 years to see a rematch. I’m sure Wanderlei has often fantasized about revenge since absorbing that 44-second annihilation to Belfort back in 1998. But their looming sequel might prove to be another example of “Be Careful What You Wish For.” Priceless: An arena filled with passionate, flag-waving Brazilians. Nobody does it better.Q is for Quicksand, the moniker of one Mike Pyle, who earned the distinction of being the only foreigner to defeat a Brazilian on the night. Angered and embarrassed after being steamrolled by Rory MacDonald in his last fight, the Las Vegan standout blitzed Ricardo Funch with a sizzling right hand and knees en route to a first-round stoppage. “I want to thank my wife for putting up with me all during my camp,” Pyle said afterwards. Might not be the last time a pro fighter uses that line. Really curious whom Aldo’s next challenger will be. Erik Koch (13-1) has to be in the mix. Dustin Poirier (11-1) goes for five straight at UFC 143 next month. Both are tall, lanky, aggressive fighters. But neither can match Aldo’s speed. Strange coincidence: Both Aldo and Belfort wished their mothers Happy Birthday following their fight Saturday night. Thiago Tavares is finally living up to his potential. Tavares’ decision win over Sam Stout pushed his record to 4-1-1 in his past six contests. Unbeaten: Edson Barboza, whose standup, speed and ferocious leg attacks have drawn comparisons to Jose Aldo, improved to 10-0.  The two other unbeatens on the card, Chad Mendes and Ednaldo Oliveira, suffered their first losses Saturday night.Vitor Belfort said he cut over 20 pounds in the days leading up to his fights. As any athlete who has ever cut weight knows, it is often the most miserable of processes, a test of mental fortitude and discipline. So when a fighter misses weight, his opponents usually view it not only as unprofessional, but also a sign of weakness. A sign that a fighter couldn’t hack the misery of the process necessary to make weight. Seeing a fighter not make weight is analogous to seeing a fighter “break” or give up in a fight. Once a fighter senses that quit in an opponent, it is like a shark seeing red. Welterweights beware: Mike Pyle says he’s bringing the same intensity to you that he brought against Ricardo Funch. X-cellent: Still wondering when a fighter will be daring enough to use an X-guard BJJ sweep in the Octagon. Yuri Alcantara won a unanimous decision over fellow featherweight Michihiro Omigawa. Alcantara is now 26-3. (Pardon the creativity) Mike MassenZio, a former Junior college national wrestling champ and BJJ black belt, jumpstarted his pro career at 9-1 but has now dropped five of his past eight.  

Posted in: fight, fighter, belfort, weight, aldo

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It's important to note that God didn't use all of his energy to end Tim Tebow's season yesterday. Apparently God still had some juice left in the 'miracle gas tank' to inject it directly into Vitor Belfort at UFC 142. At least that's what Vitor will tell you. Personally, I think Vitor Belfort's experience came into play along with his incredible patience when he was getting ground and pounded -- but what do I know. It's clear that God doesn't love me as much as he does Vitor Belfort and Jon Jones -- or else he would have delivered a complimentary Neo Geo system to my door years ago. One day I will receive energy from the all-mighty -- and I will use it to never pay my electricity bill ever again. Check out this post-fight interview of Vitor Belfort discussing his fight against Antohny Johnson at UFC 142.

Posted in: vitor, belfort, vitor belfort, geo system, door years

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Vitor Belfort is a former UFC champion and #1 contender, so he knows the kind of commitment it takes to become the best in MMA. Saturday night, Belfort took out Anthony Johnson in the co-main event of UFC 142: Aldo vs. Mendes from his native country of Brazil in front of thousands of cheering fans. However, the fight was more about weights than strikes, as “Rumble” came in well over the 185 pound limit for the bout. For his efforts, “The Phenom” sent Johnson packing, picking up an extra 20% of Johnson’s paycheck. Still, money aside, the lack of respect involved left Belfort a little upset. UFC cameras caught up with the 34-year old following the victory to guage his reaction on the win and see what he had to say about Johnson as a hole. “I kept the pressure, I made him give up; that was the plan,” Belfort said. “The whole country was behind me. I have fans all over the world and they are the most important thing after God and my family.” Check out the entire interview below: PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Posted in: ufc, johnson, belfort, phenom ”, pressure i

Read the full article at Five Ounces of Pain

UFC 142 is officially in the books as Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) delivered yet another fine showing of mixed martial arts (MMA) at its best on Jan. 14, 2012, from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In the main event, UFC Featherweight Champion and hometown hero Jose Aldo defended his 145-pound belt against Team Alpha Male wrestler standout Chad Mendes. The goal for Mendes was clear: Get the fight to the ground. However, early on, it was obvious that Mendes was going to have great difficulty taking Adown the Brazilian. And when the horn sounded for the end of the first round, Aldo showed the reason he is the one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world, flooring Mendes with a brutal knee that led to the fight being stopped almost immediately. The co-main event featured a middleweight catchweight bout between another Brazilian product, Vitor Belfort, and Anthony Johnson, who "rumbled" onto the scale at a whopping 11 pounds more than the official weight, thus causing 20 percent of his purse to be forfeited to his opponent. Unfortunately for Johnson, the talk about the weight cut issues lasted longer than the actual fight itself. Belfort weathered the early storm, before he jumped on an inevitably gassed Johnson and used his jiu-jitsu to finish him with a choke in front a home crowd that was going absolutely bananas. After the jump, we'll take a look at what might be next for UFC 142 big winners Jose Aldo and Vitor Belfort: The build-up to UFC 142 promised a classic match up between a striker (Jose Aldo) and a wrestler (Chad Mendes). Pairings like these have, in the past, have delivered and brought very exciting fights. There have also been times when they've proven to be absolute duds. It's hard to say if the fight itself lived up to the hype. That said, what is for sure is that Aldo delivered and proved that the acclaim he receives for his abilities are well-deserved. His leg kick are ridiculous. If you stand in front of him, it's going to be an early night. Mendes found out that this can also be the case if you stand behind him, which is where he was located when Aldo spun, landed a brutal knee and then swarmed him with punches before Mario Yamasaki stepped in saved Mendes from taking any further damage. It's hard to see anyone beating him at 145 pounds. He's taken the best challengers the UFC has had to throw at him and handled them somewhat easily (withstanding the 5th round of his fight with Hominick). I'll throw two names at you. Chan Sung Jung -- He's currently got an open slot on his dance card. He's won his last two fights in devastating fashion. Do I think he can beat Aldo? No, not really, but it makes for an exciting potential fight. Hatsu Hioki -- Hioki is set to fight Bart Palaszewski at UFC 144 on Feb. 26, 2012, in Saitama, Japan. If Hioki can notch the win, it would set up a very interesting match up between two fighters who have long been ranked at the top of the featherweight weight class. After that, it gets thin. It would certainly be nice to see the UFC bring in some new talent for the champion to challenge himself against. Last night's fight between Vitor Belfort and Anthony Johnson meant a great deal to both participants. For Belfort, it was chance to show that his quick knockout loss to Anderson Silva at UFC 126 on Feb. 25, 2011, was not an accurate portrayal of who he is as a fighter. It was a chance to build on his most recent knockout victory over Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 133 on Aug. 6, 2011. For Johnson, it was an opportunity to silence the many critics who decried him for failing to make weight, yet again. It's hard to say that Belfort is back, per se, with the win over Johnson. "Rumble" was dehydrated from the weight cut and honestly looked totally winded by the end of the fight. However, "The Phenom" has now finished his last two fights and looked great in the process. Sure, Anderson Silva made him look silly, but be real. Silva has a way of doing that. Next up for Belfort? He is set to coach in the upcoming The Ultimate Fighter (TUF): "Brazil" reality television show versus Wanderlei Silva. At the end of the season, he will rematch "The Axe Murderer" in what is sure to go down as one of the best fights of the year. What say you, Maniacs? Were you satisfied with the performances of Aldo and Belfort? Who would you like to see them both take on next? Opinions, best guesses and predictions are all welcome in the comments section below.

Posted in: ufc, fight, belfort, aldo, mende

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-Jose Aldo is a perfect a 11-0 in his UFC/WEC career with eight stoppage wins -Aldo has not lost since a November 2005 to defeat to Luciano Azevedo ; a span of 14 bouts for the 25 year old Brazilian -Aldo is the sixth fighter in UFC's 18 year history to record a knockout with one second left in a round- Aldo's first round finish of Chad Mendes was his first opening round win since joining the UFC in April 2011-Of his 21 career wins, 12 have come inside the first round for Aldo-Mendes is now 3-1 in fights that end in the first round-Mendes is 1-1 versus Brazilian born fighters in his MMA career-The loss for Mendes snaps an 11 fight winning streak to begin his career, it also marks the end to a four fight run of decision wins. -Per FightMetric Mendes went 0 for 7 on takedown attempts -Vitor Belfort had not fought in his home country of Brazil since 1998-Belfort is 2-0 when he fights in Brazil -The first round win for Belfort is his fifth straight fight that has ended in the opening round. -Belfort is 4-1 in his past five fights-In his UFC career Belfort has 10 first round wins. All 10 of Belfort's UFC wins have come inside the opening five minutes-11 of Anthony Johnson's 14 professional MMA fights have come inside the UFC's Octagon-The loss ends a two fight winning streak for Johnson-Three of Johnson's four losses in the UFC have come via a rear naked choke submission -Per Compustrike Belfort went 34/52 on total strikes 34/52 while Johnson connected with 5/25-With UFC 143 and 134 both held in Brazil, Brazilian fighters are now 14-2 against foreign born fighters at those two events-Betting favorites at UFC 142 went 8-1 on the night. The lone underdog to pay off was Felipe Arantes at a mere +175

Posted in: ufc, fight, round, belfort, aldo

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Anthony Johnson has had a bad week. During his final weight cut on Friday, he was forced to stop after the UFC doctor stepped in and forced him to rehydrate because Johnson was unable to move his legs. At the weigh ins it was announced that his opponent Vitor Belfort agreed to the fight as long as 'Rumble' was able to weigh in on Saturday at 205 pounds. When Johnson stepped on the scales he came in 11 pounds over the middleweight limit, people were shocked. When he 'apologized' for it, people were appalled. To say that the fight with Vitor Belfort didn't go as planned would be an understatement. Johnson completed two of five takedown attempts and was unable to do much damage on the ground. He didn't fare much better on the feet being out struck by a seven to one margin and landing only five strikes. When he tapped to the rear naked choke, it was assumed that he'd be released. The UFC sent out a quick quote following the fight where Johnson had this to say about his performance: A loss is a loss. My legs just got really tired. I didn't get beat up in there and he really didn't hurt me with what he hit me with. I just got tired. I've got to figure this thing out. He'll have to figure it out on the regional scene as UFC President Dana White is planning on giving Anthony Johnson his walking papers following the performance. After initially saying "he'd probably cut Johnson", Dana decided to make things official after having some time to mull it over. MMA Junkie has the story: That was one of the most unprofessional things I've ever seen. The guy was at 170 pounds. He moved up to 185 pounds so this wouldn't happen anymore, and this is the worst weightcutting disaster he's ever had. He almost ruined the co-main event here in Brazil. I don't know what else to say about that one. I'm not happy about it. ... I don't know who you blame in this one. Do you blame him? Do you blame his team? Do you blame his camp? I mean who takes the blame in this one? Ultimately, you're a grown man. You're responsible for your own actions. After that performance I can't blame Dana. Anthony Johnson attempted to come into the fight as big as possible in order to bully Belfort. It backfired on him and he'll need to reevaluate his strategy and training camps going forward. Hopefully he can get back to the UFC after putting together a string of wins on the regional scene. SBN coverage of UFC RIO 142: Aldo vs. Mendes

Posted in: ufc, fight, johnson, belfort, didnt

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Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) kept the Brazilian fans on their feet for an entire evening of mixed martial arts (MMA) goodness last night (Jan. 14, 2012) as UFC 142: "Aldo vs. Mendes" invaded the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro. The card featured a headliner bout that featured a champion, Jose Aldo, who had yet to be defeated during his tenure with promotion. Not only has he not lost, it really hasn't been all that close."Scarface" defended his 145-pound title with a buzzer-beating knockout victory over Chad Mendes, followed by a ridiculous scene where Aldo flew out of the cage and ran around the arena, much to the delight of the raucous hometown fans. And to the chagrin of the security team charged with keeping him safe. Vitor Belfort scored a "phenomenal" win over Anthony Johnson, who had a lot of trouble making weight (again). The win for Belfort propelled him back into title contention and showed that he still has some gas left in the tank. Join me after the jump where we take a look at the list of UFC 142's big winners and lowly losers: WINNERS Jose Aldo -- What would happen when Aldo faced a wrestler the caliber of Chad Mendes? Could he continue to defend against takedowns the way he has in all of his other fights? Was Mendes the kryptonite for the seemingly unbeatable champion? Nope. Aldo is the best at 145 pounds. He may even be the best in the world. The scary thing is that Aldo is still relatively young and getting better with every fight. Vitor Belfort -- After taking everything that Johnson had to give him, including a swollen black eye, Belfort used his incredible athleticism and killer instinct to get a submission win over a fighter who many thought may cause problems for Belfort with his wrestling. He'll probably need another good win before a title shot is back within reach, but he's back in the conversation. Edson Barboza -- His third round knockout against Terry Etim may have been the sickest head kick finish ever. I watched it at least 15 times before I was ready to see something else. It was ridiculous. This guy's Muay Thai stand up is fantastic. He's still undefeated (10-0) and if he were in any other division than the UFC's very stacked lightweight class of fighters, he'd be getting a lot more attention. Rousimar Palhares -- His submissions are brutal. He doesn't just look for a tap, he looks for limbs. His leglocks are ruthless. Once he has a hold of you, you're done. It will be really interesting to see what kind of match up he's given next. I believe he's earned the right to fight a top-tier middleweight and am excited to watch it when it goes down. Gabriel Gonzaga -- After leaving the UFC and stating he was retiring following a loss to Brendan Schaub at UFC 121 on Oct. 23, 2010, in Anaheim, Calif., it looked as though we'd seen the last of "Napao" in the Octagon. A little more than a year later, Gonzaga felt the fire again and made his return at UFC 142. He emerged victorious with a really nice submission victory over Ednaldo Oliveira, who came into the heavyweight showdown as a highly touted prospect. Welcome back, big guy. LOSERS Anthony Johnson -- Bro, what is the deal with you and your weight? Welterweight was never your weight class. Everyone knew that but you. Now even middleweight seems to be a cut too difficult to make. UFC President Dana White has been patient with you, but he's not exactly known for having a long fuse. You really need to pick a weight class and commit to it. The sad thing is that you have a world of potential. I'd love to see you one day live up to it. Mario Yamasaki -- I usually like Yamasaki, but tonight's disqualification ruling in the fight between Erick Silva and Carlo Prater was one of the worst I've ever seen. Silva was robbed of a win bonus and the credit he deserved for an impressive victory. Something has to be done about these kind of stoppages. It hurts the legitimacy of the sport and it really is a shame. Sam Stout -- In his first fight back since experiencing the overwhelming loss of his brother-in-law, coach and close personal friend, Sean Tompkins, Stout just never really got rolling. At the end of the third round, he finally got loose a little bit and started to let his hands go. Unfortunately, it was far too little and much too late. He had already spent the majority of the fight defending and getting picked apart, to an extent, by Thiago Tavares. Credit Tavares for fighting a smart fight, but this was a less than stellar performance for "Hands of Stone." UFC security -- Look, I'm not trying to be "Debbie Downer." It was kind of a cool scene seeing Jose Aldo rush out of the cage and say hello to every fan in the arena after his win over Mendes. It just shouldn't have happened. Thankfully, nothing awful went down. There weren't any lunatics with shanks fashioned out of Dos Equis bottles, but there could have been. Anyway, that's my list. Who were your big winners and lowliest of losers from UFC 142? Let us know in the comments section below! To check out complete UFC 142: "Aldo vs. Mendes" results and detailed blow-by-blow coverage click here.

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There was a significant amount of drama heading into last night's (January 14, 2012) UFC 142 co-main event between Vitor Belfort and Anthony Johnson. Unfortunately, very little of it had to do with the actual fight, itself. Johnson, in moving up a division to middleweight for the first time in his career, missed weight by 11 pounds on Friday, forcing a special stipulation of having to weigh in a second time on Saturday before he would be allowed to even compete as well as forfeiting 20 percent of his fight purse. "Rumble" pushed a very aggressive pace early with an intent on finishing the fight before he ran out of gas, but it was Belfort who responded efficiently earning his first submission victory in over 10 years. So how did "The Phenom" pull off the victory against such a big and powerful foe? And what's next for both fighters? Johnson pushed forward aggressively and perhaps recklessly early, scoring a big takedown after catching a Belfort head kick attempt. "Rumble," though, did not do much with his takedown, instead choosing to remain in Belfort's full guard, staying tight to his body in top position and not landing punches. After a quick warning from the referee, they were stood up. Again, Johnson hunted to the takedown, pressing "The Phenom" into the fence and clutching onto a single leg. When he couldn't improve his position and after eating some short strikes from a sprawling Belfort, the referee again separated both fighters. After a wild and rather sloppy exchange of strikes, Johnson dropped to his knees to again purse the takedown, turning the corner and putting Belfort on his back once more. The Imperial Athletics fighter was more active this time, trying to posture up and throw punches but they were once again stood up, this time perhaps even quicker than the first. (This is the only separation I don't fully agree with). Upon being reset for the third time, Johnson showcased his true desperation, recklessly throwing big power strikes and head kicks with very little technique whatsoever. When he shot in for a takedown with 90 seconds left, he was completely out of gas. Belfort stuffed it this time with a beautiful sprawl and then immediately countered with punches to the side of the head. With Johnson worrying about defending his head, "The Phenom" pounced onto his back, sinking both hooks in. He softened "Rumble" up with some heavy shots from behind and eventually sunk in a rear naked choke while flattening him out, forcing the tap as the Brazilian crowd erupted. For Anthony Johnson, this fight was a disaster. He wasn't active enough after securing the takedowns so while the referee was quick to stand them up, he has no one to blame but himself for not trying to pass Belfort's guard or posture up and throw heavier ground and pound. He also embarrassed both the himself and the UFC by missing weight so badly and it's going to be a costly lesson. Early reports are that Johnson will be released from the promotion, so he'll have plenty of time to think about what went wrong and how to fix it. Hopefully he takes this as a learning experience, makes weight successfully in his next few fights and we can see him back in the UFC again by the end of the year. For Vitor Belfort, this was a terrific showcase of some of his skills that fans haven't had an opportunity to see. He had a good defensive guard and was able to lock down Johnson after being taken down so as to force the stand-up from the referee. He also aggressively attacked after defending the final takedown and his transition to the American's back was excellent. The reaction from the crazed fans in attendance made the moment that much better. Belfort is already lined up to face Wanderlei Silva next as he'll coach against "The Axe Murderer" in the first ever foreign season of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF), this one taking place in Brazil. He was already a star in his home country, but his performance last night coupled with his upcoming television role will likely put him over the top. Expect Belfort to get a huge middleweight fight if he can get past Silva later this year. So what did you think, Maniacs? What did you think of Dan Miragliotta's two stand ups and one separation? Did this fight go as you expected since Johnson had the weight issues heading in? Does Johnson deserve to be fired? Sound off! For complete UFC 142 results, including blow-by-blow, fight-by-fight coverage of the entire event as well as immediate post-fight reaction click here, here and here.

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Anthony Johnson will likely be released by the UFC after suffering a first-round submission to Vitor Belfort in the co-main event of UFC 142 on Saturday night, one day after missing weight by 11 pounds for what was scheduled to be his middleweight debut. “We’re probably going to cut Anthony Johnson,” UFC President Dana White said in an interview after the event on Fuel TV. Johnson (10-4), who spent his first 10 UFC fights at welterweight, was coming off wins over Dan Hardy and Charlie Brenneman and had won five of his last six bouts, but missed weight 3 times for his 11 UFC fights, leaving him likely to be released without a win over Belfort. More UFC 142 coverage: UFC 142 Results Recap: Jose Aldo Knocks Out Chad Mendes in First Round Pictured: Anthony Johnson

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Anthony Johnson has been released by the UFC after losing by first-round submission to Vitor Belfort in the co-main event of UFC 142 on Saturday night, one day after missing weight by 11 pounds for what was scheduled to be his middleweight debut. “We’re probably going to cut Anthony Johnson,” UFC President Dana White said in an interview after the event on Fuel TV before confirming Johnson had already been released to MMAJunkie. Johnson (10-4), who spent his first 10 UFC fights at welterweight, was coming off wins over Dan Hardy and Charlie Brenneman and had won five of his last six bouts, but missed weight 3 times for his 11 UFC fights, leaving him likely to be released without a win over Belfort. More UFC 142 coverage: UFC 142 Results Recap: Jose Aldo Knocks Out Chad Mendes in First Round Pictured: Anthony Johnson

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Vitor Belfort overcame Anthony Johnson’s weight advantage and submitted Johnson with a rear naked choke with 11seconds left in the opening round in the co-main event of UFC 142 on Saturday night in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. MMAFrenzy.com’s play-by-play of Belfort vs. Johnson is below: Round 1 – Johnson attempts a poor front kick and throws several wild shots. He looks massive. Belfort fires a kick but Johnson catches it and inside trips Belfort down to the mat. Belfort recovers and pulls guard after a hard shot from AJ. Another front kick to a takedown attempt by AJ. Belfort sprawls and uses the cage to stay up. Referee Dan Miraglotta separates them. AJ ducks for a takedown but eats a hard a knee from Belfort. AJ finally gets him down and is just looking to smother Belfort without posturing up. Miraglotta stands them up quickly again. Hard but wild knee from AJ and he looks for another takedown. Belfort defends and lands some punches before taking AJ’s back off a spin. Belfort throws the hooks in and is pounding AJ from top. AJ just covering up but doesn’t look hurt. Belfort locks up a rear naked choke and transitions to a Gable grip to choke AJ out cold. AJ’s dehydration clearly showed as the fight wore on. Vitor Belfort def. Anthony Johnson via sub (rear-naked choke) at 4:49 of Round 1 Pictured: Vitor Belfort

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Let Vitor Belfort's win over an overweight Rumble Johnson be a metaphor for everyone out there. In short, if you're overweight you will eventually be choked out. If you eat too much poutine, Belfort will dive through your friggin' bedroom window and choke you out, regardless of what you're doing. You think those shards of broken glass are going to cut Belfort? Nonsense. Sharpness doesn't affect Belfort It's a perk that comes with being one of the greatest Brazilian fighters in MMA history. It wasn't a cakewalk for Belfort. Rumble's plutonium-laced gloves connected to Vitor's face a number of times in the first round, resulting in a rather nasty right eye. However, Belfort managed to prevent the takedown on a number of occasions and in the final sprawl of the fight, Belfort managed to take Johnson's back and sink in a rear-naked choke with just eleven seconds left in the first round. With Anthony Johnson coming in at 197 lbs for a middleweight fight, we're not sure what's going to happen with him after tonight. However, props to Vitor on a stunning win over a very tough opponent tonight in Brazil.

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The only real hoopla created by the UFC 142: "Aldo vs. Mendes" event surrounded the co-main event of the evening a contest that was supposed to be contested at middleweight but was really a light heavyweight fight, as both Anthony Johnson and Vitor Belfort came in at or around 205-pounds. "Rumble," of course, caused quite a fuss when he missed weight by 11-pounds and created enough controversy to sell the card on his own. Fans quickly got behind "The Phenom" hoping he would make Johnson pay for his transgressions. Did he ever. Despite a massive size advantage, Belfort was far more physical and eventually locked in a rear-naked choke that forced Johnson to tap inside the first round. Johnson looked considerably larger inside the cage, especially noticeable when the two got together for the staredown. "Rumble" opened with a front kick that missed and after an awkward exchange, he put Belfort on his back. "The Phenom" missed on a few punches after they reset thanks to a referee restart and Johnson used that to clinch against the cage, presumably to lean on Vitor and make him feel his weight. Another break from the referee led to Belfort coming out strong with punches that looked to find their mark and sent the crowd into a frenzy. Johnson managed to get back on top and tried to stay busy but he just couldn't do enough to avoid another referee restart. By the end of the first round, it looked an awful lot like Johnson was gassed. Vitor took his back and started landing blows while looking for a rear-naked choke. Despite his size advantage, "Rumble" was losing the battle physically. Eventually, Belfort got the choke locked in and squeezed until Johnson went limp. Revenge is sweet. Getting it at home is even sweeter. Be sure to hit up MMAmania.com's live UFC 142 post for up to the minute results and blow-by-blow coverage of the rest of the night's action by clicking here.

