Fighter Profile: Vitor "The Phenom" Belfort
Height: 6’0” Weight: 185
Born: Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
Fights Out Of: Las Vegas, NV
Team: Xtreme Couture
Fighting Style: BJJ, Boxing
Accolades: Former UFC Light Heavyweight champion, Cage Rage light heavyweight champion
Vitor Belfort Biography:
Born April 7, 1977, in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil; Vitor Belfort competed in all facets of athletics. Although he started martial arts as the age of 8, he competed in a variety of sports from a young age. At the age of 10 he was champion in bicicross, at 13 he was among the top tennis players in his class. Belfort was first round player for Zico’s soccer team “Nova Geracao,” a swim champion for “Clube de Regatas do Flamengo” and Rio’s surf champion.
At 16 Belfort became BJJ blue belt champion in his weight class and also in absolute where competitors can compete from any weight division. He then moved to the U.S. with his coach Carlson Gracie. At only 19 years old Vitor Belfort became the world’s youngest BJJ blackbelt under Carlson Gracie.
Belfort's MMA Career:
At 19 Vitor competed in his first MMA tournament in Hawaii. He was paired against John Hess, a giant measuring 6’5 and over 300 lbs. He dominated the mammoth man in just 17 seconds and quickly drew the eyes of larger organizations.
Belfort in the UFC:
Vitor started his UFC career off just four months after his MMA debut in Hawaii, and throttled his way to a three fight win streak, pummeling veterans Tre Telligman, Scott Ferozzo at UFC 12, and the infamous David “Tank” Abbott all in less than two minutes at UFC 13. He fought three more times in the UFC and finished his first stint in the UFC with a 5-1 record, finishing with a vicious TKO of future hall of famer Wanderlei Silva. Belfort then left the UFC to pursue other avenues, and then returned in 2002 to face off against the greatest light heavyweight ever to live, only to drop a unanimous decision to Chuck Liddell at UFC 37.5. Two fights later however, in a quick battle with “Captain America” Randy Couture, he achieved greatness and walked away with the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship at UFC 46, after doctors called it in :49 seconds of round number one after he opened up a cut over the eye of Couture. He followed that performance with a heart-wrenching loss to Couture at UFC 49 to give up his reigns as champion, and then followed that with an instant classic in which Tito Ortiz squeezed out a controversial split decision victory at UFC 51.
Belfort with Pride:
Following his dominating performance over Silva, Belfort left to try his hands at different competition by going to compete with Pride in Japan. In his first stint in Pride Belfort mounted a 4-1 record against stiff competition. He tasted defeat only in his first fight, losing a unanimous two round nod to the great Sakuraba. Following that defeat he rattled out four straight victories over Dutch striking powerhouse Gilbert Yvel, Daijiro Matsui, Bobby Southworth and Heath Herring. Belfort quickly became an MMA legend. He returned to the Pride ring in 2005, and then again in 2006 to mount a 1-2 record losing to MMA greats Alistair Overeem and Dan Henderson, but securing a vicious KO of Japanese fighter Yoshiki Takahashi in just :36 seconds of round number 1.
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Belfort in Pro Boxing:
Like many MMA fighters Vitor tried his hand at professional boxing. Known for his hand speed Belfort dominated Josemario Neves, by knocking him down three times in round number one.
Belfort with Cage Rage:
In April of 2007 Belfort fought for Cage Rage in England against Italian talent Ivan Serati, and mounted a swift TKO victory by punches in round number 1. Just five months later Vitor challenged James Zikic for the Cage Rage light heavyweight crown, and although sustaining a broken hand in training, he used his vast grappling knowledge to win a unanimous decision after throwing minimal punches.
Belfort with Affliction:
In July of 2008 Vitor fought for the controversial Affliction in their debut promotion, Banned. He went in against slugger and UFC veteran Terry Martin and won by TKO in familiar dominating fashion in round number 2. Six months later after a hand injury, and Affliction Brass moving Vitor to middleweight, he entered the ring against world renowned and former Olympic wrestler Matt Linland at Affliction: Day of Reckoning. Belfort dropped Linland with a straight left to the jaw, and followed by a series of vicious strikes. He has recently been confirmed to fight Jorge Santiago in another Middleweight bout on the Affliction Trilogy fight card in August 2009.
Personal:
Vitor Belfort is married to his wife Joanna and currently has two kids, a son named Davi, and his daughter Victoria. He and his wife are currently awaiting the birth of their third child.
Recent Vitor Belfort MMA News:
- Will face Anderson Silva in spirng 2010
By David Fennell
ProFighting-fans.com Staff Writer
Published June 2009