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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief Dana White surprised many on Saturday night's Ultimate Fighter season nine Finale when, in an "Inside the Octagon" segment with Amir Sadollah, he announced his desire to put together a bout with Anderson Silva and current Affliction fighter Vitor Belfort.
With what took place just earlier this month with his verbal deal with Mirko Cro Cop that backfired, and the past history of fights he's tried to set up that have fallen through, it's very odd that he would openly come out and discuss Belfort without having something substantial in place. After all, Belfort still has a fight coming up against Jorge Santiago on Affliction's third event on August 1st.
Mike Chiappetta at MMA FanHouse makes the case, and a compelling one at that, that the evidence points to something being at least loosely set for Belfort coming to the UFC after his August 1st bout.
For starters, Chiappetta harkens back to the fight Belfort was reportedly going to have on August 1st against Gegard Mousasi on the Affliction event. After stating months back that he would fight Fedor if Fedor would take the fight, he declined a bout against highly regarded Mousasi and is left with what Chiappetta dubs a "lower risk, lower reward" opponent in Santiago. Not that Santiago's not a capable fighter, he has won nine straight bouts, but the point is Belfort may have had more in play in declining a catchweight bout with Mousasi than just not wanting to jump weight. If he's eyeing a return to the Octagon it would make sense that he wouldn't want to risk himself against a guy no longer fighting in his division.
The report also states that Belfort and White met up recently in Las Angeles. Obviously with him under contract to another organization nothing would have been signed yet, but it's likely Belfort's post "Trilogy" plans were on the docket. Chiappetta also falls back to an interview Belfort did with Sherdog in '07 where he expressed his desire to return to the UFC.
It's highly possible that right now it's just a matter of Belfort getting past Santiago on August 1st. If that happens, it will be a welcome return for "The Phenom" to the Octagon, who hasn't been seen in the UFC since back to back losses to Randy Couture and Tito Ortiz in 2004. He's currently on a four fight win streak, including his 37 second KO of Matt Lindland in January on Affliction's second event.
With many possibilities for fights in the UFC, including the aforementioned bout with Silva and a rematch with the last man to hand him a loss, Dan Henderson, Belfort would be a great addition back to the UFC roster. Belfort's in the thirteenth year of his MMA career, but he's still on 32. Considering he's only been stopped three times in his entire career, one by submission to Alistair Overeem and twice by Randy Couture, one of those being a doctor's stoppage, Belfort's still got plenty of tread left on his tires and if these theories hold up it's highly likely he's looking to come back and make a run at another title. It would be a blast to watch, there's no doubt about that.
Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
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