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Vitor Belfort defeats Anthony Johnson by submission. The stoppage came at 4:49 in the first round. Vitor attempted a high kick and was awkwardly thrown on his head. Vitor threw his legs up for an Omaplata but Rumble stood up and then dove forward with a massive punch that landed clean. Vitor landed punches to the back of the head and then the referee stood the fighters up. Anthony Johnson looks for a takedown and Vitor defends well. Johnson switched to a single and against was unsuccessful. The ref called for a break and Vitor Belfort landed several punches cleanly before he was taken down. Rumble stayed active with punches to the body but the referee stood them up again. Johnson looks tired with a minute to go. Belfort took Johnson's back after a failed takedown attempt. Belfort peppered Johnson with punches to soften him up for a choke. Rumble has covered up well but the choke looks tight. Anthony Johnson tapped and Vitor Belfort won by submission. The Brazilian crowd went crazy with the win. Anthony Johnson entered the fight with his back against the wall after a failure to make the contracted weight. He fought aggressively because he knew he needed to win in spectacular fashion. Belfort looked great in victory and the Brazilian crowd was hot for the hometown hero. SBN coverage of UFC RIO 142: Aldo vs. Mendes

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Just a short while ago, UFC President Dana White tweeted that Anthony Johnson weighed in at 211-pounds just hours before his fight against Vitor Belfort at UFC 142 tonight (Sat., Jan. 14, 2012) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. "The Phenom" also tipped the scale, coming in at 205-pounds. Now here's the short but sweet video evidence. Now we can all concentrate on the fight itself instead of wondering how much of a size advantage "Rumble" has over Belfort, which, at least according to their actual weights, isn't much.

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Filed under: UFCOne of the most popular Brazilian fighters in the UFC put on a show back home on Saturday night. Vitor Belfort, who has been with the UFC longer than any active fighter and is a star in his homeland, fought in Brazil for the first time since 1998 and pulled off a first-round submission victory over Anthony Johnson at UFC 142. In the early going Johnson appeared to have Belfort in trouble, but Belfort maintained his composure, got the fight to the ground and steadily transitioned into a dominant position, taking Johnson's back on the ground. Belfort sunk in a rear-naked choke and Johnson tapped out with just 11 seconds left in the first round. The fight was marked by controversy beforehand, as Johnson failed to make weight, and there may be more controversy following the fight because referee Dan Miragliotta stood the fighters up twice in the first round for questionable reasons. But there's no controversy about this: Belfort put on a tremendous performance. Up next for Belfort is a stint coaching on the upcoming Brazilian season of The Ultimate Fighter, where his opposing coach will be Wanderlei Silva. Belfort will then fight Silva at the end of the season. If Belfort looks as good against Silva as he did against Johnson, that's going to be a rough fight for Silva. Belfort is looking good. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

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Filed under: UFCThis is the UFC 142 live blog for Vitor Belfort vs. Anthony Johnson, a middleweight bout on tonight's UFC pay-per-view from the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Belfort (20-9) failed to capture the UFC middleweight title in February 2011, but bounced back with a first-round TKO over Yoshihiro Akiyama in August. Johnson (10-3) is a knockout artist coming off a head kick finish against Charlie Brenneman at last August's UFC on Versus. The live blog is below. More: UFC 142 Results | Latest UFC News According to UFC president Dana White, Belfort and Johnson weighed-in two hours ago at 205.6 and 211, respectively. Round 1: Round 2: Round 3: Follow Us on Twitter Friend Us on Facebook Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

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Rising in weight to 185 pounds (or, in reality, 197), the physically impressive Anthony Johnson takes on a tough assignment in Vitor Belfort, one of the middleweight division’s best, in the UFC 142: "Aldo vs. Mendes" co main event this evening (Jan. 14, 2012) from the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Looking to build a case for another title shot with Anderson Silva, Belfort takes on the talented Johnson, whose wrestling was a tad overlooked, thanks to several eye-popping knockouts, until he shut down Dan Hardy via decision. "Rumble" returned to his overpowering ways with a numbing stoppage of Charlie Brenneman, dispatching an otherwise difficult guy with disdainful ease. Johnson’s much-chronicled battle to make the 170-pound weight limit left him with a tough decision to make, and to his credit, he’s going all-in with the debut at 185. And this is no mere tuneup against a lower-tier middleweight, but rather a legit test to see if he can compete against someone a lot like him. Belfort’s ability to beat people on pure physical tools makes him exceptionally dangerous for anyone, and a victory for Johnson would elevate him in the 185 title queue considerably, especially since depth there is lacking. Follow me after the jump for a complete breakdown of the UFC 142 fight between Vitor Belfort vs. Anthony Johnson: The Breakdown Of Belfort’s nine wins in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), all have come by first-round (technical) knockout (that includes the aborted second Randy Couture fight). He’s 6-7 in fights that have gone past five minutes. Blessed with a legendary combination of speed, power and finishing instinct, Belfort’s ability to strike early and pounce with brutal effect have had few equals in the history of the sport. The big question is how Johnson deals with this. Will he be able to function on the feet with his more diverse mix of strikes, and still avoid getting caught? Can he use his solid wrestling – thus far unproven at 185 – to keep Belfort honest and suck him into a long, taxing battle? Belfort’s conditioning went south after nearly taking out Tito Ortiz in their classic 2005 battle. And while many felt the scorecards were controversial in giving Ortiz the decision, there’s no question who had the better stamina down the stretch. Johnson walks around north of 210 pounds and nearly weighed that much at weigh in yesterday because of a health issue. If he’s going to beat Belfort, he’ll have to put leather on "The Phenom" early to prevent the Brazilian’s confidence from growing. Because if there’s a sure way to keep Belfort from winning, it’s to plant doubt in his head. It’s a tough assignment, but Johnson’s got an excellent mix of punches, fast kicks and athleticism to do it. He just has to pick the right angles and, more importantly, avoid the wrong ones, as Belfort can ram home a fight-changing shot as well as anyone in the game. The Pick Few fighters in the sport’s history have won as impressively, nor lost as tragically, as Belfort. He’s the epitome of the hit-or-miss guy, looking like Superman in one outing and then coming up Clark Kent in the next. The key to this fight comes down to the opening round, where Johnson is most vulnerable to getting caught by Belfort’s blazing punches, which can hurt an opponent basically if they land anywhere on the skull. Johnson should move constantly and use kicks – especially teeps and high-percentage, low-risk ones to the lower legs – to frustrate Belfort and get acclimated to how the Brazilian moves. Johnson isn’t likely to score a takedown early on pure tie ups and wrestling, as Belfort is extremely strong and athletic in the clinch. Johnson’s either going to get caught with a smoking left hand and smashed out in a classic Belfort flurry, or survive the early storm and go to work. The guess here is that youth and tenacity make the latter happen. Johnson will stick and move early, avoiding Belfort’s best shots and maybe getting caught a time or two, only to see Johnson tie up and kill the clock to clear his head. By the second, Johnson’s kicks and counters will be landing with more frequency. He’ll swing the momentum with his more-diverse attack, hammering him some punches and eventually muscling Belfort to the mat. It’s here that Johnson will go to work, seizing the momentum and battering Belfort into submission via second round knockout. Johnson via knockout Be sure to join MMAmania.com this evening for LIVE, detailed UFC 142 results of all the "Aldo vs. Mendes" PPV action. It will include blow-by-blow coverage of the Facebook video stream, FX "Prelims" bouts, and of course, the PPV broadcast. We'll start RIGHT HERE at around 7:30 p.m. ET and carry straight on through early Saturday morning. See you then!

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I'm sure there are a few jokes to be made about a guy that misses weight by 356 pounds, but we'll stick with professionalism here (?). Neither combatant really needs an introduction, but here goes. One fighter showed up 27 pounds heavier than he weighed in at 15 weeks ago (due to a medical condition, allegedly). The other fighter...is a phenom. A phenom who is quickly earning a weird reputation for punching guys in the back of the head. Anthony Johnson (10-3, 7-3 UFC) meets Vitor Belfort (20-9, 9-5 UFC). Belfort is currently sitting at number five at middleweight on the USA Today/BE Consensus Rankings. This was supposed to be Johnson's first fight at middleweight, but he was sitting at number 10 at welterweight beforehand. This won't be a true middleweight fight (Johnson has a stip that he has to be 205 when he enters the cage) so the rankings theoretically shouldn't be affected. The voters are fickle though, and if Rumble wins, expect Vitor to tumble and Johnson to set up camp in the top 15 at MW. Even though this isn't at 185. This rumbleweight UFC 142 fight will be the first co-main event on the main card, and will be aired live on pay-per-view. The PPV broadcast begins at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. How do these two stack up? Johnson: 27 years old | 6'2" | 78" reachBelfort: 34 years old | 6'0" | 74" reach What have these two done recently? Johnson: W - Charlie Brenneman (TKO) | W - Dan Hardy (UD) | L - Josh Koscheck (SUB)Belfort: W - Yoshihiro Akiyama (KO) | L - Anderson Silva (KO) | W - Rich Franklin (TKO) How did these two get here? Anthony "Rumble" Johnson had just three pro fights before he got the call from the UFC. The former Juco wrestling champion and disciple of Cung Le made a big splash with a 13-second KO of Chad Reiner, but was brought back to earth when Rich Clementi submitted him at UFC 76 (despite Rumble being like two weight classes bigger than No Love). An epic destruction of Tommy Speer and a weird couple of bouts with Kevin Burns was enough to make an imprint on avid UFC fans, and a string of big KO's after that just added to his mystique. Josh Koscheck threw a wrench in the Rumble hype train in another weird fight, but two more wins cemented his status as a contender. He is a huge man though, and had trouble making welterweight, so he moved up to middleweight for this bout with Belfort. And couldn't make that limit either. "Weird" might be the most defining word of Johnson's career thus far. Vitor "The Phenom" Belfort has a long and storied history in MMA. He's a former UFC heavyweight tournament winner and former UFC light heavyweight champion amongst other things. It's sometimes hard to believe that he's been fighting since 1996. His biography is full of tragedy and triumph, and he's arguably the most popular MMA fighter in Brazil. He was fast-tracked to a UFC middleweight title bout with Anderson Silva last year, but was famously knocked out with a swift kick to the face. He rebounded with a decimation of Japanese superstar Yoshihiro Akiyama, but a quick analysis of his finishing methods (he has landed multiple shots to the back of the head in his last two wins) has led to some questions about the validity of The Phenom in today's UFC. Belfort's next bout (against Wanderlei Silva) is booked win or lose, but Vitor hasn't fought in his home country in over 13 years. He has something to prove tonight against the Why should you care? You'd have a hard time finding a fight with more storylines. Due to Johnson's weight issues, this fight will always be looked upon as an outlier. Nonetheless, it's all sorts of interesting. Can Rumble KO The Phenom? Will a huge AJ get caught by the uber-quick Belfort? Will Johnson choose to stand with Belfort, or will he take it to the floor and try to tangle with a black belt? So many questions will be answered in a few short hours. You can catch more UFC 142 preview content from Bloody Elbow after the jump. SBN coverage of UFC 142: Aldo vs. Mendes UFC 142 Rio: Anthony Johnson Misses Weight By 12 Pounds, Will Fight With Stipulation - Josh Nason UFC 142 Weigh-Ins - Anthony Johnson Misses Weight Badly - Josh Nason UFC 142 RIO: Vitor Belfort Vs. Anthony Johnson Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC RIO 142: Aldo Vs. Mendes Staff Predictions - Bloody Elbow UFC 142 RIO: Rousimar Palhares Vs. Mike Massenzio Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 142: Jose Aldo Is The New GSP, And That's Not A Good Thing - Fraser Coffeen UFC 142: Aldo Vs. Mendes Betting Lines - Tim Burke UFC 142 RIO: Edson Barboza Vs. Terry Etim Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 142 RIO: Erick Silva Vs. Carlo Prater Dissection - Dallas Winston Will Tim Tebow Hurt UFC 142's PPV Performance? - Brent Brookhouse UFC 142 Pre-Fight Press Conference Coverage - Tim Burke Watch Countdown To UFC 142 Rio Video On Bloody Elbow - Josh Nason UFC 142 RIO: FX Preliminary Card Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC 142 Judo Chop: The Leg Lock Set Ups of Rousimar Palhares - T.P. Grant

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The rumbling in Rio de Janeiro has decreased some after Anthony Johnson clocked in this morning at a little over 204 pounds meaning he has met a stipulation that would have otherwise caused the cancellation of his co-headlining clash with Vitor Belfort at UFC 142: Aldo vs. Mendes. Johnson’s predicament started yesterday at the weigh-ins for tonight’s event when he came in eleven pounds heavy. As a result he was fined 20% of his purse and had to remain under 205 pounds today or else his bout with Belfort would be scrapped. The 27-year old claimed a medical situation had forced the medical team in Rio to rehydrate him a few hours before stepping on the scale while UFC President Dana White labeled the reason as being little more than a lack of professionalism on the power-punching wrestler’s part. In fact, White has even gone on record as saying Johnson’s job may not be safe even if he comes away with a victory against seasoned veteran Belfort. UFC 142 starts at 7:00 PM EST on Facebook before heading to FX and eventually PPV when the main card begins at 10:00 PM EST. The lineup is headlined by 145-pound champion Jose Aldo putting his gold up for grabs against unbeaten Californian Chad Mendes. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Posted in: ufc, pound, anthony johnson, johnson, belfort

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It looks like “middleweight” Anthony Johnson will indeed fight at least one more time inside the Octagon after putting his job in jeopardy on Friday by coming in heavy (yet again) for a bout. Johnson had missed his mark multiple times while competing as a 170 pounder and it was expected his move to 185 would eliminate the issue moving forward. This time around the Johnson’s problem with the scale involved him exceeding a contracted limit by eleven pounds for what is easily the biggest fight of his career, a co-headlining collision with Vitor Belfort tonight at UFC 142: Aldo vs. Mendes. As a result he was forced to pay Belfort 20% of his purse and come in under 205 pounds today, which, according to the UFC, Johnson has done (204.2 lbs) meaning his clash with Belfort will not be cancelled as it would have been otherwise. Johnson’s management came forward to explain “Rumble” had to be re-hydrated by the UFC’s medical staff after he fell ill while cutting weight. However, UFC President Dana White saw things a bit differently, stating the situation stemmed from an absence of professionalism and that Johnson’s job was on the line because of it. White Goes Off on Johnson UFC 142 starts at 7:00 PM EST on Facebook before heading to FX and eventually PPV when the main card begins at 10:00 PM EST. The lineup is headlined by featherweight phenom Jose Aldo putting his belt on the line against unbeaten grappler Chad Mendes. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC Tweet

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Anthony Johnson vs. Vitor Belfort is officially on for tonight’s UFC 142 co-main event after Johnson weighed in at 204.2 pounds earlier today, just under the 205 pound requirement made after he missed the middleweight limit by 11 pounds on Friday. Belfort will collect 20% of Johnson’s salary for agreeing to fight at a catchweight. Johnson is expected to weigh as much as 220 pounds by fight time, while Belfort will be about 205 pounds, according to MMAFighting. UFC 142 is headlined by UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo vs. Chad Mendes. Check out MMAFrenzy.com’s live UFC 142 results and stay tuned for complete UFC 142 coverage. Pictured: Anthony Johnson

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Despite Anthony Johnson coming in 12 pounds overweight for his UFC 142 middleweight bout against Vitor Belfort, the fight will go on.

Posted in: ufc, anthony johnson, johnson, belfort, vitor belfort

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Despite Anthony Johnson's weigh-in fiasco, his fight with Vitor Belfort will go underway "as planned", tonight at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Johnson weighed-in today at 204lbs, according to Vitor Belfort's stipulation to stay within the 205lbs limit. Yesterday Johnson missed the weight by 11lbs due to what was later described as "sickness". Rumble was brought back to life by the doctors, who pumped the Blackzillian's body with fluids. Anthony Johnson refused to apologize for missing the

Posted in: johnson, lb, belfort, vitor belfort, rumble weighsin

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Multi-time UFC champion Vitor Belfort made a huge step towards another shot at the UFC Middleweight title, after choking out Anthony "Rumble" Johnson in the co-main event of UFC 142. Anthony Johnson opened the fight aggressively, chasing Belfort around the Octagon with strikes and takedowns attempts. Johnson was successful with his first takedown, followed by a vicious diving ground and pound strike that got Belfort's right eye grotesquely swollen. However, Belfort managed to bounce back by timing in

Posted in: ufc, anthony johnson, johnson, belfort, anthony

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There's a phrase you are likely going to hear at some point between now and the end of Saturday night's UFC 142 card from Rio. Probably more than once. And it won't be the last time you hear it either. That phrase? The Old Vitor. When Vitor Belfort steps in to face Anthony Johnson, a lot of folks will be clamoring for the return of The Old Vitor. And if he wins? "The Old Vitor is back!" It's happened before. A lot. In pretty much every Belfort fight for the past 10 years there has been this lingering spectre hanging over the fight - the spectre of The Old Vitor. But all of this raises a rather important question. Just who is this guy? Who is The Old Vitor? It's a valid question, particularly since many new fans may have never seen this Old Vitor in action, only heard tales of him or seen old grainy footage, like the UFC's version of the Yeti. But The Old vitor is very real. He's also been elevated to somewhat of a mythological status that blurs the real story a bit. When people refer to The Old Vitor, they're likely referencing one thing - his insanely fast hands. Vitor Belfort burst onto the UFC scene way back at UFC 12, defeating his first 3 UFC opponents in less than 3 minutes (if you've never seen any of these fights, here's Belfort vs. Scott Ferrozzo, currently free at UFC.com). And he did it all with blazing hand speed, swarming his opponents and overwhelming them with punches. The most famous example of this came in 1998 when Vitor blitzed Wanderlei Silva at UFC Brazil, knocking out The Axe Murderer in just 44 seconds. But around 2000, Vitor slowed down, and those blitz KO's were left behind. As a result, any time Vitor has scored a quick KO since then, you hear cries of "The Old Vitor is back!" You heard it against Marvin Eastman in 2003, against Kazuo Takahashi in Pride in 2006, and against both Matt Lindland and Rich Franklin in 2009. The thing is, that's not the complete picture of The Old Vitor - it's only half the story. The rest of The Old Vitor is characterized by his early loses to Randy Couture and Kazushi Sakuraba. That Old Vitor is a man who, yes, had scary and sudden KO power. But if he didn't get that fast KO - if you pushed him into deep waters - he was likely to fold. The Old Vitor didn't face a lot of adversity, but whenever he did, he could not overcome it. Since 2007, Vitor has seen a real resurgence in his career. He's 6-1 in that time, with that only loss coming against Anderson Silva, and has shown more consistency than at any time since his very earliest days in the sport. Part of that return has been shedding the image of The Old Vitor. He's no longer as reliant on that fast KO. Against fighters like James Zikic and Terry Martin, he's showed a trait never in his old arsenal - patience. Yes, he still can end your night very quickly, but he now looks for the opening. And if he doesn't get it? If you push him back? He will wait, not give up as he did in the past. He has kept the best of The Old Vitor, while shedding the worst. And that makes him a scary fighter indeed. Some may be hoping for a return of The Old Vitor against Anthony Johnson tonight. But with The Old Vitor comes a lot of baggage. Me? I'll be looking forward to another strong performance from The New Vitor. SBN coverage of UFC RIO 142: Aldo vs. Mendes

Posted in: ufc, ko, vitor, belfort, return

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When former welterweight Anthony Johnson stepped off the scale yesterday, weighing an eye-popping 197-pounds for his his middleweight (186-pound division limit in non-title fights) debut bout against Vitor Belfort, "The Phenom" agreed to compete in their UFC 142 co main event on one condition: Johnson could not weigh more than 205 pounds on fight day, which is actually today (Jan. 14, 2012) at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This time around, Johnson his his mark, coming in at 204.2 pounds this morning. Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) made the announcement just now on its Twitter page, confirming that the fight "is on" for later this evening. That's good news, considering it is the match up that most fight fans are looking forward to most on the UFC 142 fight card. However, it's a 20-pound departure from the middleweight mark. Sure, all fighters typically gain weight after the weigh in, rehydrating and eating to regain their strength prior to stepping inside the Octagon. It's even likely that Belfort -- a former light heavyweight -- will even be near 200 pounds himself by the time the pay-per-view (PPV) event begins at 10 p.m. ET. But, at this rate, because Johnson had such a huge head start -- and because it is so early -- he will probably add even more weight to the 204 pounds by showtime. Perhaps his health, which he described as life-threatening, is the reason for the early morning weigh in. Either way, the fight will go on as planned, but not without an asterisk and its fair share of controversy and drama. This one ain't over yet. Not even close. To get up to speed on Johnson's weight-cutting fiasco we have everything you need right here.

Posted in: ufc, fight, pound, johnson, belfort

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Yesterday, Anthony Johnson missed weight by eleven pounds for his UFC 142 bout with Vitor Belfort. Missing weight by such a large amount created an understandable stir in the MMA community. Given that Johnson had a history of weight problems at welterweight and this was his first time fighting at middleweight, it was hard for many to understand how he could have so much trouble making 185. Johnson's excuse was illness that forced him to take fluids, thus screwing up his weight cut. Of course, it sounds more like his "illness" was severe dehydration from cutting weight. The only way to salvage the fight with Belfort was for Johnson to agree to be weighed in again today on the day of the fight and not weigh over 205 pounds. The UFC has now tweeted that Johnson was able to hit that mark and the fight will go on: @ufcUFC Anthony Johnson weighed in today at 204.2 pounds - tonight's fight with Vitor Belfort is ONJan 14 via webFavoriteRetweetReply SBN coverage of UFC RIO 142: Aldo vs. Mendes

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Filed under: UFC, MMA Fighting Exclusive, NewsSo just how much of a size advantage will Anthony Johnson have over Vitor Belfort Saturday night at UFC 142? Well, we already know that "Rumble" weighed 204.2 pounds this morning, hours after missing the middleweight mark Friday afternoon when he weighed 197 at the weigh-ins. Belfort's highly-regarded nutritionist and trainer Mike Dolce told MMAFighting.com Saturday morning from Brazil that Belfort weighed 205 pounds at 9:15 p.m. local time Friday night, and he believes "The Phenom" will be around that weight by the time he steps into the cage Saturday night. "He may get up to 208 with a full belly," Dolce said, "but we'll pull back his food a bit as he gets closer to competition time. [He'll] probably be 204 tonight." Dolce said he believes Johnson will "probably be over 220 pounds" come fight time, but despite the expected weight discrepancy, Belfort never considered turning down the fight. "We wanted the fight regardless," Dolce said. According to Johnson's manager Glenn Robinson, "Rumble" was en route to making weight until he fell ill Friday morning and needed fluids to get better. However, Dolce isn't buying that excuse. "Every fighter is 'ill' on weigh-in day. He was bouncing around giving high-five's in the pre-weigh-in line-up, laughing and looking fine," Dolce said. "Missing weight is an issue of a weak mind, not body. I have seen thousands of cuts. If an athlete misses it is because he did not prepare properly or he breaks mentally." And while the scales will show that Johnson will enter the cage with a size advantage, Dolce doesn't believe the deck has been stacked against his client Belfort. "Belfort had the advantage the day the fight was signed. Johnson endured no more trauma than Vitor did. Or, any other MMA athlete. I don't care what the stories say, all these guys suffer exactly the same and endure the same pain. Either you are prepared or you aren't. Vitor is prepared." Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: fight, johnson, saturday, belfort, size advantage

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Filed under: UFCAnthony Johnson vs. Vitor Belfort is on at UFC 142. Johnson, who weighed in at an absurd 197 pounds on Friday, showed up to his unusual second weigh-in on Saturday at 204.2 pounds -- way over the contracted weight of 186 pounds, but low enough that Belfort is willing to take the fight. Belfort, who came in at 186 pounds on Friday, had said he would refuse to fight Johnson if Johnson couldn't weigh in below 205 pounds on fight day. UFC President Dana White was furious at Johnson for missing weight, but Johnson didn't seem to care. Johnson posted a statement on his Facebook page saying he's "laughing at" the people who have criticized him and adding, "I don't give a f--k." Johnson claims he has a medical issue that required him to get intravenous fluids, and that's why he couldn't cut weight on Friday. But while Johnson may not care, it's clear that White does. If Johnson loses to Belfort on Saturday night, it wouldn't be at all surprising to see the UFC release him. So the fight is a must-win situation for Johnson in a hostile environment against Belfort, who's one of the most popular fighters in Brazil. But at least the fight is on: Johnson is overweight, but he's close enough that Belfort is willing to fight him. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: ufc, fight, pound, johnson, belfort

