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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
The UFC is making an effort to put together a rematch nearly 13 years in the making between Vitor Belfort and Wanderlei Silva, but "The Axe Murderer" is making things uncharacteristically difficult.
After turning down a fight with Brian Stann at UFC 130, Silva is now lobbying for a bout with Chris Leben instead of the fight with Belfort, even though Belfort has already verbally agreed to meet him in the Octagon.
"We asked him to take [a fight with Stann], and he turned it down," UFC President Dana White said following Saturday's UFC 128 event (quotes transcribed at MMAJunkie.com). "He said, 'I don't like it because everybody likes this guy.' That's kind of a weird philosophy, but I'll accept that. Wanderlei's a warrior. He always goes out there. So we offered him the Vitor fight, and now he's on Twitter lobbying to fight Chris Leben.
"I don't want him to fight Chris Leben. I want him to fight Vitor Belfort. Vitor Belfort has accepted the fight, wants the fight, and now we're fighting for Wanderlei to accept the fight."
According to White, the fight would take place in Las Vegas, most likely on the July 2 UFC 132 event. There is a possibility the fight could happen as early as UFC 130 in May, but the July 2 date is the target at the moment.
Penick's Analysis: I'm not sure why Silva is now being difficult in regards to this fight when he was the one initially who called Vitor out after the loss to Anderson in February. Both seemed ready and willing to take the fight then, so with the UFC trying to put it together you'd think that Wanderlei would be all over it. And it's not as if Wanderlei has a history of shying away from fights. I can understand his desire to fight Leben as it's a fight that is sure to be exciting with both going balls to the wall trying to take the other's head off, but a Belfort rematch could be the very same style potentially, albeit perhaps a bit more technical. Hopefully Silva will come around and they can get this fight together.
[Wanderlei Silva art by Cory Gould (c) MMATorch.com]
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Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
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