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Rio de Janeiro’s favorite fighting son, Vitor Belfort, put all the controversy of the past 24 hours to rest the only way he knew how Saturday in the co-main event of UFC 142, looking past Anthony Johnson’s failure to make weight the day before by submitting the hard-hitting “Rumble” in the first round in front of his hometown fans at HSBC Arena.“I fought big guys,” said Belfort, who weighed in Friday at 186 pounds to Johnson’s 197. “I’m not scared of size. I’m ready to fight whoever. I cut 25 pounds in four days so I gotta be professional. You sacrifice to achieve glory.”Johnson opened up with a front kick that missed, and after a wild ensuing exchange, “Rumble” muscled Belfort to the mat. Belfort kept his wits about him from the bottom, eventually earning himself a restart from referee Dan Miragliotta. Johnson shot in for another takedown, but Belfort made him work for it, landing punches as Johnson bulled him to the fence. Another restart gave Belfort some room, and he scored with some shots before Johnson got him back to the mat. When the action stalled, Miragliotta intervened, and though Belfort’s right eye was swelling, he was starting to take control. A failed takedown attempt by Johnson was disastrous, as Belfort fired off punches and took his back with under a minute left. As the seconds ticked away, Belfort worked and worked, eventually sinking in the rear naked choke that forced Johnson to tap out at 4:49 of the round.With the win, Belfort improves to 21-9; Johnson falls to 10-4. PALHARES vs. MASSENZIOThe middleweight leg lock master, Rousimar Palhares, lived up to his reputation in devastating style, submitting New Jersey’s Mike Massenzio with a heel hook just 63 seconds into their bout.An inadvertent low kick from Palhares brought a quick halt to the action in the opening minute, but once it resumed, “Toquinho” went right to work, and as he shot for a takedown, he pulled guard and caught Massenzio’s right leg. The tap seconds later was inevitable, with the end via heel hook coming at the 1:03 of the round.Palhares improves to 23-3 with the win; Massenzio falls to 13-6.PRATER vs. SILVAIt looked like welterweight up and comer Erick Silva was about to score his second sub 40 second finish in a row when he took on veteran Carlo Prater, but a controversial call by referee Mario Yamasaki instead left him with a disqualification loss.“I have great respect for the referee, and I see that most of them hit the side of the head,” said Silva while watching a post-fight replay. “I don’t see any that hit the back of the head.”Silva missed a right hand to begin the bout, but a left knee to the chest nailed Prater and had him looking for a takedown. Silva responded with a series of hammerfists, bringing in Yamasaki to halt the bout at the 29 second mark. Most believed it was a TKO win for Silva, but it was ruled otherwise by Yamasaki.“I was telling him don’t hit the back of the head,” said the referee. “I have to decide in the moment. He hit some in the back of the head, some he didn’t.”Silva, who had knocked out Luis Ramos in 40 seconds last August, falls to 13-2 with 1 NC; Prater improves to 30-10-1.“I’m not a judge. I didn’t stop the fight,” said Prater. “All I know is that he hit me and it sent a shock of pain through my body unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. I don’t know if the shots were legal. I just know it was unlike anything I’ve ever felt.”“Everyone here knows that wasn’t intentional,” said Silva. “I don’t know what else to say.”BARBOZA vs. ETIMRising lightweight star Edson Barboza may have already locked up the 2012 Knockout of the Year award with an unforgettable spinning heel kick finish of fellow prospect Terry Etim in the main card opener that not only electrified his hometown fans but the entire MMA world.“When you fight in Brazil, it’s unlike fighting in any other place in the world,” said Barboza. “In a fight, you try things and hope they work. Tonight, it (the kick) worked. It’s something I’ve practiced a lot and I finally was able to land it hard. I’m happy with this outcome and you can expect more of that soon.”Etim ran out fast to open the bout, shooting out jabs before getting rebuffed on his first takedown attempt. Undeterred, Etim kept the pressure on and then secured the takedown on attempt number two, but Barboza swept his foe and got back to his feet immediately. Once standing, Barboza began working on Etim’s legs with kicks, occasionally going upstairs with looping overhand rights. In the process, Barboza slowed Etim’s offense considerably, landing with a spinning back kick just before the bell.Barboza continued to peck away at Etim in round two, keeping the Liverpool native from getting into a rhythm. With a little over 90 seconds left, Etim scored his second takedown of the bout, but again, Barboza got back to his feet and stood in the pocket, looking to counter. Etim stayed busy, but the harder shots were undoubtedly landed by the Rio native.The crowd got restless in the third, even though both fighters were staying busy, Etim stalking and Barboza countering. They erupted soon enough though, as Barboza planted his feet and drilled Etim with a spinning left heel kick, stiffening and knocking Etim out immediately, with referee Dan Miragliotta halting the bout at the 2:02 mark.With the win, Barboza improves to 10-0; Etim, who left the Octagon under his own power, falls to 15-4.

Posted in: ’t, barboza, johnson, belfort, etim

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*Author’s Note: This column was written before Anthony Johnson severely missed weight, thus changing just how much pressure Vitor Belfort faces. While a loss would still be damaging to him, it would be marked with an asterisk.* Pressure in sports is a funny thing. Some athletes rise to the occasion, even if they’re not superstars, while some athletes shy away or crack from the pressure, even if they’re the best player in the sport. The best pressure players are the ones who want the ball when you need the basket or a strike out or a touchdown. Even if they don’t come through 100% of the time, it doesn’t matter to them because you know in the next game, they’re going to want the ball again. They’re going to forget about the shot they missed, demand the ball again, and get a better shot. In MMA, Anderson Silva is the greatest pressure fighter. If he has a bad performance or two, it doesn’t matter because you know, when the lights are the brightest, he’s going to deliver. Fighting a former light heavyweight champion after back-to-back lackluster performances? He turns in the most masterful performance of his career. Down to his final two minutes as a champion? He locks on a triangle choke. Fighting a fellow Brazilian superstar who UFC said was the faster striker? He delivers the best knockout of the year. Fighting in Brazil against the last man to hold a victory over him? He finishes him in the second round. When the pressure is on and he needs to turn in a performance to silence any type of criticism, he delivers. Then there’s Vitor Belfort. Throughout his career he’s constantly cracked under pressure. Built up as an unstoppable phenom, he was slowed down by a controlling wrestler. A chance to beat a legend in his home country, he laid on his back and wanted little to do with the fight. Needing to prove his UFC title victory wasn’t a fluke, he was once again slowed down by a controlling wrestler. Getting a shot to dethrone the pound-for-pound king, he was front kicked in the face. And that doesn’t even count the times he was defeated by a former champion after dominating the first round, fell into a guillotine with 30 seconds left in the round, or lost a fight and was then popped for steroids. When the waters get deep or the lights get brighter, Belfort either drowns or gets burned. The lights will be bright once again on Saturday night in Brazil. Fighting in his home country for the first time since 1998, “The Phenom” faces off against Anthony Johnson, who makes his middleweight debut. Make no mistake about it, Belfort is the biggest MMA star in Brazil. Ever since he appeared on a Brazilian TV show sucking on toes and marrying a model, he’s been the face of Brazilian MMA and despite the number of great and legendary Brazilian MMA fighters out there, Belfort still trumps them all in popularity. Not only is he fighting in his home country, he’s already been tabbed as the first ever coach of The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil opposite Wanderlei Silva. It wouldn’t look too good on him, or the show, if he’s coming off a loss as they’re trying to build up a rematch between the two men. Even though he’s never done well in clutch fights, at least he’s been in them. He’s fought for UFC titles, he’s fought in PRIDE, he’s been in main events, he’s battled legends and champions like Chuck Liddell, Randy Couture, Dan Henderson, Silva, Alistair Overeem, Kazushi Sakuraba, ect…. Johnson has never had that experience. His biggest fight was a co-main event bout against Josh Koscheck on a PPV that less than 400,000 people purchased. Because he’s been in this situation before, we expect him to, at least know how to handle, even if history tells us that he hasn’t handled it well. Add in the fact that Belfort desperately wants another shot at the middleweight strap, and by all means, this might be the most pressure Belfort has ever faced in his career. Believe it or not, Vitor is no longer a young man. He’s 34 now and has been fighting since 1996. If he loses at UFC 142, he may never sniff another title shot. By all accounts, Belfort is in a good place in his life. He’s found a home at Xtreme Couture where he’s working with some of the best trainers and sparring partners, there’s nothing going on in his personal life to distract him from the fight, he got to Brazil last week to get soak everything in and get acclimated to the environment, and he’s creating his own atmosphere. There are no excuses for him on Saturday night. It’s up to him to perform, to silence critics who believe he’s a mental flake, to stand up to the moment and unload a barrage of punches, knocking it, and Johnson, out in the process. No pressure, Vitor.

Posted in: ’t, vitor, belfort, home country, pressure

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The greatest tweet I've read thus far regarding Antohny Johnson coming in overweight against Vitor Belfort is by 'TheOtherJD' that reads: "Anthony Johnson is on the Dulce Diet." That's comedy, folks. We retweeted it, so hopefully by the end of the day it will spread around the MMA world. It's a hilariously accurate statement being that Anthony Johnson didn't even try to make weight for UFC 142. A few days ago we jokingly created an article entitled 'Let's just hope Rumble Johnson is eating as healthy as Vitor Belfort for UFC 142...' so we'll take all the blame for jinxing the former welterweight title contender. Seriously, how did this guy ever fight at 170 lbs less than a year ago. Vitor Belfort agreed to take the catchweight bout with only one exception: Rumble must weigh in tomorrow under 205 lbs. Essentially, this means Rumble can't rehydrate to ridiculous levels and have a significant weight advantage over Vitor. We're also assuming a hefty portion of Johnson's purse goes directly into Belfort's pocket due to this severe dietary violation. As far as the face-off, it was pretty tame. Check out this screen cap I grabbed just minutes ago from the live UFC 142 weigh-ins.

Posted in: ufc, johnson, vitor, belfort, vitor belfort

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We often use the term "rising phenom" to describe an especially talented newcomer, or query "which fighter will show up?" to reflect an athlete's streaky inconsistency. Vitor Belfort was the first fighter in MMA that perfectly embodied both sentiments. The unforgettable devastation of the classic first-round "Vitor flurry" that vaulted him to stardom and earned him the "Phenom" nickname was eventually clouded by his sporadically disappointing performances. Wait, hold on a sec ... disappointing? Is that really a befitting way to categorize a fighter who's only lost to all-time greats like Randy Couture, Kazushi Sakuraba, Chuck Liddell, Tito Ortiz, Alistair Overeem, Dan Henderson and Anderson Silva? Belfort's legacy is often accompanied by frustrated sighs and lamentations of wasted potential, which I find rather unsettling considering how much he's accomplished in the cage and endured outside of it. However, it was Vitor that set the bar so high for himself -- and that's intended as a compliment. It was impossible not to reserve a seat on his hype-train when, at only age nineteen, he was annihilating all comers with the quickest and deadliest boxing combinations the sport had seen. It made absolutely no sense that his teammates lifted him on their shoulders to incite a celebratory chant of "Jiu Jitsu! Jiu Jitsu!" when he was knocking the crap out of people standing, but we couldn't be bothered with such trivial details -- and Jiu Jitsu was cool too -- so we cheered along anyway. Presently, Vitor is a well-worn, 34-year-old middleweight who still has his nose to the grindstone at the top level. He'll always be ultra-dangerous and have us on the edge our seats, anxiously anticipating another highlight-reel addition to his fourteen career TKOs. Opposing him in the co-main event of tomorrow night's UFC 142 RIO: Aldo vs. Mendes event is Anthony Johnson, the athletic leviathan who too often tried to shrink his massive frame into welterweight proportions. Johnson also had a thunderous entrance into the spotlight, stepping in to face Chad Reiner at UFC Fight Night 10 with only a few days to prepare and three pro-fights under his belt. Johnson dusted Reiner in just thirteen seconds with a ruthless barrage of strikes, putting him on the map as a new killer on the block. Though he would drop two of his next three, one opponent was a wily veteran (Rich Clementi) and the other blinded him with an unintentional eye poke (Kevin Burns), and Johnson had notched another rousing knockout in between (Tommy Speer). From that point on, Johnson would climb the welterweight ladder with wins in five of his next six, only falling short against perennial top contender Josh Koscheck. Gifs and analysis in the full entry. SBN coverage of UFC RIO 142: Aldo vs. Mendes I'm stubbornly convinced that Belfort's astounding flurry on Wanderlei Silva at UFC 17.5 is the most epic display of violence I've ever witnessed. This epitomizes the lightning-fast destruction that he's capable of at any time. Barring the Sarlacc Pit he turned Marvin Eastman's head into with a clinch knee at UFC 84, the bulk of Belfort's career knockouts all resemble this sequence. I mean, is there really any way to spin it into some sort of enlightened and technical analysis? This is the threat that Belfort presents and, win or lose, half his fights have ended as such. Johnson, a two-time state wrestling champ in high school and NJCAA national champion, wowed fans with his kickboxing prowess more than his takedowns. With what I feel is his best strike, he flattens Burns with a crisp left high-kick to avenge the eye-poke loss in the rematch. This is the same kick he used to vanquish Charlie Brenneman in his last outing and also the technique that he dropped Dan Hardy with. His boxing has also come along nicely. Johnson always good instincts and power, but he's now developing a more polished game with better defense and punching technique. He's also a rangy striker with exceptional height and length, but the kicker is that he's still incredibly explosive and agile for such a large, hulking fighter. The bloodthirsty fans who were craving a stand up brawl were displeased with Johnson in his fight with Hardy, but he was wise exploit the UK striker's weakness by reverting to his wrestling to pick up the win. Vitor is a longtime BJJ black belt but hasn't shown the capability to handle Johnson from his back. His two measly career submissions came against training partner Joe Charles back in 1997 and Bobby Southworth circa 2001. I think it's clear that, though both are far from amateurs in the realm of their opponent's specialty, this is a virtual striker vs. grappler match. Belfort's hand speed and knockout power are unparalleled, while Johnson's chances increase dramatically with takedowns and stifling top-control. Belfort has exhibited a solid grasp of takedown defense, such as in his razor-thin split-decision loss to Tito Ortiz, and his recent at Jackson's MMA to train with Georges St. Pierre can't hurt. Johnson is probably comparable to Ortiz in the takedown department but sets things up much better with his hands, and Vitor is in for a long night if Johnson can connect and work his wrestling. The key factors will be how Johnson closes the distance while avoiding the whir of leather and how long and effectively he can contain Belfort with control. I wouldn't rule out Johnson catching Vitor on the feet, but Vitor has a strong beard and I expect him to dictate things standing. I'm taking Belfort here but think Johnson has a clear path to victory in an ugly way: if he can keep Belfort in phone-booth range or underneath him for the better part of two rounds, the pressure will be on the Brazilian to pull off another dramatic stoppage, putting Johnson in the prime position for an upset. My Prediction: Vitor Belfort by KO Johnson vs. Hardy gif via Zombie Prophet of IronForgesIron.com Belfort vs. Silva gif via MMA-Core.com Johnson vs. Burns gif via mmagif.blogspot.com Poll Vitor Belfort vs. Anthony Johnson Vitor Belfort Anthony Johnson   36 votes | Results

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Frank Mir punks a UFC Undisputed 3 developer UFC 142 Breakdown: The Main Card | Five Ounces of Pain Vitor Belfort Eyes the Coming End to His Time in the Cage, Vows to ‘Enjoy the Moment’ | MMA Fighting Vitor Belfort to Anthony Johnson: ‘That Cage Belongs to Me’ | Bleacher Report Rumble Johnson Ready To Face A Lion In Vitor Belfort | FightLine Dana White hopes “Jose Aldo from the WEC” shows up against Chad Mendes on Saturday | LowKick UFC 142: Chad Mendes is a 2-to-1 dog to Jose Aldo, you buying or selling? | Fight Opinion UFC Undisputed 3 Video Game simulates main event for UFC 142 
| TheFightNerd UFC 142 is Like Déjà Vu All Over Again for Jose Aldo | 5thRound UFC on FX and Fuel non-title main events will only be three rounds in 2012 | MMA Mania Chael Sonnen wants you to listen to his dissertation on ‘Intensity’ | MiddleEasy Gallery: 20 Incredible Works of MMA Fan Art | Cage Potato ProElite offers free tickets for dressing like Minowaman | MMA Payout

Posted in: ufc, mma, belfort, aldo, fuel nontitle

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Wanderlei Silva has competed against some of the elite fighters in MMA history. One bout, however, still haunts him to this day; a 44-second knockout loss to Vitor Belfort. Now, thanks to Brazil’s inclusion in the Ultimate Fighter family, Silva will have a chance to meet Belfort again, as the two will square off later in 2012 after coaching on the realty show. “The Axe Murderer” earned a victory over Cung Le in his last fight, while Belfort will meet Anthony Johnson this Saturday night at UFC 142: Aldo vs. Mendes. “A lot,” said Silva, when asked in a recent interview with MMAJunkie about how much facing Belfort meant to him. “This is one fight I really, really want to do before I retire. I’m so happy for a fight with this guy in Brazil.” Silva sports a career record of 34-11-1, but is just 4-6 during his stint in the UFC. “The Phenom” is 20-9 overall and 9-5 inside the Octagon. The two met back 14 years ago at UFC 17.5: Ultimate Brazil. TUF Brasil will begin taping in February and will be shown on FUEL TV. Belfort and Silva will fight on a pay-per-view, likely set for this summer in Sao Paolo. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Posted in: ufc, fight, silva, belfort, fight i

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Vitor Belfort has earned Anthony Johnson's respect, but the newly minted middleweight absolutely, positively does not fear the Brazilian and he will show him that at UFC 142 on Saturday night.

Posted in: ufc, vitor, belfort, vitor belfort, anthony

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Get a behind-the-scenes look at legendary Brazilian fighter Vitor Belfort as he prepares for his fight at UFC 142 against Anthony Johnson.

Posted in: ufc, life, vitor, belfort, vitor belfort

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Filed under: UFC, NewsWhen I asked Vitor Belfort what he thought it would feel like to walk out in front of a screaming crowd of his countrymen in Rio's HSBC Arena for UFC 142 in the wee hours of Sunday morning, he described it in one word: intense. "I do my best no matter where I'm at, but I know that crowd's going to be the loudest crowd ever," Belfort said. "I'm going to enjoy the moment. It's a party every time I step in that Octagon. It's party time. The hard work is done and it's time to do what you do every day in the gym. Of course, you have only one chance, so you have to enjoy the moment." And yet I admit that, based on what I've learned of fighterspeak over the years, something in that statement set off alarms in my head. Not only did Belfort say he was going to 'enjoy the moment' twice in the span of about six sentences, he went on to use that exact same phrase at least half a dozen more times in the less than ten minutes we spent on the phone. For a normal person, maybe that means nothing. But a fighter? In my experience, once they stop talking about their obsessive desire to win and perform and become a champion, and they start talking about enjoying each passing moment of fight week, it usually means they're thinking about hanging it up soon. It made me wonder: is Vitor Belfort closing in on retirement? Is that even possible? Belfort is a little like the anti-Wanderlei Silva in some ways. With Silva, you think about his long, memorable career and look at his weathered face -- even after plastic surgery, it remains a rugged timeline of his experiences in the fight game -- and you can't believe he's only 35 years old. Then you look at Belfort, who still looks fresh and eager and in possession of roughly the same facial symmetry he started with, and it's hard to believe he's actually 34. At the same time, it makes sense. They came up more or less as contemporaries. When they faced off at UFC Brazil in 1998, they were both 5-1 as professionals. But in the intervening years it seems like Silva's lived several brutal lifetimes, while Belfort's best days have seemed always just in front of him, like a hill he never quite seems to crest. When I spoke to him in the Copacabana Palace Hotel the last time the UFC was in Rio, he was fresh off a knockout of Yoshihiro Akiyama and all he could talk about was getting another shot at middleweight champ Anderson Silva. When I mentioned that it might be tough to do, considering how recently he'd been beaten by the champ, he just shook his head intently as his young son hammered one overhand right after another into his father's gut in an attempt to get the old man's attention. "I'll do it," Belfort said confidently. "I'll do whatever I have to do." But this time, just a couple days away from a fight with Anthony Johnson, which -- win or lose -- will lead him straight into an Ultimate Fighter coaching gig opposite his old friend Wanderlei, Belfort struck a very different tone. "I'm enjoying the moment," he said again. "I'm enjoying every time I can enjoy, all of this. Right now I'm enjoying everything as it comes." Maybe it's the weight-cut talking. Maybe it's too many phone interviews lined up back to back to back to back. Maybe it's just something he says when he's not sure what else to say. But when I put it to Belfort straight and asked him if all this 'enjoy the moment' talk meant he was looking at his career and wondering how many such moments were left in it, he didn't shoot me down. Far from it. "I want to finish strong," he said. "I want to finish the best I can finish. We'll see when God's going to decide to speak to my heart and tell me that it's the moment to finish. I know that the time is coming, so I'm preparing to finish the best I can finish." At first, it still seems hard to believe. When you think of the guys who might need to hang it up soon, Belfort's name doesn't spring to mind. He still looks good in the cage, can still take and deliver a punch with the best of them. But the years are the years and the numbers are the numbers. The bout with Johnson will be his 30th professional MMA fight in a more than fifteen-year career. Almost all of that time has been spent at the sport's highest level, against top-tier opponents. Surely, that takes its toll whether we see it etched into a man's face or not. But when you're still as competitive as he is is well into your mid-thirties, I asked him, how do you know when it's time? "God will speak to my heart," Belfort answered. "I will feel the moment. I don't have any ego or pride. In life, you have to understand that everything has a beginning, middle, and end. The only thing that doesn't have an end is God's presence, and God Himself. He's the only thing that doesn't have an end. ...That time will come and I will feel it. And when it comes, I'm going to accept it." For those of us who were teenagers ourselves back when Belfort got his start as the blistering 19-year-old who knocked people out in a matter of seconds -- back when he was "The Phenom," who eventually gave way to the talented, but not quite dominant middle-aged fighter -- it's strange to think that he must now be closer to the end than the beginning. But then, that time comes for every fighter. The time when you start actively trying to enjoy these fleeting moments as a pro fighter because you realize there's only a finite number of them left. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

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That’s right everyone, the Downes Side is back. I believe the first column went well, judging by the fact that my family downgraded my abuse from condescending remarks (e.g. "When are you going to get a real job?") to backhanded compliments (e.g. “Nice to know your head’s good for more than getting punched.”). The slight increase in respect was even more impressive considering my picks went 0-4. Statistically speaking, however, that's just as difficult as going 4-0, so at least I have that. This weekend the UFC is rolling into Rio. I was hoping that maybe they'd send me so I could type this from a beach in Brazil instead of the public library -- after all, didn't Zuffa save a bunch of money by not having to hire Blackwater to protect Chael Sonnen from angry Brazilians? Plus I assume that Brazilian women have a bunch of jacked up tan men surrounding them, so they’d like to change things up with a pale, skinny internet columnist. Well, shocking but true, I'm stuck here in Wisconsin and the picture above is Photoshopped. Still, a guy can dream, can’t he?Barboza vs EtimThe main card kicks off with a lightweight matchup. Terry Etim enters after a 17 second submission win against Edward Faaloloto at UFC 138; undefeated Edson Barboza comes off a controversial decision (outside of Brazil, anyway) victory over Ross Pearson in August. This fight boils down to the freakish athleticism and power of Barboza against the finesse and technique of Etim.Prediction: Barboza is stronger, faster and more explosive, but Etim has the advantage in pale gangly limbs (something I respect in a fighter). In this early stage of his career, Barboza is still one-dimensional and Etim will take advantage. Barboza will come out wild, Etim will weather the storm, secure a takedown and finish it by submission in the first. (Barboza will totally own Etim in the swimsuit competition, though.)  Silva vs. PraterThe next bout takes place between welterweights Erick Silva and Carlo Prater, and what this fight lacks in name recognition, it makes up for in Fight of the Night potential. Silva recently scored a first-minute TKO in his UFC debut. He hasn’t lost in more than five years, has great stand-up skills, and seven of his 13 wins have come via submission. He’s also a former Jungle Fight champion, which I assume is some type of guerrilla warfare competition. Prater (29-10-1) is a former top contender for the WEC welterweight title, comes from a Muay Thai background, and has also won over half his fights by submission. Prediction: This could be one of those fights where you’ll wish it were five rounds instead of three. Unfortunately for the Jungle Fight champion, the Brazilian athletic commission is just as strict as Nevada’s with regards to its “no firearms” policy. Prater will outgun the younger fighter and take it by unanimous decision. Palhares vs. MassenzioNext up we have Rousimar Palhares vs Mike Massenzio. The one wildcard here is, well, wildcard Rousimar Palhares. Whether it be the premature celebration against Dan Miller, the complete lapse against Nate Marquardt or his holding on to submissions for too long, let's just say few would blink if his next walkout kit included a tin foil hat to block thought-stealers. Most people are counting Massenzio out, considering this a “gimme” fight to set up Palhares for a contender matchup next. Prediction: Normally, I hate to agree with most people. That’s why I listen to bands you’ve never heard of (even when I don't like them) and refuse to wash my hands after using the bathroom. In this case, though, they’re right about the outcome. "Toquinho" (or “Torquinho” if you choose to dwell on his joint-dislocation abilities) will be mentally focused come Saturday night and will finish it in the first with one of his patented leg locks.Belfort vs. JohnsonAnthony Johnson will make his eagerly anticipated debut at middleweight against Vitor Belfort. Even with moving up in weight classes “Rumble” will be the bigger, stronger competitor. Belfort, after falling victim to Anderson Silva’s super-secret Steven Seagal front kick, rebounded with a big KO of Yoshihiro Akiyama in August and will have the advantage in hand speed, defense and (definitely) experience. Prediction: Belfort hasn’t had a fight go the distance since 2007 and he won’t start 2012 with one either. The key here will be Belfort’s ability to use his footwork and attack from angles. Johnson is definitely strong enough to compete at middleweight, but he’s in for rough introduction. Belfort wins by TKO in the first and Johnson calls up Charles Barkley for some diet tips. Aldo vs. MendesThat brings us to the main event of the evening. Jose Aldo is making his fifth title defense (and third in the UFC) against Chad “Money" Mendes. After going on a KO tear, the fact that Aldo has gone to a decision his last couple of bouts has diminished his aura of invincibility. Still, the champ is extremely dangerous. Mendes, an elite wrestler with an undefeated record against top dudes, has the skill set to take the title away. Prediction: For Chad Mendes to win, two things are necessary: conditioning and judging. If he can keep a solid pace for five rounds he’s going to take Aldo down and grind him and get the decision victory. Picture this as a featherweight version of Silva vs Sonnen, but without the fifth-round Hail Mary triangle. The hometown fans won’t like it, but on the bright side, I picture Mendes' Team Alpha Male victory party to look like a mini version of an LMFAO video, which should be fun.That concludes this iteration of the Downes side. Feel free to leave some comments, although the last batch (a la “YOUR WRITING SUX!!!!!!!”) was about as helpful as the pre-flight safety checks on an airplane. It's the internet, so I understand the compulsion to try and hurt my feelings. Please remember, though, I'm an expert in psychological warfare – I went to Catholic school.

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Anthony "Rumble" Johnson's move to the middleweight division has not gotten off to a good start, as the former welterweight standout failed to make weight for Saturday's UFC 142 co-main event bout against Vitor Belfort, an announcement made Friday afternoon by UFC President Dana White.Johnson clocked in at 197 pounds, 11 pounds over the allowed 186-pound non-title limit for middleweight bouts.The bout is still expected to go on as scheduled, with Belfort receiving 20% of Johnson's purse and Johnson not allowed to weigh more than 205 pounds at a second weigh-in on Saturday."As a fighter, you are a professional," said White. "You are contracted to come in at a certain weight. This is not the first time this has happened with Johnson. He moved up to 185 pound so this wouldn't happen, and here we are in the same position again."Johnson failed to make weight on two occasions during his stint at welterweight, but apparently his struggles with the scale are not over."Vitor was bummed out and he feels the same way I do," said White. "Vitor Belfort has to cut this weight too and he's older than "Rumble" Johnson is. He came in, like a professional, on weight, and Anthony Johnson comes in totally unprofessional and way overweight."

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Two of the most violent strikers in the UFC will battle this Saturday night (January 14, 2011) as former UFC light heavyweight champion Vitor Belfort accepts the challenge of debuting middleweight Anthony Johnson in the co-main event of UFC 142 in Rio. Belfort is coming off a brutally violent knockout of Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 133 and will be fighting in his native Brazil for the first time in well over 13 years. This will be an emotional homecoming as he's beloved by the Brazilian faithful and he won't want to let them down. "Rumble" Johnson finally caved and moved up to the middleweight division after years of holding off the inevitable which included missing weight on multiple occasions. Johnson was a huge player in the welterweight division so he will become an instant contender if he can knock off the legend in his divisional debut. Will Belfort bring back the furious flurry of strikes he's famous for? Can the upstart Johnson silence the Brazilian crowd by knocking out their idol? What's the best path to victory for both men on Saturday night? Let's find out. Vitor Belfort Record: 20-9 overall, 9-5 in the UFC Key Wins: Rich Franklin (UFC 103), Randy Couture (UFC 46), Wanderlei Silva (UFC Brazil) Key Losses: Anderson Silva (UFC 126), Dan Henderson (Pride 32), Randy Couture 2x (UFC 49, UFC 15) How he got here: Vitor Belfort has had a love affair with the UFC for a very, very long time. At just 19 years old and in just his second and third professional fights, he cruised through the UFC 12 heavyweight tournament, defeating both opponents in two minutes combined. After crushing fan favorite Tank Abbott in just 52 seconds barely three months later, he earned a number one contender match against some unheralded old fogie named Randy Couture. Vitor would be completely overwhelmed by "The Natural's" wrestling and eventually TKO'd in just over eight minutes to halt the uber-prospect's momentum. After two more victories inside the Octagon, including a 44 second thrashing of Wanderlei Silva that is still considered one of the most impressive displays of hand speed in MMA history, Belfort decided to send his talents to Japan to compete in Pride. The Brazilian would close his Pride run with four straight victories and returned to the UFC. After losing a decision to Chuck Liddell in his return bout, he would go on to earn a title shot against Randy Couture, winning the belt in one of MMA's biggest fluke injuries after a grazing punch slit "Captain America's" eyelid badly, forcing a cut stoppage in less than a minute. Couture would get his revenge in the next fight, taking a decision and after a split decision loss to Tito Ortiz, he would not return to the UFC for two more years. During that time, he would have a series of highs and lows in Pride and Strikeforce before finding his groove in Cage Rage and Affliction. After his devastating knockout of Matt Lindland, Belfort was offered an opportunity to fight Rich Franklin at UFC 103. Belfort would crush the former middleweight champion with another nasty knockout in just three minutes to earn a title shot against Anderson Silva. After several delays due to injury, the showdown finally took place this February and Silva finished Belfort with one of 2011's finest knockouts, a front kick to the face. "The Phenom" redeemed himself against Akiyama at UFC 133, crushing the Korean/Japanese fighter inside the first round by brutal knockout and gleefully accepted an opportunity to fight in his native Brazil again. How he gets it done: It's not the biggest surprise what Belfort wants to do. He's known for his lethal hands and he'll be looking for an opportunity to explode forward with a lightning quick combination of strikes against Johnson on Saturday night. "The Phenom" has become more patient with time, he waited nearly three minutes before blasting Rich Franklin at UFC 103 and nearly two minutes before exploding against Akiyama his last time around. If he doesn't see an opening, he won't take it, although he should clearly have a technical striking advantage over Johnson. Look for him to cautiously pick Johnson apart in the striking early, similar to what Josh Koscheck was able to do. Expect Belfort to stay on the outside for most of the fight. Johnson is a significant threat with his wrestling and with the added mass with his move to middleweight, he could have even more force behind a takedown. Belfort should try to avoid short strikes unless he hurts "Rumble." If Belfort does tag Johnson, look out. He's got the skills to lunge forward with scary precision and finish the fight in an instant. Anthony Johnson Record: 10-3 overall, 7-3 in the UFC Key Wins: Charlie Brenneman (UFC on Versus 6), Dan Hardy (UFC Fight Night 24), Yoshiyuki Yoshida (UFC 104) Key Losses: Josh Koscheck (UFC 106), Rich Clementi (UFC 76) How he got here: Anthony Johnson took the fast track to the UFC. With his freakish size and power for a welterweight, he made his promotional debut in just his fourth professional fight. Prior to that, he had been a national champion wrestling on the junior college level. He didn't get off to a great start in the UFC, going 2-2 in his first four fights, losing via submission to the significantly smaller Rich Clementi and getting his eye poked badly by Kevin Burns which somehow resulted in a TKO loss. In between those fights, he showed his potential by knocking Ultimate Fighter season six finalist Tommy Speer silly in less than a minute with a vicious punch. "Rumble" went on a solid three fight win streak, avenging the eye poke to Burns and knocking out both Luigi Fioravanti and Yoshiyuki Yoshida in the first round. This earned him a big time divisional match-up against top contender Josh Koscheck. Johnson struggled to land big strikes against Koscheck, resorting to wild punches and his lack of a serious submission game resulted in a second round rear naked choke defeat. He was slated to face John Howard but their fight next got past the ridiculously awesome war of words before Johnson was sidelined with a horrible knee injury. He would be shelved for 17 months before finally returning against Dan Hardy at UFC Fight Night 24. Johnson smashed Hardy with strikes and then rode out a decision with his significantly superior wrestling, something he caught some flack from the fans and media. He faced the surging Charlie Brenneman at UFC on Versus 6 and floored the wrestling, stuffing his takedowns and finishing him off with a brutal head kick. Afterwards, he finally decided to move to middleweight to take on "The Phenom." How he gets it done: Johnson has knocked out his opponent in all but one of his UFC victories. He's got some serious power. "Rumble" is very dangerous with not only his punches but also his kicks, something Belfort should be very careful about considering he tends to stand on the outside before diving in. That's how he got caught by Anderson Silva's famous front kick Despite coming up from welterweight, Anthony Johnson is the bigger fighter so his best plan of action would be to stay on the outside looking for the big power shot whether it's a counter punch or a huge head kick. If Belfort dives in with his famous punching flurries, Johnson needs to change levels and slam "The Phenom" to the canvas. It's the ability to overpower Belfort that should be able to carry Johnson to victory. He could really outmuscle and wear out the Brazilian either in the clinch or with takedowns. It's the things that Johnson can do that Belfort can't which could be the deciding factor here. Fight X-Factor: There are two major X-Factors for this bout. The first, obviously, is the move to middleweight for Anthony Johnson. It looks like he's packed on some significant muscle and has been working incredibly hard with top fighters like Rashad Evans over with the Blackzilians at Imperial Athletics. "Rumble" is likely to have more energy and be even more powerful at middleweight than at 170 pounds so he could be extremely scary come fight night. The other factor is Vitor Belfort already having plans beyond this bout. He's already signed on to coach the first Brazilian season of The Ultimate Fighter and he's already going to fight Wanderlei Silva as his next opponent regardless of whether he wins or loses so what are the stakes for this fight? There are multiple people ahead of him in the title picture already. If he is not taking this bout as seriously as he should, Anthony Johnson could surprise the hell out of him. Bottom Line: This is by far the most intriguing match-up of the entire UFC 142 fight card simply because it has the most questions heading into it. New weight classes, the Brazilian crowd, kickboxer-wrestler versus boxer-jiu-jitsu. This fight could take place just about anywhere at any point with the extremely violent nature of both men (both have won via knockout in six of their last seven victories) there should be some serious fireworks in store for the viewers. Hold on to your hats. Who will come out on top at UFC 142? Tell us your predictions in the comments below! Poll Who will walk away from the Octagon with a victory in the co-main event of UFC 142 on Saturday night? Anthony Johnson Vitor Belfort   26 votes | Results

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After the huge success of UFC 134, it was only a matter of time before the Ultimate Fighting Championship returned to the land of samba. Opening their PPV account for 2012 is another card in Rio, this time featuring a featherweight title bout between Brazil’s own Jose Aldo, and arguably his toughest stylistic opponent to date, Chad Mendes, who many deem to be the most well equipped fighter to wrestle the title away from the dominant champion. Unfortunately, the rest of the main card isn’t quite as compelling, as many of the originally scheduled bouts fell through after numerous fighters were struck by injuries. Nevertheless, an intriguing co-main event pits Brazil’s most popular fighter, Vitor Belfort, against rising prospect Anthony Johnson, who will be making his debut in the middleweight division, in a bout that c0uld well put a dent in “The Phenom’s” hopes for a second outing against middleweight kingpin Anderson Silva. Preliminary Predictions * Antonio Carvalho to defeat Felipe Arantes by Decision * Mike Pyle to defeat Ricardo Funch by Submission in Round 2 * Michihiro Omigawa to defeat Yuri Alcantara by Decision * Gabriel Gonzaga to defeat Edinaldo Oliveira by TKO in Round 1 * Thiago Tavares to defeat Sam Stout by Decision Main Card Predictions Lightweight Fight: Edson Barboza vs. Terry Etim After making short work of Miguel Faaloloto, British prospect Etim returns to the cage for a much sterner test in the form of Barboza. While Etim’s striking has proven to be dynamic enough against some of the lower echelon fighters, he will be at a disadvantage on the feet here. Throughout his career, Etim has made full use of his reach and lanky frame. He uses his jab and especially, his kicks, to dictate the tempo of the fight. However, in addition to not having the reach advantage in this one, Etim can’t afford to engage in a kicking contest with Braboza. In fact, his long legs will play against him, and will make for an obvious target for Barboza’s brutal leg kicks. Barboza’s kicks are the backbone of his offense. As vicious as his leg kicks are, he does remarkably well to avoid getting too predictable, and often mixes things up by going to the head and body. The speed of his kicks, both with his lead and power leg, makes him even trickier to deal with. Since joining the UFC, he has worked on his boxing and it paid dividends. His jab has turned into quite a weapon, and he does well to follow it up with a stiff right cross. Crucially, he isn’t content to throw single strikes and is more than willing to move forward and throw combinations, occasionally finishing them off with a leg kick. The key for Etim on the feet is to take a page out of Ross Pearson‘s book and get on the inside, where Barboza is less comfortable. While that isn’t quite Etim’s forte, he needs to stay clear of fighting on the outside. Pearson was able to give Barboza trouble by closing the distance, landing with short left hooks and body shots, and generally getting the better of his opponent from close-quarters. This was made easier by Barboza’s habit of backpedaling into the fence when pressed. A similar approach could well prove fruitful for the Englishman, especially as it would give him the chance to set up takedowns. In fact, Etim’s grappling is greatly underrated, and if he is to get on top, the fight could be his for the taking. Despite improvement in his takedown defense, Barboza’s defensive wrestling is still not up to par. Etim isn’t the best offensive wrestler himself, but he could at least force some scrambles by going for takedowns. Moreover, Barboza’s tendency to sprawl immediately will give Etim the chance to get the front headlock position, which is where his grappling game shines most, as he possesses a terrific arsenal of submissions from that position; namely the guillotine and its variations. The fight will almost certainly be competitive, and as long as Etim is willing to move forward and pressure his opponent, he will have his chances. Nevertheless, consistently getting past Barboza’s reach and dealing with his kicks will prove too much for Etim, as Barboza takes another hard fought decision victory. Official Prediction: Edson Barboza to defeat Terry Etim by Decision Welterweight Fight: Erick Silva vs. Carlo Prater Siyar Bahadurzada‘s injury gives us a much less intriguing fight here, as Silva is paired up with another short notice opponent instead. For Prater, this is an extremely tough match-up. He has made a career out of outclassing inferior grapplers with a solid top game, highlighted by some slick guard passing and transitions. However, not only is Silva more than capable of matching him on the ground — if not straight up get the better of him — but he also possesses a good base that will make takedowns hard to come by for Prater. On the feet, Prater will be outmatched both in terms of power and technique. In addition to having the better boxing, Silva can inflict serious damage on the inside, with short power hooks and some brutal knees from the clinch. Silva’s killer instinct is equally noteworthy, as once he has his opponent hurt, he doesn’t let him off the hook. In fact, it is totally possible for him to hurt Prater standing before polishing him off with a submission on the ground. Unless a major upset occurs, Silva will be able to notch his second win over a short notice opponent in as many fights. Official Prediction: Erick Silva to defeat Carlo Prater by TKO in Round 1 Middleweight Fight: Rousimar Palhares vs. Mike Massenzio In what could be the latest act in the Palhares lunacy story, the bizarre Brazilian is matched up with New Jersey’s Massenzio. For all his eccentricities, Palhares is an otherworldly grappler, who is a bit more than a one-trick pony. Beyond his bone crushing leg locks, Palhares has freakish strength, which he uses it expertly to get takedowns. Unlike many of his BJJ peers, Palhares possesses the takedown ability to take the fight to his element, as he is more than capable of slamming most fighters to the mat and use his submission wizardry from there. Massenzio is a capable wrestler with a decent overall grappling acumen, but surely he wants no part of “Toquinho” on the ground. This essentially forces Massenzio to abandon his usual game, and take a more striking oriented approach instead. The problem is, Massenzio’s striking is usually designed to help him rush his opponent, close the distance, and work for the takedown. His aggression could work against him here, as getting overzealous while chasing Palhares around will give the Brazilian the chance to switch levels and plant his foe on his back. To his credit, Massenzio can rough his opponents up when he throws combinations while moving forward, and Palhares’ chin isn’t exactly impenetrable. Conversely, for all his lack of technique and defensive deficiencies, Palhares possesses serious power and could well catch Massenzio off guard in a wild striking exchange. However, despite minute improvements in his stand-up, Palhares is still mainly reliant on a sloppy overhand right and some whacky kicks that seldom land. Yet, his last bout against Dan Miller showed that Palhares is capable of being more accurate on the feet when he puts his mind into it (which for him, seems to be a tough ask). Regardless, this is another fight that could be decided by Palhares’ leg lock game. The beauty about leg locks is that they require relatively little set up, and could be snatched from out of nowhere; an ability that “Toquinho” has mastered.Expect Massenzio to take “an arrow to the knee” in this one. Official Prediction: Rousimar Palhares to defeat Mike Massenzio by Submission in Round 1 Middleweight Fight: Vitor Belfort vs. Anthony Johnson Injury had forced Johnson to sit on the shelf for the entire duration of 2010, but he came back strong last year with dominant back-to-back performances against Dan Hardy and Charlie Brenneman. While Johnson’s edge in physicality will be somewhat reduced now that he’s moving up in weight, he still possesses a rare mixture of size, athleticism, and power. The one knock on Johnson is that, the Hardy bout aside, he isn’t as dominant with his wrestling as you’d expect from someone possessing all those attributes. Of course, having a good striking game and immense power means Johnson doesn’t exclusively have to rely on his wrestling, but he has yet to find the right balance between the two. In general, Johnson’s gameplan is very easy to spot in the first minute or so of a fight, and it becomes very apparent whether he’s in wrestling mode or striking mode, as he has yet to learn how to seamlessly combine them. Against an opponent of Belfort’s caliber, Johnson can’t afford to be predictable. Belfort has historically struggled to deal with imposing wrestling games, and he has a tendency to mentally crumble once he’s stuck on the bottom. However, to take Belfort down, Johnson needs to be able to control the striking first, as he can’t afford to simply rush him the way he did against Dan Hardy. In fact, one of the most overlooked aspects of Belfort’s game is his ability to control the distance, and any rash attempt to hastily move forward by Johnson could be punished by Belfort’s counter-striking. While he is mainly known for blitzing opponents by moving forward with combinations, Belfort possesses solid counter-punching skills. He is an expert at using his lead leg to cut his opponent off and blast him with a trademark straight left, and Johnson needs to be extremely wary of that fact, as few fighters — if any — can afford to taste the Brazilian’s power. Belfort has went through different phases in his fighting style. Lately, he’s developed into a much more patient striker. He has been mixing up some leg kicks in his arsenal, but he doesn’t quite use his jab with any sort of frequency. What he does however, is wait for the right moment to either counter or move forward, usually with a 1-2. Johnson’s striking on the other hand, is mostly reliant on his power, and his right hand is not something any fighter would want to feel. To his credit, he rarely gets too trigger happy with said right hand, and is sneakily good at setting it up with the jab. Furthermore, Johnson has some diversity in his striking. In fact, his kicks — particularly his high kicks — are arguably his most dangerous weapon, with his lead snap kick being especially deceptive in its speed and accuracy. While Johnson isn’t a power double leg type of fighter, he possesses a very quick and explosive first step when moving in for the shot. His single leg is arguably his best takedown, while his imposing clinch game could be key in this bout. Johnson’s top game on the other hand, is somewhat pedestrian and lacks dynamism, as he offers little in terms of guard passing or significant ground and pound. Despite some good hips, Belfort has never shown remarkable takedown defense or the ability to scramble up from underneath an opponent. Johnson may not be able to secure clean takedowns early, but he could wear Belfort out in the clinch for the first few minutes before finally planting him on his back. From there, unless “The Phenom” shows improved defensive grappling, he is likely in for a frustrating night. Of course, the threat of Belfort crushing Johnson with a well-placed counter or a trademark flurry is a significant one, and it is a big possibility any time the fight is vertical. However, judging by Belfort’s history, he is going to have a hard time keeping it where he’s most comfortable. Official Prediction: Anthony Johnson to defeat Vitor Belfort by Decision PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Posted in: fight, johnson, belfort, palhare, etim

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With the exception of injuries or an act of God, Wanderlei Silva and Vitor Belfort will fight after Belfort meets Anthony Johnson on Saturday at UFC 142. How much does Silva want to fight Belfort? "A lot," he told MMAjunkie.com during open workouts for the pay-per-view event, which takes place at HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro. "This is one fight I really, really want to do before I retire. I'm so happy for a fight with this guy in Brazil."

Posted in: fight, silva, wanderlei silva, belfort, vitor belfort

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Once the Octagon door closes on Saturday night, Vitor Belfort figures, Anthony Johnson's time to talk is over. Then he has to be ready for 15 minutes at UFC 142.

Posted in: anthony johnson, vitor, belfort, vitor belfort, octagon door

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34-year old Brazilian legend Vitor Belfort has achieved a number of incredible things throughout his career – a UFC championship, fame, and fortune among them. One of his final remaining goals will be accomplished this weekend when he fights at UFC 142: Aldo vs. Mendes where he will face Anthony Johnson in a co-headlining clash. Not only will the event mark the first time Belfort has fought at home in more than a decade but also his debut on the nation’s leading television network, further cementing his legacy among the people of Brazil. Belfort discussed what the fight means to him in the UFC Countdown special for the show where he said, “I always had a dream to fight in Rio…so my dream has come true. My journey right now has just been fulfilled…to fight in my home country, my home city, so it’s awesome.” Another reason “The Phenom” is so positive entering Saturday night’s scrap has to do with his training partners, one of which was welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre. The 20-9 Belfort also displayed a good deal of confidence in the Countdown clip based on the quality of his camp, explaining, “I’m training with the best wrestlers, the best strikers, the best jiu-jitsu guys. So if I can make these young guys in my camp tired, and say, ‘Vitor…enough! Enough!’ Everybody has to say ‘enough’ I’ll be 100% for this fight, no doubt.” Belfort Details Training with GSP Check out the complete UFC Countdown segment between Belfort-Johnson below: PHOTO CREDIT – UFC Tweet

Posted in: ufc, fight, vitor, belfort, countdown

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Filed under: UFC, NewsVitor Belfort's first UFC fight came at what may have been the promotion's lowest moment. So he takes particular joy in seeing how far the UFC has come. Belfort, who has been in the UFC longer than any other active fighter, is preparing to fight back home in Brazil on Saturday at UFC 142. But as he discussed the upcoming fight on Thursday, he also remembered his very first fight in the UFC, which came at a time when the entire sport of MMA was on the verge of collapse. That would be UFC 12 on Feb. 7, 1997. At the age of 19, Belfort was an entrant in the four-man heavyweight tournament originally scheduled to take place that night in New York. But as politicians began to speak out against what they viewed as a savage bloodsport, the New York government told the UFC it was no longer welcome in its state, and the UFC had to scramble to move the event to Alabama at the last minute. "My first fight, we had to travel all night to Alabama," Belfort said. "We could only fight in Alabama. It was my first UFC. And then after so much investment they were able to remove that stigma in the U.S. and we slowly won over different countries." Winning over different countries included Brazil, where Belfort said it hasn't always been easy. Although MMA traces its origins to Brazil, the sport has also faced some of the same opposition there that it has faced in the United States. Belfort, who beat Wanderlei Silva at UFC Brazil in 1998 but hasn't fought back home since then, said it's been a struggle to get people back home to accept that mixed martial arts is a legitimate sporting competition, not a violent spectacle. More Coverage: UFC 142 Fight Card | UFC 142 Results "We really had to be pioneers, here in Brazil especially," Belfort said. Belfort said it used to frustrate him when people thought that because he fights professionally for a living, that meant he must also be a thug who gets involved in street fights. He said that in the early days of the UFC, people would ask him if anyone who ran into him in the street should fear him, not understanding that for him, fighting is just a job. "I remember my first interview they asked me, 'If someone crashes into your car, what would you do?' I stopped and thought, 'If they crash into Pavarotti's car, does he have to sing an opera?' So people have prejudice against fighting," Belfort said. Now the UFC has reached the point where it can sell thousands of tickets for a major event in Brazil, and Belfort says he believes Brazilians have come to understand what MMA is all about. "The sport was born in this country and it's been difficult to gain acceptance, but we actually overcame this hurdle," Belfort said. "The sport has a lot to teach people. Martial arts is about physical and moral respect. . . . In martial arts we have this balance. So if someone crashes into my car I will come out of the car, get their license plate and talk about the damage and who has to pay. People relate our sport to aggression and it's not that at all. It's a contact sport but we respect each other greatly and we don't use it outside of the sport." Belfort said that he's thrilled to see how many people across his home country are enjoying the UFC. "Children, the elderly, families, women can understand our sport," Belfort said. "There's a lot for our sport to offer." Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

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UFC 142 headliners Jose Aldo, Chad Mendes, Vitor Belfort and Anthony Johnson participated in an open workouts session ahead of this weekend's stacked fight card in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The event is headlined by Jose Aldo's third UFC Featherweight title defense against Chad "Money" Mendes, while Vitor Belfort welcomes Anthony Johnson to the UFC Middleweight division in the co-main event of the night. Rest of the main card features high profile bouts such as Rousimar Palhares vs. Mike Massenzio, and Edson

Posted in: ufc, anthony johnson, belfort, aldo, mende

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Ultimate Fighting Championship will hold a public press conference today (Jan. 12, 2011) in advance of UFC 142: "Aldo vs. Mendes," which will take place this Saturday (Jan. 14, 2011). The conference call will begin at 10 a.m. ET and will take place at the Copacabana Palace Hotel in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the home city of the event. Scheduled to attend will be the headlining fighters of the evening, Jose Aldo, Chad Mendes, Vitor Belfort and Anthony Johnson. Aldo is the current UFC featherweight champion. The rising Brazilian star defended his title twice in 2011 with unanimous decision victories over Kenny Florian and Mark Hominick. He's hoping to ring in the New Year with his first UFC finish. His opponent, Chad Mendes, is undefeated and finally feels he's ready for his moment to shine. "Money" Mendes has had his way with everyone put in his path, from Michihiro Omigawa, RanI Yahya to fellow top contender Erik Koch. The Team Alpha Male fighter is hoping his wrestling will help him win the title. Vitor Belfort is coming off an emphatic first round knockout of the hardheaded Yoshihiro Akiyama. He came up short in 2011 in his UFC middleweight title bid, and he's hoping a victory here, plus one over fellow Ultimate Fighter Brazil coach Wanderlei Silva will give him one more shot. Belfort's opponent, Anthony Johnson, is making the move to middleweight at least for now. Long heralded as the largest welterweight on the UFC roster who cut the most weight, "Rumble" will actually be two inches taller than Belfort with a four inch reach advantage. He's riding a two fight winning streak and could become a contender in either division with a victory. We'll have complete updates of the UFC 142 press conference after the jump: Brian Hemminger here, the conference is scheduled to begin at 10:00 a.m. ET.

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Vitor Belfort respects Anthony Johnson like any past opponent, but on Jan. 14 he plans on letting him know that the cage belongs to him and he'll protect it accordingly

Posted in: anthony johnson, johnson, vitor, belfort, anthony

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If you’ve been following mixed martial arts long enough to remember the “old” Vitor Belfort, the 19-year old teenager with the blazing hand and foot speed who captivated everyone back in 1997, you could almost feel like a proud parent watching him during the kickoff press conference for this Saturday’s UFC 142 event in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.There he was, not only the local kid coming back home as a triumphant hero and international star, but a mature 34-year old man whose goals aren’t just to win fights and championships, but to be an ambassador for the sport that has been his life for over 15 years.“People who knew me a long time ago but don’t know me now, they have a disadvantage,” explained Belfort. “Every day I’ve had to increase knowledge, increase wisdom, increase my talent and add new tools to my game and to my life. I take every day as the last day of my life, and some days are hard, some days are easier, but the bottom line is that whoever doesn’t know me now has a disadvantage if they just know me from back then.”Back then, Belfort was as wild as his flurries in the Octagon. In other words, he was like any other 19-year old thrust into the public eye. There would be soaring highs and catastrophic lows, but unlike the man he was most often compared to, former heavyweight boxing champ Mike Tyson, Belfort’s career didn’t flame out after a few dazzling prime years. The fighter dubbed “The Phenom” weathered every blow that came his way, and amazingly, he is still relevant and still a contender with realistic championship potential as he prepares for Saturday’s co-main event with Anthony Johnson.“He’s young and has a big future in front of him,” said Belfort of “Rumble,” who is making his 185-pound debut. “He’s a tough opponent and he has the skills. He’s a great athlete, great wrestler, and it’s going to be pretty interesting to see how he’s gonna act in the ring. Will he try to take me down or will he try to stand?”That decision may dictate whether Belfort goes into his stint as a coach on the first edition of The Ultimate Fighter Brazil with a win or a loss. And while Johnson has proven that he can be a chameleon in the Octagon, opting to use his wrestling to defeat Dan Hardy while returning to his bombs away strategy for his most recent win over Charlie Brenneman, Belfort says that his own strength comes from not straying too far from what he knows.“I always knew what I was and always knew what my skills were and what I was capable of doing,” he said. “You have to know who you are and what you’re capable of. It’s very important.”Fresh from an August knockout of Yoshihiro Akiyama that eased the disappointment of losing his early 2011 title fight against Anderson Silva, Belfort looked to be in prime form against the Japanese star, and the victory propelled him into this bout, which marks his first fight at home in Brazil since he knocked out his TUF Brazil coaching rival Wanderlei Silva in 44 seconds in October of 1998. But even as what promises to be an emotional night draws nearer, he’s doing his best not to get caught up in the distractions that come with fighting in his home city.“I’m kinda thinking about that a little bit, but I’m trying to stay out of it,” he said. “I don’t want anything to take me away from my training. Every time I see myself drifting from my duty today, I try to go back, and me and the coaches are always focusing on what’s next so on the day, things will take care of themselves.”A win over Johnson will be Belfort’s 21st as a professional, and seventh in his last eight fights. Next is the coaching stint on TUF Brazil, and then a rematch with Silva. It’s as close as a fighter will get to having a set schedule for the bulk of the year, and Belfort embraces it.“That’s the advantage,” he said. “It’s a good thing I have another thing lined up, and I just focus on what’s next and what’s positive and what makes you happy and what makes you perform good.”As for the opportunity to coach a group of UFC hopefuls, Belfort is looking forward to teaching the lessons he’s learned over the years and also letting his team know that to build the sport, they must realize that more eyes are on them than ever before, so the true responsibilities of being a professional lie beyond what happens in the Octagon.“I’m going to be myself,” said Belfort of coaching TUF. “People will have a chance to know me more, how I am, what my values are when it comes to the sport, and how I respect my opponents and the fans. Bottom line, it’s a reality show, so it has to be real. I know some people have the tendency when they’re on TV to be one person and they try to get more attention so they get more money. I see a different way. If I can be true to people and be myself to them, I’m gonna get the respect. Either they like it or they don’t, but they’re gonna respect me because I respect them as well. And in this sport, we have a responsibility bigger than any other athlete, any other soccer player, anybody else. If you do something to somebody, you have a bigger price to pay because you’re a mixed martial artist. This is what I’m about to show them, and lead them in a way of being responsible and not letting fame get in the way.”Coming from Belfort, a statement like that will carry more weight with the fighters he coaches simply because they know it’s not talk. He’s been where they are, he’s gone through the good, the bad, and the ugly of the sport, and he’s still standing. And more than that, he’s now able to focus his energies on the fight, and when that final punch is thrown and his hand is raised in victory, there are few people ever happier in that moment.“It’s a payday process,” he said. “It’s like when a farmer sees his seeds turn into something. It’s an awesome feeling and it’s so great to see the reward from the sacrifices we made. So many people are involved, and you think about the process that turned into a win. It’s a great time and you’ve got to enjoy it and live the moment because that moment may never come back. Life is made by moments and sometimes even the bad moments make yourself better and make you stronger. So the focus should be on what’s next. Life is made day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute, and like the Americans say, ‘time is money’ (Laughs) so I invest my time like my money, in every way possible.”

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RIO DE JANEIRO - Seemingly lost among the build-up to Saturday's UFC 142 event is that despite a frustrating loss to Anderson Silva earlier this year, MMA superstar Vitor Belfort is 6-1 in his past seven fights and still extremely relative in the UFC's middleweight division. Instead, the primary focus seems to center around how Belfort will deal with the massive 6-foot-2 frame of opponent Anthony Johnson. The Brazilian slugger said he's relying on Simba for inspiration at Rio de Janeiro's HSBC Arena.

Posted in: ufc, anderson silva, belfort, vitor belfort, brazilian slugger

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Vitor Belfort brought a "secret weapon" into his camp for Anthony Johnson at UFC 142: Georges St-Pierre, not long before he blew out his knee. Check out the behind-the-scenes video.

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Anthony Johnson believes fans need to get ready for "something crazy" when he faces Vitor Belfort in the co-main event of UFC 142 on Saturday in Rio de Janeiro.

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One of the underrated components of what goes in to making a world-class Mixed Martial Artist has to do with diet. While some fighters don’t subscribe to the necessity of eating right, ask most of the sport’s top competitors and they’re likely to tell you how helpful it can be in terms of feeling good, maximizing time in the gym, and ultimately cutting weight to hit the necessary limit. Vitor Belfort’s latest Road to UFC 142 video documents a prime example of what a high-level fighter should be putting into his body rather than fast food or even healthy, yet bland, items. Belfort is one of many UFC athletes who calls upon Mike Dolce for assistance and, as shown in the clip, even an Average Joe can eat like a champion. “It’s not just about nutrition. Nutrition is one thing, but guys that train as hard as hard as he does, that make their living off their bodies in fighting…the last thing we want is for them to be suffering, to hate their diet,” Dolce explains while making a meal for Belfort. Belfort fights Anthony Johnson this Saturday night at UFC 142: Aldo vs. Mendes, an event headlined by 145-pound champ Jose Aldo putting his gold up for grabs against undefeated wrestler Chad Mendes. Check out the video below: PHOTO CREDIT – UFC/VITORBELFORT

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How could I talk about Vitor Belfort without mentioning Affliction II: Day of Reckoning when the dude nearly comatosed Matt Lindland live on PPV. Everyone in that arena (including all the heads that dropped $59.95 on what was the best card of 2009) just thought we witnessed our first unintentional execution. This wasn't what we bargained for. It was like the future was dipped into that weird jar of semi-post apocalyptic The Running Man. I was expecting Arnold Govenator to run in the cage rocking one of those yellow spandex jumpsuits (which we're still waiting to see). Damn. When the guy that knocked you out is praying over your unconscious body, you know your future isn't looking that promising (not as promising as a future with hoverboards). Now that Vitor Belfort is slated to face Rumble Johnson at UFC 142 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, he's enlisted Mike Dolce to be his personal chef and in return, he has one of those cool black 'Dolce Diet' shirts that everyone has been wearing. Let's hope Rumble has a similar dietary plan before Friday's UFC 142 weigh-ins. [Source]

Posted in: belfort, vitor belfort, man i, arnold govenator, future isnt

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UFC veteran Anthony Johnson will finally step inside the Octagon as 185'er, facing the legendary Vitor Belfort in the co-main event of UFC 142 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Currently enjoying an impressive two-fight winning streak, Johnson will look to make a statement against Belfort, with sights on becoming a top contender in the UFC middleweight division. Further Reading: UFC 142 is now open for

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If Anthony Johnson loses to Vitor Belfort this weekend at UFC 142, it won’t be from a lack of confidence or preparation. Authentic Sports Management put together this sweet video diary of Johnson’s training camp and it becomes clear pretty quick that Johnson is putting everything into this fight with Belfort. Rumble looks like an absolute monster and has me second-guessing who’s going to win this fight. HT: @robnashville

Posted in: anthony johnson, johnson, belfort, vitor belfort, soul ’

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The Dolce Diet creator Mike Dolce makes Vitor Belfort his East Coast Breakfast Toast for breakfast in this installment of Vitor Belfort’s Road to UFC 142.

Posted in: vitor, belfort, vitor belfort, breakfast, diet edition

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Believe it or not, we're less than a week away. This Saturday night (Jan. 14, 2012), Vitor Belfort vs. Anthony Johnson will serve as the UFC 142 co main event at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Belfort has not competed in his native land since scoring a 44-second technical knockout win over Wanderlei Silva way back in 1998. He'll likely look to duplicate those impressive results against "Rumble," an over-sized welterweight who will make his 185-pound Octagon debut against the division's former number one contender. It's got all the ingredients of an exciting, hard-hitting battle that "The Phenom" promises will deliver on fight night. And speaking of ingredients, Belfort is featuring Mike Dolce and "The Dolce Diet" in this week's video blog. We'll be sure to pass along any remaining installments of Belfort's "Road to Rio" video diary series as the promotion releases them. In the meantime, feel free to check out the latest UFC 142 fight card and rumors right here. Early predictions for this middleweight slugfest?

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Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) recently announced that Wanderlei Silva and Vitor Belfort will go head-to-head as coaches on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) Brazil, the promotion's popular reality television show designed to produce new and up-and-coming stars from a pool of undiscovered talent. TUF Brazil is expected to be filmed entirely in Portuguese and air via Globo, but now stateside fans will also get the chance to watch the season in its entirety thanks to a broadcast agreement between the UFC and Fuel TV. MMA Fighting has more. "The UFC has so much content that even Spike, if you look at what a huge percentage of their content we used to be, we still needed more," White said. "The Ultimate Fighter Brazil will air on Fuel TV. All this unique content that we're doing in other parts of the world, Fuel TV is going to take. I've been saying for the last six months, if you're a UFC fan and you really love the UFC, it's impossible not to have Fuel." At the conclusion of the season, Silva and Belfort will face off for Brazilian bragging rights. Silva has been looking for revenge since the pair first met inside the cage more than a decade ago at UFC 17.5: "Ultimate Brazil." Belfort defeated Silva in just 44 seconds by way of technical knockout. Their initial bout did little to resolve their differences. Silva has since referred to "The Phenom" as "mentally weak" while Belfort insists "The Axe Murderer" is "just a spectator who wants to get attention for himself." Wandy is fresh of a second-round shellacking of former Strikeforce 185-pound champion Cung Le while Belfort must still report to the UFC 142 pay-per-view event on Jan. 14 in Rio to challenge hard-hitting middleweight Anthony Johnson. Keep it glued to MMAmania.com for more on the upcoming season of TUF Brazil in the coming weeks.

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Top Middleweight contender Vitor Belfort, who will welcome Anthony Johnson to the division at UFC 142, continues with his pre-fight video series, allowing fans an inside look at his preparations for the bout. In this episode, Belfort works with leading sports nutritionist, MIke Dolce, who cooks up "The East Coast Breakfast Toast" for the MMA veteran. Photo: Scott Hirano

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Anthony Johnson is a career welterweight who is tired of the massive self-deprivation required in order to make the division’s 170-pound weight limit. “Rumble” often walks around at over 200 pounds, so in order to compete, that means that more often than not, his camps are focused on shedding weight, rather than properly preparing for a fight from technique and game growth perspectives.The weight cut was such a problem that Johnson twice, in ten UFC bouts, missed weight. He was six and one-half pounds over for his fight against Rich Clementi back in 2007, tipping the scale at 177.5 pounds, rather than the allowed 171 pounds for non-title welterweight affairs. Two years later, he missed by five pounds against Yoshiyuki Yoshida. Despite hitting the mark for the past three fights, Johnson has finally had enough. He believes that, at 27 years old, he has simply outgrown the welterweight division. Thus, he is moving to middleweight for the first time on Saturday night at UFC 142. Johnson will still be cutting weight, but not like when he competes at 170 pounds.There is little doubt that Johnson will be stronger and more explosive at middleweight. He likely will have better cardio and generally feel better from not having to shed an additional 15 pounds. Yet, nobody knows whether all that will result in a better fighter. He might be better in the literal sense, but the question is whether Anthony Johnson 2.0 will perform better against middleweights than Anthony Johnson 1.0 did against welterweights. Rather than dip his toe into the middleweight water in search of an answer to that question, Johnson is diving in head first into a rip tide without any sort of a life vest because first up at middleweight is none other than former heavyweight tournament winner and former light heavy champ Vitor “The Phenom” Belfort.Belfort is one of the most feared strikers in all of mixed martial arts. The Brazilian debuted in the UFC back on February 7, 1997, when he was only 19 years old. He won the UFC 12 Heavyweight Tournament that night by knocking out Tra Telligman and Scott Ferrozzo in a combined two minutes. Fast-forward 15 years. Belfort is now a 34-year-old former champion who is looking to conquer his third weight class. The difference, of course, is that Belfort has moved down in weight over the years, not up.  He has also been competing in the middleweight division since July 19, 2008, so there are no question marks over how his body will perform at 185 pounds. In fact, Belfort’s volume of work below 205 pounds suggests that this is his best weight class.So suffice to say that Belfort will be the biggest, strongest, most accomplished opponent that Johnson has ever faced. It only adds to the intrigue that Johnson will be fighting one of the most amped up and focused Vitor Belforts that the world has ever seen, since he is fighting in his native Brazil for the first time since annihilating Wanderlei Silva at UFC Brazil way back on October 16, 1998. And it is a prelude fight to Belfort assuming a coaching role opposite Silva on “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil” – the first time that the UFC’s hit reality show will film a season outside of the US. Taping starts shortly after UFC 142.Welcome to the middleweight division, Anthony Johnson.On paper, this seems like an insurmountable task for “Rumble” because he doesn’t appear to enjoy an advantage in any area of the fight. Belfort is the better striker. He is the superior grappler. He is more experienced and accomplished. According to individuals who have trained with both, he is also the stronger, faster fighter. The only area where Johnson may enjoy a slight edge is in his cardio. Neither man will be confused with the Energizer Bunny any time soon, but Belfort’s cardio has been notoriously bad over the years. Johnson also appears to tire quickly in fights, but he has enjoyed much more success in fights lasting the distance than Belfort. The American is undefeated in those bouts, whereas Belfort has won less than half of his.None of that really matters, though. Why? Because fights don’t compete on paper. No fighter is perfect. Everyone makes mistakes. One mistake can lead to an instant loss thanks to a perfectly placed strike or an inescapable submission hold. That is what makes MMA such a great sport.If Belfort is foolish enough to drop his hands, Johnson has more than enough power in his overhand right and right high kick to abruptly turn out the lights. “Rumble” scored knockouts in six of his last seven victories. None of those knockout victims had Belfort-like resumes. Yet, there is no denying that the reality of competing with four-ounce gloves and uncovered shins is that anyone can get knocked out on any given night in the UFC.If the former champion lets his focus lapse, Johnson has the wrestling chops to take the fight to the ground. Belfort may be a vastly superior grappler, but he has a terrible habit of resting in his guard, rather than working his transition jiu-jitsu or quickly scrambling back to his feet. That opens the door for Johnson to score a fight-altering cut, work some cardio-sapping ground and pound, or just score points on the judges’ cards for spending time on top.One mistake. That is all it takes. Belfort is acutely aware of that fact after his knockout loss to Anderson Silva just about one year ago. He failed to properly identify a front kick to the face, and he found himself waking up moments later with his first taste of middleweight defeat. It can happen again on Saturday night, if he isn’t sharp.But that isn’t the only way for Johnson to win. He can also take advantage of Belfort’s tendency to move backward and pose, rather than circling and striking, in the face of controlled pressure. Johnson can initiate that tendency by slowly approaching with his hands up ready to punch. Belfort will oblige by taking equally slows steps backward, coiled and ready to counter. Johnson should not fire a haphazard strike during his approach, otherwise it is lights out. He should, instead, just come forward with confident, yet measured, steps with his hands held high. Belfort will continue backing up until he nears the cage, at which point, he will either circle out to his right or stand his ground and initiate an exchange. Johnson should anticipate that and either shoot for a takedown when Belfort is within a step of the cage or step to his own left and fire his right hand. The former is the best way to get Belfort to clinch, rather than effectively sprawl. The latter is the best way to avoid a counter left hand, while still creating an opening to step inside and initiate a clinch himself. Belfort is an expert clinch fighter. But his first instinct will be to defend the takedown, rather than turn his opponent. That will create an opening for Johnson to drop his weight and secure a good position smothering Belfort against the cage. He will need to keep working for takedowns and mix in some dirty boxing and knees to avoid a referee restart, but he should focus first and foremost at maintaining the outside position for as long as the referee will allow it. Not only will this score points for Octagon control on the judges’ cards; it will also start to sap Belfort of his explosiveness as he begins to use up his precious cardio defending in the clinch. If there is a restart or the period comes to a close, Johnson should go right back to that game plan when the action gets back underway. Belfort’s counterstriking style is so deeply ingrained into his DNA that I would be absolutely shocked to see him react any differently than walking backward, if Johnson uses cautious aggression, as outlined above.  The sequence should play itself out again and again, just like it did in Belfort’s third fight with Randy Couture and his bout with Tito Ortiz. As Belfort’s cardio begins to betray him, Johnson can mix in aggressive takedown attempts and combination striking, rather than clinching once his foe nears the cage. Belfort’s extremely high percentage of fast twitch muscle fiber means that his explosive speed and power will decrease proportionately with his cardio. That is evidenced by the fact that he has never scored a knockout or a submission win in the third round. Not once in his illustrious career. Thus, Johnson can more freely open up his offensive game once the final round arrives.Belfort, on the other hand, won’t likely enter the cage with much of a game plan. I’m sure his coaches will have him fully prepared with an excellent game plan designed to take advantage of Johnson’s own technical flaws. That plan will undoubtedly include Belfort taking the offensive early in the fight. He is an absolute beast in sparring when he fights aggressively, rather than always countering. Yet, all that will go out the window, once the fight is underway. It always does with Belfort. He will instead stand and wait. He will retreat and wait. He will circle and wait. All the while, he will be waiting for Johnson to attack so that he can counter. Belfort won’t have a counter in mind. He counters by instinct. Years of training have made his response to incoming fire instinctual. It might be a bombing left hand, followed by a series of rights and lefts thrown in machine-gun fashion. It might be a flying knee, followed by that same series of rights and lefts. It might be all sorts of things. But what it won’t be is a single, haphazard strike. That isn’t how Belfort gets down. And that won’t be how he responds when he sees an opening on Saturday night. It will be all-out aggression, which almost always results in an opponent ending up on the canvas. I don’t think Saturday will end any differently.Again, on paper, it seems like this will be an exceedingly difficult challenge for Johnson, one that he likely won’t overcome. Then again, fights only unfold on paper in the minds of writers. I’m quite sure Anthony Johnson couldn’t care less about what I write in this breakdown because he is coming to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to win. Let’s see if he can pull it off. QUICK FACTSVitor Belfort•    20-9 overall•    34 years old•    6’0, 185 lbs•    74-inch reach•    4-1, 4 KOs at 195 lbs or less•    4-1 in last 5 fights•    7-3 in last 10•    All 9 UFC wins inside the distance (8 by KO/TKO and 1 by SUB)•    70% of career wins by KO/TKO•    10% of career wins by SUB•    20% of career wins by decision•    Former UFC light heavyweight champion•    Former UFC heavyweight tournament champion•    Knockout of the Night winner in two of last three fights (Akiyama and Franklin)•    Current layoff is 161 days•    Longest layoff of his career is 504 daysAnthony Johnson•    10-3 overall•    27 years old•    6’2, 185 lbs•    78-inch reach•    4-1 in last 5•    7-3 in last 10 •    70% of career wins by KO/TKO•    30% of career wins by decision•    No wins by SUB•    3-0 in fights that have lasted the distance•    Fight of the Night winner in loss to Josh Koscheck•    Knockout of the night winner twice (Brenneman and Burns)•    Current layoff is 105 days•    Longest layoff of his career is 490 days

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There’s a fairly convincing argument for the case that a fighter is only as good as his/her training partners. As the saying goes, “Iron forges iron,” equating in MMA terms to an athlete’s skills being honed at the highest level possible when working with the best in the business. If that is indeed true it appears Anthony Johnson should have his hands full next weekend when he faces Vitor Belfort at UFC 142: Aldo vs. Mendes. In the latest episode from Belfort’s Road to UFC 142 series “The Phenom” is shown training alongside UFC welterweight champ Georges St. Pierre prior to the French-Canadian’s unfortunate knee injury. Belfort Focused 100% on Beating Johnson in Front of Fellow Brazilians “He’s a great champion and my guys like him,” Belfort explains of St. Pierre. “Good behavior, good guy, so we’re gonna help each other. That’s the key to get better. Training with the champions. It’s an honor to train with him.” Belfort will put his abilities to the test on January 14 as part of a UFC 142 lineup featuring featherweight title-holder Jose Aldo in action against unbeaten Team Alpha Male product Chad Mendes. Check out Belfort and St. Pierre below: PHOTO CREDIT – VITORBELFORT Tweet

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A little more than a month Georges St. Pierre was in the midst of preparing to face Nick Diaz in February while Vitor Belfort had just begun camp for a bout against Anthony Johnson at UFC 142: Aldo vs. Mendes. While the always-impressive welterweight champion unfortunately went on to suffer a knee injury that will keep him out for most of 2012, prior to the affliction he linked up with Belfort to spend some time training together. Fortunately their exchanges and work in general was documented, something the fans can now check out as part of Belfort’s Road to UFC 142 series. “GSP, we just try to help each other and we’re great friends,” explains Belfort of St. Pierre’s presence. “He’s a great champion and my guys like him. Good behavior, good guy, so we’re gonna help each other. That’s the key to get better. Training with the champions. It’s an honor to train with him.” Belfort-Johnson’s bout will unfold next weekend in Rio de Janeiro as part of a UFC 142 card headlined by featherweight title-holder Jose Aldo putting his belt up for grabs against undefeated grappler Chad Mendes. Check out the GSP-Belfort video below: PHOTO CREDIT – UFC/VITORBELFORT

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Georges St. Pierre pays a visit to Vitor Belfort’s training camp in this installment of Vitor Belfort’s road to UFC 142.

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UFC Middleweight contender Vitor "The Phenom" Belfort continues to document his preparations for the UFC 142 encounter with Anthony Johnson. This time, Belfort trains with the reigning UFC Welterweight champ Georges "Rush" St. Pierre (prior to his injury), and the rest of Greg Jackson / Tristar / Grudge fighters. Further Reading: Submit your picks for UFC

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When middleweight Vitor Belfort steps into the Octagon in a little over a week to face Anthony Johnson at UFC 142: Aldo vs. Mendes he will do so with more on his mind than a win bonus or increasing his rank on the contendership ladder. Rather, Belfort’s bout in Brazil is the fulfillment of a longtime goal; the culmination of working hard for fifteen hard years to see MMA grow to the level it’s currently at. Belfort spoke some about what the fight means to him in the latest video from his Road to UFC 142 series where he explained, “When I was 19 years old I had a dream of my sport being popular in the whole world. And this moment is here now.” The Previous Entry from Belfort’s Series The 34-year old former champion is also seen training for the fight in addition to spending time with his family including a young son who has aspirations of following in his father’s footsteps. Check out A Day in the Life of Vitor Belfort below… PHOTO CREDIT – UFC Tweet

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Vitor Belfort is on his way to being one of the first coaches for TUF Brasil. First, however, “The Phenom” will step inside the Octagon to face Anthony Johnson. Belfort-Johnson is the co-main event for UFC 142, which takes place January 14 from the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In the main event, Jose Aldo will defend his UFC featherweight title against Chad Mendes. “I’m coming to fight in Brazil,” said Belfort in his latest video entry for The Road to UFC 142. “When I was 19 years old, I had a dream of my sport being popular in the whole world. And this moment is here now.” After the Johnson bout, Belfort will coach opposite Wanderlei Silva on TUF with the two meeting in a rematch following the season. Belfort knocked out Silva in their first and only meeting. Check out the video below to see Belfort preparing to welcome Johnson to the middleweight ranks: PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

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Mixed Martial Arts legend Vitor "The Phenom" Belfort continues his preparations for the UFC 142 encounter with Anthony "Rumble" Johnson, which will take place on January 14th in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Belfort bounced back from defeat to Anderson Silva with a convincing performance against Yoshihiro Akiyama, and will look to make a statement he's title-shot worthy against Johnson. However, Belfort is still expected to face his TUF: Brazil opponent Wanderlei Silva sometime in mid-2012. Further Reading:

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Ultimate Fighting Championship will hold a public press conference today (Jan. 4, 2011) in advance of UFC 142: Aldo vs. Mendes, which will take place next week (Jan. 14, 2011). The conference call will begin at 1 p.m. ET. Scheduled to attend will be the headlining fighters of the evening, Jose Aldo, Chad Mendes, Vitor Belfort and Anthony Johnson. Aldo is the current UFC featherweight champion. The rising Brazilian star defended his title twice in 2011 with unanimous decision victories over Kenny Florian and Mark Hominick. He's hoping to ring in the New Year with his first UFC finish. His opponent, Chad Mendes, is undefeated and finally feels he's ready for his moment to shine. "Money" Mendes has had his way with everyone put in his path, from Michihiro Omigawa, RanI Yahya to fellow top contender Erik Koch. The Team Alpha Male fighter is hoping his wrestling will help him win the title. Vitor Belfort is coming off an emphatic first round knockout of the hardheaded Yoshihiro Akiyama. He came up short in 2011 in his UFC middleweight title bid, and he's hoping a victory here, plus one over fellow Ultimate Fighter Brazil coach Wanderlei Silva will give him one more shot. Belfort's opponent, Anthony Johnson, is making the move to middleweight at least for now. Long heralded as the largest welterweight on the UFC roster who cut the most weight, "Rumble" will actually be two inches taller than Belfort with a four inch reach advantage. He's riding a two fight winning streak and could become a contender in either division with a victory. We'll have complete updates of the UFC 142 conference call after the jump: Brian Hemminger here. The press conference is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. ET.

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Cameras follow "The Phenom" from the moment he begins to the end of his day in part two of Vitor Belfort: Road to UFC Rio.

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Believe it or not, we're less than two weeks away. On Sat., Jan. 14, 2012, Vitor Belfort vs. Anthony Johnson will serve as the UFC 142 co main event at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Belfort has not competed in his native land since scoring a 44-second technical knockout win over Wanderlei Silva way back in 1998. He'll likely look to duplicate those impressive results against "Rumble," an over-sized welterweight who will make his 185-pound Octagon debut against the division's former number one contender. It's got all the ingredients of an exciting, hard-hitting battle that "The Phenom" promises will deliver on fight night. We'll be sure to pass along the upcoming installments of Belfort's "Road to Rio" video diary series as the promotion releases them. In the meantime, feel free to check out the latest UFC 142 fight card and rumors right here. Early predictions for this middleweight slugfest?

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Vitor Belfort will be the first coach on TUF Brasil later this year. First, however, “The Phenom” will compete in his native country against Anthony Johnson at UFC 142: Aldo vs. Mendes. UFC 142 takes place January 14 from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil’s HSBC Arena. The main event will feature Jose Aldo defending his UFC featherweight title against Chad Mendes. Belfort has decided to allow everyone the chance to see him train for Johnson, inviting a camera into his camp in the weeks leading up to the fight. After the bout, Belfort will begin coaching on TUF alongside Wanderlei Silva, who he will meet later in 2012. “We are four weeks from the fight,” Belfort said. “The camp is going great. All my coaches are here. We got a great camp, great guys coming out; it’s fun.” Check out the video below: PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

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Vitor Belfort sets the tone for his UFC 142 training camp in this first installment of his Road to UFC 142 video series.

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Popular UFC middleweight Vitor Belfort recently vowed to give fans a “behind the scenes” look at his camp as he prepares to face Anthony Johnson in a few weeks at UFC 142. “The Phenom” has since produced his first entry in the series, introducing viewers to a few of his coaches/training partners and then closing with a message affirming his mindset is wholly on getting ready for the fight rather than a future date with Wanderlei Silva or second shot at the divisional title. Belfort Discusses Upcoming UFC 142 Vlog Series “My head is on today,” Belfort explains in the clip. “Tomorrow will take care of (itself). Today is the day. Today is the day that counts. I’m gonna make every day count so on (January 14) will be the day I’m gonna perform my athleticism, techniques…but if I don’t take care of today tomorrow may not come. So we take care of today.” Belfort-Johnson will take place as part of a PPV card featuring featherweight champion Jose Aldo defending his belt against undefeated grappler Chad Mendes. The 34-year old veteran will be looking for a second straight win since falling to Anderson Silva while Johnson will be making his middleweight debut after a successful run as an oversized 170-pounder. Check out the full “Road to UFC 142” video below: PHOTO CREDIT – UFC Tweet

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As promised, top Middleweight contender Vitor "The Phenom" Belfort, who will welcome Anthony Johnson to the division at UFC 142, opens the door to his training camp and gives fans an inside look into his preparations for the bout. Belfort introduces viewers to his coaching staff and discusses the importance of seizing the day. Photo: Scott Hirano

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Wanderlei Silva and Vitor Belfort will make history in 2012 when they coach opposite each other on the first international season of The Ultimate Fighter. The two coaches will meet after the season in a rematch, as Belfort won the first meeting by knockout. Silva is coming off a convincing victory over Cung Le in his last Octagon debut, while Belfort will face Anthony Johnson in the co-main event of UFC 142: Aldo vs. Mendes from Brazil. Reports of friction between “The Axe Murderer” and “The Phenom” appear to be over, according to a recent interview conducted by Sherdog’s website with Silva. “No, times are different. I met him and apologized. Once in Las Vegas, I was disrespectful,” Silva said. “I went back to old times and talked some nonsense. Then I apologized and admitted I had done wrong. You have to be man enough to take responsibility. It’s alright now, and we’ll solve it the way we have to: by trading punches. I have the best job in the world. I can go in there, settle my differences the best way possible and still make some money.” TUF: Brasil will run much like previous seasons of the reality show with competitors squaring off against one another to crown a champion. It is still being worked out for the season to be shown in the U.S., possibly on FUEL TV. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

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Fans may occasionally get glimpses of a UFC fighter’s camp thanks to a few snippets on UFC Countdown or UFC All-Access but rarely do they get to check in on his preparation from start to finish. However, when it comes to former champion Vitor Belfort‘s January 14 clash with Anthony Johnson at UFC 142, “The Phenom” has invited cameras into the gym to document the entire process. “We don’t have nothin to hide,” said Belfort in a preview for the upcoming series of videos. “Everyone knows when they face me they will face a nightmare. I’m gonna be ready and I promise you guys it’s gonna be a terrific show.” Belfort has Future Date with Wanderlei Silva Belfort will be looking for his second straight win since losing to Anderson Silva with the first coming in devastating fashion against Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 133. He holds an overall record of 20-9 with fourteen TKOs to his credit. Check out the first offering from Belfort’s camp below: Tweet

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Filed under: UFCFor most MMA fighters, if they even choose to apply it in their arsenal, a front kick is usually a blow to the body, typically to create distance against an opponent. But for UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva, he'll utilize it to test your chin. Anderson Silva's front kick to the face of Vitor Belfort is our choice for Knockout of the Year. With Silva claiming the center of the Octagon, the two men were planted momentarily, engaging in a feeling out process. Then all of a sudden, Silva snapped his rear leg forward towards his Belfort's chin, collapsing him. Silva finished with punches for the referee stoppage at three minutes and 25 seconds into the fight for his record-extending 13th straight UFC win. No one could have predicted the finish. Certainly not Belfort, who despite having his hands up to protect himself, was still caught off-guard when it was Silva's foot, not hands sneaking through Belfort's defense. The game changed in a way after that UFC 126 fight. The front kick to the face became a weapon to look out for. Jon Jones found success with it. Yoshihiro Akiyama even tried it (unsuccessfully) in Belfort's next fight. And actually, the most spectacular follow-up occurred just two months after UFC 126, produced by none other than Silva's teammate, Lyoto Machida. No. 2: Machida's crane kick knockout to retire Randy Couture at UFC 129 is the runner-up for knockout of the year. Machida's KO was more visually impressive than Silva's, but Silva deserves the higher honor for doing it first. Machida's front kick is a crane kick from his karate background. And yes, the crane kick Ralph Macchio famously used in the Karate Kid movie. It's slightly different from Silva's kick in that Machida charges with his rear leg before finishing with a front kick with his lead leg. Silva didn't jump in his, choosing rather to directly headhunt with his rear leg. In Machida's finish, no follow-up punches were necessary to knockout Couture (and a tooth). No. 3: Cheick Kongo def. Pat Barry (UFC on Versus on June 26) In a shocking comeback, Kongo was dropped twice in the first round in a span of 13 seconds only to somehow -- while still recovering -- rise to his feet to land two right hands to send Barry to sleep. No. 4: Mariusz Zaromskis def. Bruno Carvalho (Rumble of the Kings on Nov. 26) Zaromskis pulls off a front somersault kick to stun his opponent, setting up a violent finish. Extra props for the high risk. Cause if you miss it, well .... No. 5: Alexis Vila def. Joe Warren (Bellator 51 on Sept. 24) Vila stormed into Bellator this year pulling the upset in the opening round of the bantamweight tournament against featherweight champ Warren. The finish saw a Vila powerful left hook to floor Warren, punctuated with an unnecessary punch and a very necessary tackle by the referee. Honorable Mention: Cairo Rocha def. Francisco Neves (Brazil FC "Desafio dos Imortais" on Dec. 16) Rocha landed this spinning back kick out of the Brazilian martial art capoeira. Brutal and beautiful at the same time.  Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

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Leading up to his middleweight showdown with Anthony Johnson at UFC 142 in Rio de Janeiro, Top 10 ranked Vitor Belfort is giving fans a behind the scenes glimpse into his life and training.

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Vitor Belfort is excited to be returning to compete in his native country of Brazil. Belfort, who will meet Anthony Johnson in the co-main event of UFC 142: Aldo vs. Mendes, is planning on giving fight fans an in-depth look at his training camps in the weeks leading up to the January 14 fight in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. “The Phenom” has not fought in Brazil since 1998, when he defeated Wanderlei Silva with a first round knockout in his light heavyweight debut. Belfort and Silva will coach opposite each other in 2012 during the first season of The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil. The two will square off following their coaching stint. As for Johnson, Belfort says he has nothing to hide, adding, “You guys are going to have full access to my training camp. And I promise you guys, we’re going to put on a terrific show.” The main event of UFC 142 will see Jose Aldo defend his UFC featherweight title against >Chad Mendes. Belfort-Johnson will serve as the pay-per-view co-main event for the evening. Check out Belfort’s video below:

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Top Middleweight contender Vitor Belfort, who will welcome Anthony "Rumble" Johnson to the division at UFC 142, opens the door to his training camp and gives fans an inside look into his preparations for the bout. Belfort promises viewers "full access," and insists that when you face him, "you face a nightmare."

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Part one of Vitor Belfort’s road to UFC 142, plus an interview with Vitor via Heavy.com.

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"You guys are going to have full access to my [UFC 142] training camp. We have nothing to hide. We're going to train hard and go [to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil] to take care of business. Everyone knows that when the face me, they are facing a nightmare. I'm going to be ready. And I promise you guys we're going to put on a terrific show. I'm so glad that I'm fighting in my hometown.... I'm here for you, so you better get ready." On Sat., Jan. 14, 2012, Vitor Belfort vs. Anthony Johnson will serve as the UFC 142 co main event at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Belfort has not competed in his native land since scoring a 44-second technical knockout win over Wanderlei Silva way back in 1998. He'll likely look to duplicate those impressive results against "Rumble," an over-sized welterweight who will make his 185-pound Octagon debut against the division's former number one contender. It's got all the ingredients of an exciting, hard-hitting battle that "The Phenom" promises will deliver on fight night. We'll be sure to pass along the upcoming installments of Belfort's "Road to UFC 142" video diary series as the promotion releases them. In the meantime, feel free to check out the latest UFC 142 fight card and rumors right here.

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"They said that soccer was the passion of our people but the UFC is taking over. I'm so glad to be a part of the past, the present and the future. And in the future, the UFC is going to be mainstream everywhere. Because UFC, Dana White, Lorenzo and the whole crew, bring the best, inside the Octagon and outside. We always care about the fans. We deliver the product. But also we love them, we share with them everything, the experience. ... This has become a style of life, UFC." Count on Vitor Belfort to push the company line that even soccer isn't safe from the looming UFC takeover. That's because while it took nearly a decade for the world's largest fight promotion to head back to Brazil, the promotion has hit it hard, bringing multiple events in the span of a few months as well as the first international edition of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF), featuring Belfort and Wanderlei Silva as coaches. Does anyone buy that MMA can be as big as soccer around the world? Anyone?

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We caught up with UFC middleweight Vitor Belfort to discuss his upcoming bout with Anthony Johnson, coaching TUF Brazil and more. Check out the exclusive video inside.

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After speculation on names, not nationalities, UFC President Dana White announced the coaches for the UFC’s upcoming season of TUF in Brazil during a press conference related to UFC 142, naming fan-favorites Vitor Belfort and Wanderlei Silva to the position. Also revealed was the UFC’s plan to have Belfort and Silva, who met at UFC 17.5 several years ago, square off this summer at the conclusion of the reality show. Belfort earned a 44-second knockout victory of Silva in their first meeting and the two have been looking to get back inside the Octagon against each other ever since. “I’ve been waiting for this for a long time. I knew one day we would face each other again, and the time is here,” said Silva of his upcoming scrap. “This is one of the biggest rematches of all MMA and I’m very happy to give this to all of my fans.” TUF: Brasil will follow the same path as the American seasons of The Ultimate Fighter with fighters living/training together. The UFC is also looking at making the show available in the U.S., possibly on FUEL TV, while it will air on broadcasting giant Globo TV in Brazil. The season is set to premiere on March 25. Before facing “The Axe Murderer”, Belfort (20-9) will first meet Anthony Johnson in January at UFC 142 before taking on his coaching duties. Comparably, Silva (34-11-1) last competed in November, defeating Cung Le, and has nothing else scheduled before TUF starts up. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

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A rematch nearly fifteen years in the making will take center stage this spring when UFC middleweights Wanderlei Silva and Vitor Belfort each take the reins of an Ultimate Fighter team as part of the recently announced TUF: Brasil, then face off against each other in June to settle the score stemming from their first in-ring encounter. The two immensely popular Brazilians fought in October 1998 at UFC 17.5 with “The Phenom” needing less than a minute to stop Silva with strikes. TUF: Brasil is set to start airing on March 25 and will feature featherweights/middleweights vying for a six-figure contract with the UFC and the right be called an Ultimate Fighter winner. UFC Aiming at Major Expansion in Brazil Come 2012 Belfort, who will still fight Anthony Johnson at UFC 142 as expected, explained he is still focused on picking up a win in January but is pumped to have been paired with Silva for the show. “It’s a great honor to fight Wanderlei again. I see it as a new fight and not as a rematch,” said the 34-year old striker. His excitement about the bout was shared by his opponent with Silva adding, “I’ve been waiting for this for a long time. I knew one day we would face each other again, and the time is here. This is one of the biggest rematches of all MMA and I’m very happy to give this to all of my fans.” Silva has picked up wins in two of his last three fights, beating Michael Bisping and most recently Cung Le, while Belfort has gone 1-0 since falling to 185-pound title-holder Anderson Silva, picking up a brutal knockout over Yoshihiro Akiyama in August at UFC 133. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC Tweet

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Wanderlei Silva and Vitor Belfort will serve as coaches on the inaugural season of “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil,” UFC President Dana White announced Tuesday at a press conference in Rio de Janeiro.

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All is right in the world when we can enjoy a weekly reality show that consists of watching Wanderlei Silva coaching other fighters to be baby Wanderlei Silvas. I spent fifteen minutes in Los Angeles traffic thinking about that opening line, so if it isn't on par with what you would expect, blame the infrastructure of Southern California. This morning Dana White made a few announcements regarding the future of the UFC, and one of those was the news of the first 'The Ultimate Fighter' to ever take place outside of the US. Vitor Belfort and Wanderlei Silva were also announced as coaches of the reality series and both will fight in a rematch of their October 1998 bout when Belfort scrubbed Silva's consciousness is less than a minute. Don't worry, Vitor Belfort will still face Anthony Johnson on January 14th in Rio de Janeiro, and Belfort's appearance on TUF Brazil is not dependent on the outcome of his fight with Rumble. TUF Brazil will air in the US, most likely on Fuel TV. Expect the show to follow the format of the old TUF shows in which segments are filmed, edited and broadcast on a later date. Fortunately for America's next TUF, we will be presented with that wild 'live fight' format that Dana White announced a few moths ago. [Source]

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After 14 successful seasons and TUF 15 on the way, The Ultimate Fighter is headed to another country for the first time, as The Ultimate Fighter Brazil will premier in March 2012.Brazilian middleweights Vitor Belfort and Wanderlei Silva were announced as coaches for TUF Brazil at Tuesday’s UFC 142 press conference and will square off after the season, possibly at a May stadium event in Brazil that will likely be headlined by UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva.TUF Brazil will feature Brazilian middleweights and lightweights competing for a guaranteed contract with the organization. Tryouts for the season have already begun, with the UFC expected to announce cast members some time next month.The twelve week season will begin in late March and airs on Globo TV in Brazil, while Fuel TV is expected to air the show in the U.S. TUF Brazil will feature live fights throughout the season like TUF 15, which airs on FX with coaches Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber.Belfort and Silva have fought previously, with Belfort defeating ‘The Axe Murderer” at UFC Brazil in October 1998. That was the last UFC event held in Brazil until the organization returned at UFC 134 in August 2011.Belfort (20-9) last fought at UFC 133 in August, defeating Yoshihiro Akiyama in under two minutes. He is scheduled to fight Anthony Johnson at UFC 142 in January. Because the season does not begin filming until March, Belfort’s training for Johnson will not be affected.Silva (34-11-1) is coming off a comeback win over Cung Le at UFC 139 in November. Although ‘The Axe Murderer’ is just 3-6 in his last nine fights, Silva has his sights solely set on avenging his loss to Belfort.“I think this is one of the biggest rematches in all of modern MMA,” Silva said at the press conference. “I’m very pleased to give this to my fans and to once again fight in Brazil. This is a dream.”For complete coverage of The Ultimate Fighter, stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com.Pictured: Vitor Belfort and Wanderlei Silva

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The Ultimate Fighter Brazil now has a pair of coaches. The UFC announced this morning announced that Wanderlei Silva and Vitor Belfort will coach young up-and-comers on the MMA reality show. Also at the conclusion of the season (filmed entirely in Portuguese and airing via Globo), they will face off for a second time on a date and location yet to be determined. Silva has been looking for revenge since the pair first met inside the cage more than a decade ago at UFC 17.5: "Ultimate Brazil." Belfort defeated Silva in just 44 seconds by way of highlight-reel TKO that has been a staple in clips for the past decade. Silva has since referred to "The Phenom" as "mentally weak" while Belfort insists "The Axe Murderer" is "just a spectator who wants to get attention for himself." Silva is fresh of a second-round starching of former Strikeforce 185-pound champion Cung Le while Belfort will face hard-hitting middleweight Anthony Johnson at UFC 142 on Jan. 14 in Rio de Janiero. No stateside broadcast arrangements have been made for TUF Brazil at this time. Personally, I'm highly underwhelmed for the coaches battle, as Vitor still hits very hard and most of Wanderlei's losses have come to power punchers. Expect Vitor to open up at around a -500 betting favorite. (HT: MMA Mania) Poll Who you got in the rematch? Phenom Ax Murderer Ax body spray Wandy, but only if you're giving me 100:1 odds   1 votes | Results

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Today at the UFC press conference for the next Rio card, Dana White announced that Vitor Belfort and Wanderlei Silva were set to be the first coaches for the new Brazilian version of The Ultimate Fighter. The season will air on Globo in Brazil and it is expected that it will air in the United States on Fuel TV. Belfort and Silva have a history given that they fought at UFC Brazil all the way back in 1998. In that fight, Belfort was still the striking phenom that had ran though everyone in his career (with the exception of Randy Couture) and he swarmed Silva with punches, putting him out in only 44 seconds. Should the two rematch at the end of the season it would see two men whose careers have taken them across the world and brought plenty of success and failures only to end up back in the Octagon. It's a pretty amazing story of two legends of the fight game and one that we may see fully told in 2012.

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The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) Brazil now has a pair of coaches. Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) today (Dec. 13, 2011) announced that Wanderlei Silva and Vitor Belfort will go head-to-head on the mixed martial arts reality show as each middleweight masher tries to lead a group of up-and-coming fighters to the promised land. At the conclusion of the season, filmed entirely in Portuguese and airing via Globo, they will face off for a second time on a date and location to be determined. Silva has been looking for revenge since the pair first met inside the cage more than a decade ago at UFC 17.5: "Ultimate Brazil." Belfort defeated Silva in just 44 seconds by way of technical knockout. Their initial bout did little to resolve their differences. Silva has since referred to "The Phenom" as "mentally weak" while Belfort insists "The Axe Murderer" is "just a spectator who wants to get attention for himself." Wandy is fresh of a second-round shellacking of former Strikeforce 185-pound champion Cung Le while Belfort must still report to the UFC 142 pay-per-view event on Jan. 14 in Rio to challenge hard-hitting middleweight Anthony Johnson. No stateside broadcast arrangements have been made for TUF Brazil at this time, but stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more information as it becomes available.

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Filed under: UFCThe UFC is ready for the first international season of its longstanding reality show The Ultimate Fighter, and on Tuesday UFC President Dana White announced that Vitor Belfort and Wanderlei Silva will be the coaches of The Ultimate Fighter Brazil, which will make its debut this spring. "This show in the United States is huge -- it's one of the longest-running reality shows," White said at a press conference in Rio de Janeiro. "It's incredibly popular, it's been huge for us there. We think it's going to be 1,000 times bigger in Brazil. The amount of talent that's in this country right now? There's an undiscovered Anderson Silva, Jose Aldo, Vitor Belfort or Wanderlei Silva." Belfort and Silva are both very popular fighters among Brazilian MMA fans (and Belfort is also known even among non-MMA fans because his wife, Joana Prado, is an actress and model), and the fight between the two coaches after the season will be a very big deal in Brazil. But that fight will be a long way off: Belfort first has to fight Anthony Johnson at UFC 142 in January, and the Belfort-Silva fight won't take place until after the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter Brazil, likely early in the summer. The UFC has a deal lined up for Brazilian television, although it is not yet known how American fans can watch the show. The Ultimate Fighter Brazil Finale will air live in both Brazil and the United States. Belfort vs. Silva will be a rematch 14 years in the making for the two fighters -- the two of them met in the first UFC Brazil show in 1998. That night, Belfort exploded across the Octagon and drilled Silva with hard punches, needing just 44 seconds to win by TKO. But both Belfort and Silva said they don't think that fight is particularly relevant today. "It's a great honor to fight against Wanderlei," Belfort said. "I see it as a new fight and not a rematch." "I think the first fight was very quick, I couldn't perform as well as I wanted to," Silva said. "I think this is one of the biggest rematches in all of modern MMA and I'm very pleased to give this to my fans and to once again fight in Brazil. This is a dream." Tryouts for The Ultimate Fighter Brazil are taking place this week, and the UFC is expected to announce the cast members in early 2012. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

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After weeks of speculation, UFC have officially announced Vitor "The Phenom" Belfort and Wanderlei "The Axe Murderer" Silva as coaches for the upcoming TUF: Brazil. The show will be aired for 12 weeks on GloboTV starting March 25th. The date of the fight between Vitor Belfort and Wanderlei Silva is yet to be officially announced. However, it's safe to assume that the pair will square off sometime between May and July. Vitor Belfort currently prepares for his UFC 142 battle with Anthony "Rumble" Johnson,

Posted in: wanderlei silva, vitor, belfort, vitor belfort, tuf brazil

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Two old rivals – Vitor Belfort and Wanderlei Silva - will finally meet again, this time as coaches on the first edition of The Ultimate Fighter Brazil, which begins auditions Wednesday in Sao Paulo, Brazil.The announcement was made Tuesday in Rio de Janeiro.“We could not be more excited about this,” said UFC President Dana White of the show, which premieres on Globo TV on March 25, with the finale taking place in June. “I think this show is gonna be a smash hit in Brazil.”Middleweights Belfort and Silva first met over 13 years ago at UFC Brazil on October 16, 1998. Belfort won that night via first round TKO, and the two have since gone on to great success, Belfort winning the UFC light heavyweight title and Silva winning the PRIDE middleweight crown. Now the two icons will lead their countrymen as they battle to earn a UFC contract. “I’m just focusing on this fight,” said Belfort, who faces Anthony Johnson at UFC 142 on January 14th before meeting Silva sometime later in 2012. “But it’s a great honor to fight Wanderlei again. I see it as a new fight and not as a rematch.” “I’ve been waiting for this for a long time,” said Silva, nearly a month removed from his stirring stoppage of Cung Le at UFC 139. “I knew one day we would face each other again, and the time is here. This is one of the biggest rematches of all MMA and I’m very happy to give this to all of my fans.”

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UFC welterweight champion, Georges St. Pierre, recently trained with middleweight contender, Vitor Belfort in Las Vegas: Alvaro Romano introduced his unique training to GSP and his champion crew. It was a day of full throttle intense training. The introduction was his core principles then followed by BJJ three world time champion Gilbert Durinho showing some inside information. Aside from those mentioned above, the training session also included guys like Nate Marquardt, Brendan Schaub, and Francis Carmont, among others. More photos after the jump. HT: MMA Mania (via VitorBelfort.com) The dominant UFC welterweight champion, is currently preparing for a future showdown against Nick Diaz, who recently impressed everyone by completely dominating a future UFC Hall of Famer, in B.J. Penn. Vitor Belfort on the other hand, is scheduled fight at UFC 142, in his home town of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. His opponent will be the top 10 welterweight, Anthony Johnson, who will be moving up to middleweight. Photos via rayalamo.com

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Our friends at SporTV passed along these pics of Georges St. Pierre and Vitor Belfort training together as both fighters prepare for their upcoming bouts in 2012. From VitorBelfort.com: Alvaro Romano introduced his unique training to GSP and his champion crew. It was a day of full throttle intense training. The introduction was his core principles then followed by BJJ three world time champion Gilbert Durinho showing some inside information. St. Pierre will defend his welterweight title against Nick Diaz at UFC 143 on Feb. 4 in Las Vegas while Belfort welcomes Anthony Johnson to the 185-pound weight class at UFC 142 on Jan. 14 in Brazil. More pics after the jump. Whaddaya think Maniacs, did the best just get better? And does anyone else think "Rush" can make the trip up to 185 based on these photos? See the entire gallery, which also features UFC heavyweight Brendan Schaub (among others) by clicking here.

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Today, Gabriel de Oliveira will leave his home in Brazil and head to Las Vegas, Nevada. When he arrives, he will commence training Vitor Belfort for his...

Posted in: head, belfort, brazil, nevada, belfort recruits

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Today, Gabriel de Oliveira will leave his home in Brazil and head to Las Vegas, Nevada. When he arrives, he will commence training Vitor Belfort for his...

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Anthony Johnson made his mixed martial arts (MMA) debut on Aug. 16, 2006, knocking out Jonathan Romero in the very first round. That night was a night of firsts for the up-and-coming fighter: His first fight, his first victory and the first time he met former UFC light heavyweight champion, Vitor Belfort. Fast forward five years to present day. The then 21-year-old rookie is now an 11-fight Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) veteran and one of the most dangerous strikers in the promotion's welterweight division. However, after competing at 170 pounds for his entire UFC career, "Rumble" will move up a weight class to middleweight (185 pounds) at UFC 142 on Jan. 14, 2012. He will also step up in competition, taking on the very same man who witnessed his debut and shook his hand afterward, none other than Mr. Belfort. Speaking to LowKick.com, Johnson talks about the night he met one of the legends of the sport: "I knocked out my opponent in one minute and nine seconds something like that. Vitor happened to be in the crowd, Shogun Rua was too. After the fight, Vitor gave me props and shook my hand. I never thought I'd be fighting a man who I shook hands with many years ago. I'm a fan of Vitor Belfort and always will be. It's going to be fun fighting him." Despite the jump in weight class, "Rumble" does not rule out a return to welterweight: "I still want to fight at 170, but I'm excited about making the jump to 185 and we'll see what happens after this fight is over." "Rumble" is one of the biggest welterweights in the division. In fact, he has often struggled to make weight, coming in overweight at UFC 76 against Rich Clementi and at UFC 104 against Yoshiyuki Yoshida. His most recent transgression cost him $63,000 in winnings as he had to give up his "Knockout of the Night" bonus and a percentage of his purse for not meeting the weight requirements. A move to the UFC's stacked middleweight division could provide easier weight cuts for Johnson, but it won't mean easier opponents. Belfort and Johnson are set to tangle in the co main event of UFC 142, which marks the promotion's return to Rio De Janiero, Brazil. UFC Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo will defend his 145-pound title against wrestling powerhouse Chad Mendes in the featured fight of the night. Will "Rumble" be able to make a successful debut at 185 against the much more experienced Belfort? Or will "The Phenom" send him back down to welterweight faster than he did Yoshihiro Akiyama? Opinions, please.

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Top Welterweight-turned-Middleweight Anthony "Rumble" Johnson, who will meet Vitor Belfort in his 185-pound debut, discusses his decision to step up in weight and shares his thoughts on fighting in Brazil. Johnson says there was no hesitation on his behalf when asked to fight Belfort, but admits that his future at Middleweight depends on the outcome of their bout.

Posted in: anthony johnson, johnson, belfort, vitor belfort, brazil johnson

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This is a challenge, and what’s life without challenges?. I hopped on this challenge and accepted it. Sometimes you have to go out of your comfort zone or your element just to see how you do… I feel just fine about the matchup. He can’t do nothing that I can’t do. Anything he thinks he can do, I think I can do better. I think it’s a pretty even matchup. He’s fast, I’m fast. He’s powerful, I’m powerful. It’s going to be a fight that really determines who’s the man at the end of the day. Either one of us can get dropped, so it’s going to see who has the most heart… All I know is I’m going to win. I’m going to go out and do my best, and give the fans what they want and deserve. This is my first fight in Brazil. I have so much energy and excitement built up in me for this. I’m ready to get in camp, get with the Blackzilians and do what we do: train hard and win fights.” — Anthony Johnson talking to MMA Fighting about his upcoming fight against Vitor Belfort at UFC 142 Anthony Johnson thinks its “a pretty even match-up” and on paper it might be, but he will have a couple things working against him. It’s his first fight at middleweight. He’ll come into the fight bigger and stronger than his welterweights fights, but so will his competition. He’ll be fighting in very hostile territory. If we learned anything about the Brazilian crowd at UFC 134, it’s that they are extremely loud and loyal to their own. They have no problem booing all foreign fighters right out of the arena. If Johnson can’t tune it out, it could become a distraction. He’s fighting Vitor Belfort. Belfort may be aging but he still has the power of a middleweight with the speed of a welterweight and over a decade of big fight experience to boot. The only fighter Johnson has faced that’s on a remotely similar level to Belfort is Josh Koscheck and he lost. I’m not saying Johnson can’t win, but I do think it’s going to be a tough fight for him. Here’s more from Johnson on the match-up via KNOXX Gear: Image via Dave Mandel for Sherdog

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The UFC is blowing up in South America and there's a bunch of news to report. Well ... semi-news. Quasi-news. Rumored news. First up: Extra Globo, a major news outlet in Brazil, is reporting that Anderson Silva and Vitor Belfort will coach the two teams in the series, which is set to begin in March 2012.The newspaper is part of the massive Globo Organization. Its television arm recently struck a deal with the UFC to broadcast the promotion's events and is also the future home of TUF in Brazil. So you'd think the newspaper arm of the group that is broadcasting the UFC would know what they're talking about, right? Maybe not. When contacted by MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com), UFC officials today shot down reports that UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva and fellow Brazilian fighter Vitor Belfort have been tapped coaches for "The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil.""We have not had one conversation about coaches," one official said. Well, that speculation was fun while it lasted. Then again, TUF coaches are one of those topics UFC peeps will lie straight to our faces about. So put this one in your back pocket and if it turns out to be true we can all remember what an official denial is worth.Meanwhile, in the world of REAL 100% confirmed Brazil news, the UFC has locked up it's return to Brazil for January 14th in Rio and the event will feature Jose Aldo vs Chad Mendes and Vitor Belfort vs Anthony 'Rumble' Johnson. As for why Rumble has decided to move up to middleweight: "Ppl question why the move to 185? 1st its a challenge, 2nd because I want to, 3rd why not? What is life without challenges and trying something new? Life would be boring then!!! 170 is Still my home." So it sounds like he's more a moneyweight than a middleweight. Maybe the UFC is hoping he enjoys his experience up there so they don't have to explain one day why his kidneys shut down. Half of Rumbles fights came with creepy stories of passing out, being carried to the scale, and still not making weight. Instead of stringing himself getting to 170, pumping up to 185 could be a much better idea. At least for his vital organs.

Posted in: ufc, vitor, belfort, brazil, news

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Anthony “Rumble” Johnson (10-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC) is set to make his middleweight debut against the Brazilian striker, Vitor Belfort (20-9 MMA, 9-5 UFC) at UFC 142 in Brazil. Johnson wrote in a twitter message “Ppl question why the move to 185? 1st its a challenge, 2nd because I want to, 3rd why not? What is life without challenges and trying something new? Life would be boring then!!! 170 is Still my home’’ This is a big test for Johnson, and if he can get past Belfort he’ll definitely be able to create some waves at 185 lbs. This move has been discussed for some time, given Johnsons history with making weight. He’s probably the biggest 170 pounder around and will even probably be one of the larger middleweights. For the rest of the UFC 142 rumors, check it out after the jump. UFC 142 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil* 145lb Champion Jose Aldo vs Chad Mendes Vitor Belfort vs Anthony Johnson *at this time, the card hasn’t been officially announced and is subject to change

Posted in: ufc, johnson, belfort, brazil johnson, johnsons history

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After years of speculation on when he would make the move, oversized welterweight Anthony Johnson has decided to forgo the grueling cut to 170 pounds for a dip in the middleweight pool. However, while his body may be better suited for 185 pounds, the increased ease in hitting the mark certainly doesn’t carry over in terms of beating the opponent he’s drawn for his divisional debut. According to the UFC, Johnson will fight on January 14 in Rio de Janeiro at UFC 142 with legendary Brazilian Vitor Belfort waiting in the Octagon to welcome “Rumble” to the iconic South American city. Belfort will arguably be the largest opponent Johnson has faced in his career, both in terms of name value and actual size, but is actually shorter than the 27-year old and could be in trouble if caught with one of the West Coaster’s powerful strikes. Johnson holds an overall record of 10-3 and will be looking for a third straight win at UFC 142 after picking up victories over Dan Hardy and Charlie Brenneman in his previous two in-ring appearances. Likewise, “The Phenom” also had his hand raised in his last outing – an August drumming of Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 133 – and is as much a threat to knock Johnson out cold as is the case in return (if not more of one). Among the fourteen TKOs in his career Belfort has stopped the likes of Wanderlei Silva and Rich Franklin with strikes. UFC 142 is headlined by featherweight champion Jose Aldo defending his title against 11-0 contender Chad Mendes. No other bouts have been announced but if UFC 134, also held in Rio, was any indication the card will be peppered with Brazilians in action against American fighters. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

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Filed under: UFC, MMA Fighting ExclusiveThe call came as a surprise. Anthony Johnson was at home when his phone rang, with manager Glenn Robinson on the line. Since defeating Charlie Brenneman in early October, Johnson had been awaiting his next assignment, and he instinctively knew this was it. "I knew it was something serious," he told MMA Fighting. "He doesn't just call to joke around." But when Robinson passed along the UFC's fight offer, Johnson couldn't help but be a bit taken aback. After winning two straight as a welterweight, Johnson's services were being requested in the middleweight division. And if that wasn't enough, he was being asked to fight recent No. 1 contender Vitor Belfort. On his home soil. "It surprised me," he said of the offer to face Belfort at UFC 142. "It really did. Just for a second. I said at first, 'Are you serious?' I really didn't believe it, but he's straight-up and honest so I knew he was being serious. I had no hesitation. I said, 'Alright, let's do this. Let's have fun with this.'" Johnson (10-3) says that the time was going to eventually come to move up to 185 pounds. The move has been talked about for years by media and fans. But it was not something that he was thinking about when the call came. In each of his last two fights, he says he had no problem making the welterweight limit, and even after accepting this fight at middleweight, he's not committed to making it his permanent home. The way Johnson views it, it's just a golden opportunity, one simply not worth passing up. "This is a challenge, and what's life without challenges?" he said. "I hopped on this challenge and accepted it. Sometimes you have to go out of your comfort zone or your element just to see how you do." The matchup between the two is fascinating in that they are both heavy strikers with one-punch knockout power. Johnson has a wrestling background and Belfort's takedown defense has rapidly improved over time. Without question, Belfort presents Johnson's most intriguing challenge to date. In November 2009, he faced Josh Koscheck and lost via rear naked choke. But Belfort doesn't have Koscheck's wrestling acumen, and he probably won't look to take the fight to the ground. That makes is possible that the two will test their proven standup skills against each other. And that suits Johnson. "I feel just fine about the matchup," he said. "He can't do nothing that I can't do. Anything he thinks he can do, I think I can do better. I think it's a pretty even matchup. He's fast, I'm fast. He's powerful, I'm powerful. It's going to be a fight that really determines who's the man at the end of the day. Either one of us can get dropped, so it's going to see who has the most heart." Johnson doesn't say that with any inflated sense of self-worth. When asked why he accepted the fight in the first place, he said simply, "it's Vitor," before outlining the Brazilian's many accomplishments as a former champion, top 10 contender and influence on him. Johnson, who currently weighs 210 pounds, says he has no idea how his body will feel at his new weight class, but believes he'll be even faster and have more energy than normal. So in essence, this is a test, but it's coming against one of the most dangerous men in the division. In Johnson's mind, he has nothing to lose. If he does fall to defeat, he can return to welterweight and continue his career there. If he happens to win, he'll be a hot commodity in two weight classes. But defining his weight class and winning a championship is not a priority. At least not right now. "When it comes down to it, the belt is where it's at," he said. "That's everyone's goal. But right now I'm thinking about what's directly head of me. The belt is out of sight, out of mind." Johnson has his marching orders, and that's to prepare for his fight on foreign turf. That alone is a scarier proposition than fighting Belfort, he says, noting that his "Blackzilians" teammate Danilo Villefort, a native Brazilian, told him that the local fans chanted "You're going to die" to several American fighters during August's UFC 134. That won't change anything for him, not when there's so much to gain. Whether he's a welterweight, middleweight or somewhere in between will be an ongoing question. On January 14, we will at least learn a piece of that answer. "All I know is I'm going to win," he said. "I'm going to go out and do my best, and give the fans what they want and deserve. This is my first fight in Brazil. I have so much energy and excitement built up in me for this. I'm ready to get in camp, get with the Blackzilians and do what we do: train hard and win fights." Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

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Standing 6’2” with a chiseled frame, Anthony Johnson has long been viewed as a 185er obsessed with having a significant size advantage over opponents to the point he’s cut more than forty pounds to make the welterweight limit. However, it appears “Rumble” is done with the strain the process puts on his body and is moving up a division to focus on chasing Anderson Silva’s strap. According to the UFC, Johnson has agreed to face Vitor Belfort on January 14 at UFC 142 when the company heads back to Brazil still basking in the glow of their South American success this past August at UFC 134. The card is expected to take place in Rio de Janeiro and will be headlined by Jose Aldo defending his featherweight title against undefeated Californian Chad Mendes. Belfort was last seen knocking out Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 133. While he was expected to face Cung Le later this month at UFC 139, “The Phenom” had to duck out due to injury and provides an imposing opponent for Johnson’s middleweight debut consider Belfort’s victories over Wanderlei Silva and Rich Franklin. Belfort Dreams of Fighting in Front of Countrymen at UFC Show Comparably, the 27-year old Johnson holds an overall record of 10-3, less than half of Belfort’s total experience, and is coming off a pair of wins over Dan Hardy and Charlie Brenneman. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC Tweet

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Those Brazilians that didn't get in on the party the first time around are slowly but surely being penciled in on the second trip to the South American country. This time it's possibly the most famous of them all, as Vitor Belfort has been booked to sling leather against Anthony Johnson, who will be making the jump to middleweight (finally), at UFC 142 on Jan. 14. UFC.com with the news: "Verbal agreements in for what should be an explosive matchup as powerhouse Anthony ‘Rumble' Johnson moves up to middleweight to face ‘The Phenom' Vitor Belfort at the event," UFC president Dana White said. Fists will be flying, Maniacs. How do you like this one?

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Just one day after UFC 142 was announced as the UFC’s latest event in Brazil featuring featherweight champion Jose Aldo vs. Chad Mendes, another Brazilian will be making a homecoming trip to Rio de Janeiro on January 14. Former UFC light heavyweight champion Vitor Belfort will welcome welterweight slugger Anthony “Rumble” Johnson to the middleweight division for the event that is expected for the HSBC Arena, which also hosted UFC 134 in August. Belfort (20-9) last fought in Brazil at the UFC’s most-recent visit before UFC 134 in 1998, knocking out Wanderlei Silva in under a minute. After fighting for a number of notable promotions, “The Phenom” returned to the UFC in September 2009 with a win over Rich Franklin then challenged fellow Brazilian Anderson Silva for the middleweight title in February, but suffered a first-round KO. He was previously scheduled to welcome Cung Le to the UFC at UFC 139, but withdrew from the event due to injury. Johnson is also a longtime UFC veteran with ten fights inside the Octagon all at welterweight. Johnson has struggled cutting to 170 pounds on a few occasions, missing weight by as much as 7.5 pounds in 2007. At 6’2″, he is taller than even most middleweights, so he will not be giving up much size with his move up. It has not been announced whether this is a permanent move to middleweight, or a one time trial for Johnson. Both fighters won their most recent fights less than three minutes into the first round. Belfort knocked out Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 133 in August in just 1:52, while Johnson stopped Charlie Brenneman with a head kick in only 2:39 at UFC on Versus 6 in October. UFC 142 has just one other official matchup, as Aldo defends the UFC featherweight title for the third time against Mendes. For complete coverage of UFC 142, stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com

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Two men coming off very impressive knockout victories will face off in Brazil. Anthony Johnson is set to make his middleweight debut against a very tough opponent in Vitor Belfort at UFC 142 on January 14th. UFC.com shares the news: A second Brazilian mega-star is set to fight at home at UFC 142. "Verbal agreements in for what should be an explosive matchup as powerhouse Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson moves up to middleweight to face ‘The Phenom’ Vitor Belfort at the event," UFC president Dana White said. The news had been rumored yesterday, and the UFC finally confirmed it today. Johnson is coming off his KO win over Charlie Brenneman at UFC on Versus 6 and a move to middleweight was bound to happen sooner or later. Belfort had been scheduled to face Cung Le in the co-main event at UFC 139, but was forced to withdraw due to an injury and was replaced by Wanderlei Silva. He last competed at UFC 133 where he knocked out Yoshihiro Akiyama. The UFC 142 card, which currently doesn't have a set location, will also feature a UFC featherweight title fight between champion Jose Aldo and challenger Chad Mendes in the main event. More SBN coverage of UFC 142

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Welterweight standout Anthony “Rumble” Johnson will move up the scale in January to take on recent middleweight contender Vitor Belfort in Belfort’s hometown of Rio de Janeiro.

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Here’s a fight no one saw coming. The UFC announced today that Anthony Johnson is finally moving up to middleweight and will take on Vitor Belfort at UFC 142 in Rio de Janeiro. A second Brazilian mega-star is set to fight at home at UFC 142. “Verbal agreements in for what should be an explosive matchup as powerhouse Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson moves up to middleweight to face ‘The Phenom’ Vitor Belfort at the event,” UFC president Dana White said. We don’t typically see fighters change weight classes coming off wins, but I suppose the opportunity to fight Vitor Belfort was too good to pass up. If Johnson can pull it off in impressive fashion, we may have a new contender in the division. If not, he can always return to the welterweight division where he found a lot of success. Either way, it’s a very interesting fight. Image via Dave Mandel for Sherdog

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Titanic welterweight Anthony Johnson is making the move to middleweight to face Vitor Belfort at UFC 142.

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A intriguing middleweight bout between Vitor Belfort and former welterweight Anthony Johnson will be part of January's UFC 142 card. UFC officials today announced that verbal agreements are in place for the fight. UFC 142 takes place Jan. 14 in Brazil, and Belfort vs. Johnson will be part of a main card expected to air on pay-per-view.

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Filed under: UFC, NewsAnthony Johnson has finally made the step most felt was inevitable, moving up a division to middleweight. It won't take him long to get tested at his new home. The fearsome slugger will step right into the upper echelon of the division when he takes on Vitor Belfort at UFC 142. The promotion confirmed the matchup on Tuesday. Johnson has spent his entire UFC career at 170 pounds, though he's struggled to make weight on more than one occasion. The timing of the move comes as a bit of a surprise though, as Johnson returned from a 16-month absence earlier this year and got off to a 2-0 start with wins over Dan Hardy and Charlie Brenneman. Belfort would represent his highest-ranked opponent since losing to Josh Koscheck in November 2009. Johnson is 10-3 overall with seven knockouts, and has won five of his last six. Belfort recently rebounded from a UFC 126 title fight loss to Anderson Silva by knocking out Yoshihiro Akiyama in August. That upped his record to 20-9. UFC 142 will take place on January 14 from a yet-to-be determined location in Brazil. The only other officially announced bout is a featherweight title bout with champion Jose Aldo attempting to defend his belt against Chad Mendes. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

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UFC officials confirmed today (Tuesda) that multi-time UFC Champion Vitor "The Phenom" Belfort will return to the Octagon at UFC 142 against no other than Anthony "Rumble" Johnson, who will make his long-awaited Middleweight debut. It's interesting to see how good Anthony Johnson will be as a Middleweight, especially when he doesn't have to cut around 40lbs to get down to 170lbs limit. For a fighter moving up in weight classes, Johnson is taller than Belfort and has a significantly longer reach, something

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An explosive clash has been added to the UFC 142 card, which takes place on January 14th in Brazil.Hard-hitting middleweights Vitor Belfort and Antony...

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The UFC has confirmed that they will stage a season of the The Ultimate Fighter outside of Las Vegas for the first time, and it will be in Brazil. Today, a report from Brazilian media giant Globo pegged down when it will take place and who the coaches will be: UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva and former opponent Vitor Belfort. Filming is set to begin in March, and Globo, the people who put out the report, are set to produce the show. Here's a rough translation: After the announcement of the broadcast of UFC fights by Rede Globo, a new feature promises to stir the market's national MMA. The month of March 2012 will mark the debut of the reality TUF (The Ultimate Fighter) in Brazil. The coaches are the fighters Anderson Silva and Vitor Belfort, who have met at UFC 127, and will command two teams of fighters. The first sentence refers to a recent deal signed between the UFC and Globo to air UFC events on their station Rede Globo, which will begin with the November 12th fight between Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos. In terms of the coaches, Silva and Belfort are likely the two highest-profile Brazilians in the organization and it makes complete sense that they would be the ones to coach. While it's unlikely they would face each other again as is usually customary after a TUF season, stranger things have happened. For their part, the UFC is denying that Silva and Belfort are the coaches but it seems strange that Globo would bring up the coaches out of thin air.

Posted in: ufc, silva, coach, belfort, globo

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Fresh off his third consecutive win inside the Octagon, UFC middleweight Alan Belcher appears destined to duke it out with a “Top 10” opponent in hopes of moving one step closer to an ever-elusive title-shot. While nothing is set in stone, one option may be Vitor Belfort who is available and looking to fight again in the near future. The possibility of the prodigious 185-pounders linking up at some point soon was recently given a boost when Belcher’s manager, Malki Kawa, mentioned Belfort’s name in relation to conversations he’d been having with the UFC brass. “When I talk to Joe (Silva), it’s ‘Who does he need to beat to get a shot at the title?’ There’s a couple of names mentioned. Vitor was one of them, and to be honest with you, I love that fight, and I’ll tell you this, Alan loves that fight,” Kawa said in a conversation with MMAWeekly. “I think (he is) two fights away to stay conservative and be more realistic, but there’s a great fight on the horizon for Alan Belcher,” he stated on the subject of a future crack at the middleweight championship, adding a bout with Belfort had “Fight of the Night” written all over it. Belcher made his return to the ring in September after more than a year on the sidelines recovering from career-threatening eye issues, stopping Canadian grappler Jason MacDonald at UFN 25. Prior to his time on I.R. the 27-year old Roufusport representative had notched stoppages against Patrick Cote and Wilson Gouveia and had won four of five with the lone exception being a Split Decision loss to Yoshihiro Akiyama. Belcher Talks Long Road Back to the Cage His potential opponent, Belfort, is 20-9 in his career with past wins over a number of notable peers including Akiyama, Rich Franklin, and Wanderlei Silva. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC Tweet

Posted in: ufc, fight, belcher, belfort, alan

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Over three years ago Vitor Belfort decided to cut down to middleweight after having started his career as a heavyweight and then spending a majority of it at 205-pounds. The Brazilian felt this was the right move to guarantee career longevity. The plan proved to be a stroke of genius after "The Phenom" scored two knockouts at each Affliction pay-per-view (PPV) event. The second was particularly brutal. A little over half a minute into his bout with Matt Lindland, the Team Quest fighter was out cold and stiffer than a Stan Hansen lariat. When the clothing company turned mixed martial arts (MMA) promoter went belly up, Belfort returned to the Octagon. His first fight back was against Rich Franklin who met a fate not too dissimilar from that of "The Law." It took place at a catchweight of 195-pounds but the message was clear: Vitor Belfort was a force to be reckoned with at middleweight. One Steven Seagal-inspired kick later and "The Phenom" finds himself having to climb back up the ladder. At 34-years of age, he's no spring chicken. He realizes he's not the teenager that took the UFC by storm and is planning accordingly. What's the plan? Read on to find out! 0 false 18 pt 18 pt 0 0 false false false /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} Belfort was slated to take on Cung Le on next month's UFC 139 card but had to pull out due to an injury. "The doctor told me to take time off to rehabilitate," Belfort explained. "He said, 'You're not a young guy anymore. This might not cost you now but it might in the future'." In his place, fellow Brazilian Wanderlei Silva has been booked to take on the former Strikeforce middleweight champion. But the injury was minor enough that Belfort is expecting to be well enough to fight before year's end. He's gunning for the co-main event slot supporting the Brock Lesnar/Alistair Overeem bout at UFC 141. Belfort said, "I have a plan to go five more years. I want to be ready for December but I don't want to jeopardize my career. I also don't want to go inside the Octagon sloppy and insecure. Starting a camp with an injury is not a smart thing. I had to listen to the doctor. I apologized to Lorenzo [Fertitta] and told him I had to pull out." The injury wasn't something that sprang up overnight. It was something that had been bothering him since before his fight with Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 133. "Nobody knew but I almost pulled out. We drained the knee a lot," the Brazilian revealed. "I'm 100 percent now. I'm going back to the gym Monday so I can get ready for December." Exactly who "The Phenom" will face still isn't known. When asked if he would like to take on Chael Sonnen after the American won his UFC 136 bout against Brian Stann, Belfort said, "I've been dreaming of that fight. Dana said the winner will take on Anderson but I hope they change their mind. "Chael is an exciting fighter when talking but inside the Octagon, all he knows what to do is wrestle. His ground and pound isn't vicious. But he has a will, a drive and never stops coming forward." There may be a bit of egg on Belfort's face as the wrestler managed to score a submission win with a slick arm triangle in the second round. Sonnen responded to the Brazilian at the event's post-fight press conference, "He's a fool. He knows not what he says." Sonnen added, "If my name comes out of his mouth again, I will bury him where he stands." A rivalry seems to be brewing between the two but Belfort insists it's all business. "The only guy I have a personal problem with is the devil," he said. In fact, "The Phenom" doesn't seem to take anything about his profession personally. "I want to get to the title. The way I beat Akiyama was convincing. He had never been knocked out. I'm just looking for someone who can get me to the title. I want to be the only person to win a title in three different weight classes." While you won't see the Brazilian's name in the UFC heavyweight title lineage, Belfort did win a heavyweight tournament way back at UFC 12 and won the light heavyweight strap at UFC 46. But while his focus is on getting the middleweight title around his waist, he admits he thinks about how he would fare if he went back to the weight he started off his career off at. "The weight cut is tough. Right now, I'm 220 pounds," he said. "Sometimes I think it would be easier to fight at heavyweight. I've got power but also speed. I like to challenge myself, though. Fighting at middleweight is a challenge." When the topic of his UFC 126 bout with Anderson Silva was brought up, Belfort didn't have much to say. "I don't think too much in a way that will get me depressed. It was his night, he delivered." His demeanor wasn't one that implied annoyance at the question but instead acceptance. It's a maturity that comes with a decade and a half in the fight game. It's that same maturity that keeps revenge off "The Phenom's" mind. If Sonnen were to beat Silva, Belfort said he would rather fight for the belt and then defend it against "The Spider." Belfort added, "The belt isn't personal, it's a goal." A hot topic in MMA right now is whether or not fighters who train together should be expected to fight each other. It nearly tore Greg Jackson MMA apart and has led to a near endless debate. Belfort's opinion is a bit different from most inside the fight game. He said he didn't understand how fighters could call themselves professionals but refuse to fight certain people. "Let’s be friends? No! If my brother was in my weight division, I would fight him." He added, "This is a sport, this is a competition. I’m not going to war. I’m here to compete." "Imagine if the Lakers never competed with the Heat." For Belfort, it's nothing personal. It's just business.

Posted in: ufc, fight, title, middleweight, belfort

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Multi-time UFC Champion Vitor "The Phenom" Belfort shared thoughts about the variety of topics, including the potential rematch with Anderson Silva and the upcoming Heavyweight blockbuster between Alistair Overeem and Brock Lesnar. According to Belfort, Anderson Silva's kick was a "lucky moment", and that he's still the man to KO "The Spider". As far as Overeem vs. Lesnar goes, Belfort picks The Demolition Man to defeat Brock Lesnar en route to becoming the next UFC Heavyweight Champion. Further Reading:

Posted in: anderson silva, lesnar, demolition man, belfort, heavyweight blockbuster

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Vitor Belfort had been scheduled to meet former Strikeforce Middleweight Champion Cung Le at UFC 139, but an injury forced Belfort to withdraw from the fight. Belfort was subsequently replaced by Wanderlei Silva in the evening’s co main event. Belfort recently appeared on HDNet’s Inside MMA to speak about his injury.  He also revealed who he would like to fight when he is healthy enough to make his return to the ranks of the

Posted in: fight, wanderlei silva, injury, belfort, vitor belfort

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Vitor Belfort recently revealed he's been suffering from an injury that was serious enough to take him out of a scheduled UFC 139 clash against Cung Le on Nov. 19. Tonight, (Sept. 20) on Inside MMA, "The Phenom" spilled the beans on the nature of his ailment. Apparently, the former middleweight title contender has been having problems with a recurring knee injury. The good news is that he's only out until halfway through December. And he's already got an opponent in mind. "I'm 34-years-old, so I'm not a kid anymore. And I know all the problems of fighters in the game right now is they rush to jump in the ring with injuries and they perform bad. And that's happened with me in the past. So I said, 'You know what? I want time to treat that injury.' ... It's the knee (and) it's been recurring. ... One guy that I would like to think would be a great match is the guy that's been talking bad about Brazil is Chael Sonnen. I think that would be a great match for me. He totally disrespects the country and he knows how to sell." Belfort would go on to say that he would like to fight for another four or five years, prompting him to make the decision to play it safe for the remainder of the time he's active as a professional. Which will be especially useful if he gets his wish and ends up fighting Sonnen to ring in the new year. Hear more on the situation from Belfort after the jump.

Posted in: injury, belfort, chael sonnen, game right, knee injury

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Explosive UFC middleweight Vitor Belfort may be less than a week removed from withdrawing from a bout at UFC 139 due to injury but he’s already got a date and opponent in mind for his eventual return to the ring. With his medical issue only expected to push his readiness back a month, Belfort recently expressed his desire to fight at UFC 141 on December 30 against the winner of Chael Sonnen’s scrap with Brian Stann in early October at UFC 136. “I hope Chael wins. I really want to fight him,” Belfort said in a conversation with MMAJunkie. “I think the winner of that fight, me and Chael, we’d be (in line) to fight for the title. His fighting always (goes) to a decision. He’s a boring fighter, but I’ll make sure that fight will end up quick, and I’ll give him a fight he’s never had in his life.” “He’s the type of fighter who can sell with his mouth,” Belfort elaborated. “He cannot sell with his performance. He’s a great wrestler, and he’s a great fighter, but he’s not exciting. … He doesn’t bring the heat.” However, while he may be pulling for Sonnen in order to settle their personal differences, “The Phenom” also isn’t opposed to mixing it up with Stann. “If Stann beats Sonnen, he’s in line. I think Stann is a great fighter, a great person, a great athlete, a great man. He’s sells fights with his fists, with his technique and his performance. Stann is a great fighter.” Belfort also spoke in the interview about his intention to continue competing for another 4-5 years and how being 100% health-wise is crucial to him at this stage in his career. The 34-year old Brazilian holds an overall record of 20-9 with two-thirds of his wins coming as the result of a strike-based stoppage. He has won six of his last seven fights, the only exception being a defeat to middleweight champ Anderson Silva, and is coming off a devastating knockout of Yoshihiro Akiyama last month at UFC 133. UFC 141 is set to be headlined by former heavyweight title-holders doing battle in the form of Brock Lesnar vs. Alistair Overeem and will also feature perennial 170-pound contender Jon Fitch facing decorated amateur wrestler Johny Hendricks. PHOTO CREDIT – UFCSimilar Posts: Vitor Belfort fighting Yushin Okami for top contendership at UFC 122 Chael Sonnen draws Brian Stann in his UFC return Alexander Gustafsson’s next test comes in form of Vlad Matyushenko Ross Pearson poised for action against Edson Barboza at UFC Rio Michael Bisping thinks Chael Sonnen as top contender is “complete bullsh*t” Tweetgovernment,politics news,politics news,politics

Posted in: ufc, fight, belfort, sonnen, stann

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Posted in: ufc, winner, belfort, sonnen, /stann

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The injury that forced Vitor Belfort out of a featured UFC 139 slot is simply a speed bump on his quest for a UFC title, and he's planning to return to the cage before year's end. While a recent in-studio guest on MMAjunkie.com Radio, Belfort said he's specifically targeting a return at the year-end UFC 141 event in Las Vegas. As for a potential opponent, Belfort has his sights on the winner of an upcoming UFC 136 fight between Chael Sonnen and Brian Stann. He'd be happy with either opponent. But for very different reasons.

Posted in: ufc, las vegas, belfort, vitor belfort, in-studio guest

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Vitor Belfort was recently forced to pull out of a scheduled UFC 139 fight with Yoshihiro Akiyama.He has not disclosed the nature of the ailments that...

Posted in: ufc, belfort, vitor belfort, yoshihiro akiyama.he, yoshihiro

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He's at it again! Chael Sonnen is doing what he does best, trash talking to anyone and everyone that dares speak out against him. This time, he's aiming his verbal assault towards none other than fellow UFC middleweight Vitor Belfort. Sonnen tweets: "Hey Vitor, take my name out of your mouth until you show up for half as many fights as you pull out of. You keep using the phrase, "pound him out." I don't think it means what you think it means, but you're a dead man either way." This just got interesting. Sonnen is surely responding to a tweet "The Phenom" posted on his twitter account a few days ago: "I do want (to fight him), I’d really love to fight him, even more because of the crap he’s talked about Brazil. Actually I don't want to give him this type of attention, I don’t know why everybody keeps paying attention to what this guy says. His time will come, and when it comes, brother, it’s just do the job the way I’d do against any other opponent. Who’s Sonnen? He never done anything, his fights never sells, he doesn’t knock anybody out, he just brings the trash talk show. If he wants to talk, go do another thing." Belfort is currently on the sidelines nursing an injury which caused him to pull out of a classic "striker vs. striker" match against former Strikeforce Middleweight Champion Cung Le at UFC 139 in San Jose on November 19. Sonnen is currently pitted to take on Briann Stann at UFC 136 on October 8 in Houston.  If Sonnen is able to defeat Stann, it could set up a nice number one contender match-up between Sonnen and Belfort for the right to face Anderson Silva (again). Any Maniacs interested in this match-up? Or would you rather see Sonnen challenge "The Spider" again if he happens to get past "The All American?" Sound off!

Posted in: fight, &rsquo, belfort, chael sonnen, sonnen

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Just because earlier this week former UFC champion Vitor Belfort had to withdraw from a bout in November due to injury doesn’t mean the heavy-handed Brazilian is content to simply sit on the sidelines and twiddle his thumbs. Rather, Belfort already has a potential opponent in mind for his return to the ring and isn’t afraid to put his name out there either. “The Phenom” recently spoke with Tatame where he expressed an intense desire to get in the Octagon with Chael Sonnen and “pound him out,” also saying he expected to be healthy enough to fight again before the end of the year. “I hope I can fight (Sonnen). Let’s get this trashtalker…I think it’s the perfect timing, he’s a good opponent and it’s a fight that everybody wants to see,” Belfort began. “I really want to fight him.” On the subject of his health, Belfort explained, “I don’t need to fight at 20% or 50%. I can’t take that risk, mainly in this special stage of my career. I have to be 100% there. (It’s) one thing (to) get injured during the camp, but I’d start my camp with an injury. The doctors decide that, and I’ll be ready to fight in December.” If Sonnen is up to the task and the UFC brass decide to make the fight it would likely require the outspoken grappler to lose next month against Brian Stann as a win almost certainly guarantees him a second shot at dethroning pound-for-pound king Anderson Silva. Even GSP Thinks Silva is UFC’s Top fighter Belfort is 20-9 in his career with fourteen strike-based stoppages. He has won six of his last seven fights with the only loss coming to Silva while racking up victories over the likes of Matt Lindland, Rich Franklin, and most recently Yoshihiro Akiyama. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC Tweet

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When the UFC recently announced Cung Le would make his Octagon debut on November 19 at UFC 139 against Vitor Belfort, the salivary glands of most fans immediately started working overtime at the thought of how things would unfold given their arsenal of stand-up weaponry. Unfortunately, according to Belfort as well as his bosses at Zuffa, “The Phenom” has been forced to withdraw from the bout due to an injury that will keep him sidelined until December. However, rather than sacrifice the any potential entertainment value by filling Belfort’s absence with a grappler, the UFC brass has come through with an equally exciting replacement in the form of Brazilian bomber Wanderlei Silva. Though he is considered to be one of the nicest individuals in MMA outside of the ring, “The Axe Murderer” has a legendary reputation for both ferocity and dishing out damage to his opponents inside of it. His career features past knockouts of Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (twice) and Keith Jardine, as well as wins over Michael Bisping, Ricardo Arona, and Dan Henderson. Le should have his hands full given Silva’s style though is no slouch when it comes to striking thanks to his career as a world-class San Shou kickboxer. The former Strikeforce 185-pound champion is 7-1 as a Mixed Martial Artist with seven wins via TKO including victories against Tony Fryklund, Scott Smith, and Frank Shamrock. UFC 139 takes place in Le’s hometown of San Jose and features additional fights including Martin Kampmann vs. Rick Story, Brian Bowles vs. Urijah Faber, and recently announced all-star affair between Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and Henderson. PHOTO CREDIT – UFCSimilar Posts: Report: Wanderlei Silva moving to middleweight Dan Henderson back in the UFC, faces “Shogun” Rua at UFC 139 Wanderlei Silva set for scrap with Chris Leben over July 4th Weekend Vitor Belfort hints at May match-up with Michael Bisping Cung Le content with acting but open to the UFC Tweetgovernment,politics news,politics news,politics

Posted in: ufc, silva, wanderlei silva, wanderlei, belfort

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Vitor Belfort updates the injury that forced him out of UFC 139 and when he expects to be back in action.

Posted in: ufc, vitor, belfort, vitor belfort, return

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An injury has forced Vitor Belfort (20-9 MMA, 9-4 UFC) out of November's UFC 139 event, and fellow...

Posted in: ufc, wanderlei silva, vitor, belfort, vitor belfort

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One of UFC 139’s primary pairings has undergone a minor makeover after UFC President Dana White revealed earlier today through Twitter that Vitor Belfort had withdrawn from his clash with Cung Le, a bout the organization announced less than two weeks ago. No specifics on Belfort’s health were made available. Le Joins UFC Roster to Face Belfort at Hometown Event Taking Belfort’s place near the top of the November 19 event will be fellow Brazilian Wanderlei Silva who will be looking to bounce back from a twenty-seven second knockout loss to Chris Leben last July. However, though “The Axe Murderer” has struggled to find in-ring success over the past few years, his ferocious style remains as fan-friendly as ever and has assisted in earning him a Unanimous Decision win over Michael Bisping, as well as a knockout of Keith Jardine, during his current run in the Octagon. Silva is 33-11-1 in his career with 23 TKOs and victories over Ricardo Arona, Dan Henderson, and Quinton Jackson (X2). Le will be making his UFC debut when he locks horns with Silva after an entertaining run in Strikeforce highlighted by his unique, San Shou-inspired striking. The popular 39-year old Le holds an overall record of 7-1 but also hasn’t fought in more than a year due to his work in the film industry. In addition to Le taking on Silva, the San Jose show will feature Rick Story vs. Martin Kampmann, as well as Urijah Faber vs. Brian Bowles, plus a main event match-up between former champions (Dan) Henderson and Mauricio Rua. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC Tweet

Posted in: ufc, silva, year, belfort, vitor belfort

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Vitor Belfort will no longer fight Cung Le at UFC 139, UFC President Dana White announced on Wednesday. Instead, Le will square off with former Pride Fighting Championships 205-pound champion Wanderlei Silva.

Posted in: ufc, pound, fight cung, belfort, axe murderer

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Vitor Belfort will no longer fight Cung Le at UFC 139, UFC President Dana White announced on Wednesday. Instead, Le will square off with former Pride Fighting Championships 205-pound champion Wanderlei Silva.

Posted in: ufc, pound, wanderlei, fight cung, belfort

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Whatever Vitor Belfort did to get himself kicked off the UFC 139 fight card on Nov. 19 in San Jose is apparently not severe enough to sideline him much longer than a month. "The Phenom" tweets: I am out of november card, I have to take care of a injury. Nothing major but the good news that the doctor says I will be ready for dec Belfort was expected to welcome former Strikeforce Middleweight Champion Cung Le to the Octagon in the co-main event of "Henderson vs. Shogun;" however, UFC President Dana White today brought word that Wanderlei Silva will taking his place. That means the former middleweight number one contender is looking for a new opponent, assuming the promotion hasn't already found him one. Belfort was last seen destroying Japanese judo player Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 133, sending him to his third straight loss and tucking tail down to the welterweight division. The victory in Philadelphia moved him to 1-1 as a UFC middleweight following his first round collapse at the hands (and feet) of Anderson Silva earlier this year. Time to do a little fantasy matchmaking Maniacs. Who does Belfort get next? And are there any conspiracy theorists out there thinking he was never really hurt and this was the promotion's way of switching things around (See Belfort vs. Okami at UFC 122). Sound off!

Posted in: ufc, middleweight, belfort, promotion hasn, middleweight number

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The  recently announced matchup pitting Vitor Belfort against Cung Le at UFC 139 has been canceled, according to UFC President Dana White. Belfort has withdrawn from the bout, and will be replaced by fellow Brazilian Wanderlei Silva. The extent of Belfort’s injury was not announced. Le (7-1) will be making his UFC debut at the San Jose event. San Jose is his adopted hometown, and the location of all eight of his fights under the Strikeforce banner. Le is the former Strikeforce middleweight champion, as well as an accomplished kickboxer, touting an undefeated record at 17-0. His only career loss was to Scott Smith at Strikeforce Evolution in December of 2009. He avenged that loss to Smith in June 2010, which happens to have been Le’s most recent fight. He has devoted his time to acting in the past 15 months, participating in such films as Fighting, Dragon Eyes, and the upcoming The Man with the Iron Fists, which will also feature Russell Crowe. Silva (33-11-1) last fought at UFC 132, losing to Chris Leben via TKO. This was Silva’s first action since UFC 110 in February 2010. Silva then underwent multiple surgeries, most notably for his knee. With the loss, Silva now sits at 2-4 since returning to the UFC just under four years ago. This will be Silva’s first career fight in California. The combined age for Le and Silva is 74, one of the oldest combined ages for a fight in UFC history. The UFC  recently announced the main event for UFC 139, which will feature Shogun Rua and the return of Dan Henderson in the five round main event. Stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com for complete coverage of UFC 139 and all other UFC events.

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Last week, Cung Le was scheduled to fight Vitor Belfort in the de facto UFC 139 main event. Earlier this week, the UFC officially brought back Dan Henderson into the promotion, slotting him in the top slot of UFC 139 against Mauricio Rua. Now Dana White tweets that Le-Belfort is off: Vitor is injured and out of San Jose fight. Now Cung Le will fight Wandy! The interesting thing here is that by replacing Belfort with a man lower on the middleweight totem pole, the UFC has, in my eyes, put together a better fight. Le was overmatched against Belfort, and a fight with Wanderlei is much more competitive for him. It's also a good test for Wanderlei. A repeat of his fight against Chris Leben is further evidence that the UFC should play the Chuck Liddell card on him. Le is 6-1 in his MMA career, with all of his fights taking place in San Jose for Strikeforce. He last fought in June of 2010, knocking out Scott Smith in a rematch. Wanderlei Silva lost his last fight to Chris Leben by knockout. He is 2-4 since he signed with the UFC in 2007.

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Filed under: UFCWanderlei Silva will make his return to the Octagon on November 19 in San Jose, when he takes on former Strikeforce middleweight champion Cung Le at UFC 139. UFC President Dana White announced today that Vitor Belfort had to pull out of his fight with Le because of an injury, and as a result Silva will step in and take it. Although the fight was only booked because of Belfort's injury, Silva vs. Le is actually a better fight all around than Belfort vs. Le. It should be a better draw for the UFC because Silva is such a fan favorite, and it should be a more competitive fight because, frankly, Belfort was probably going to put Le to sleep. Silva has a chance to do that, too, but he also has a chance of being put to sleep himself. No matter who gets knocked out, Silva and Le promise to put on a highly entertaining fight. They're too of the most exciting strikers in the middleweight division, and two guys who rarely if ever put on a sub-par performance: Win or lose, Silva and Le both deliver. UFC 139 will be headlined by the return of Dan Henderson, who will fight Shogun Rua, and will also feature Brian Bowles vs. Urijah Faber, Jason Brilz vs. Ryan Bader, Kyle Kingsbury vs. Stephan Bonnar and Martin Kampmann vs. Rick Story. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

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The UFC injury bug has struck again and the victim this time is Vitor Belfort. Belfort has been forced from his scheduled UFC 139 bout with Cung Le and replaced by Wanderlei Silva. UFC President Dana White broke the news via Twitter: Vitor is injured and out of San Jose fight. Now Cung Le will fight Wandy! Moving Wanderlei Silva into Belfort spot could be considered a bit of a surprise due to the fact that shortly after his 27-second knockout loss to Chris Leben at UFC 132, White had spoken of having to

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