The "Old" Vitor Belfort Is Back, And...
by Kid Nate on Jan 26, 2009 11:43 AM EST
in MMA News
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After Vitor Belfort's flash KO win over Matt Lindland the usual round of breathless speculation has begun:
- is the 'old' Vitor back?
- did the move down to 185lbs unlock his potential at last?
- will Vitor re-sign with the UFC and fight Anderson Silva?
- Could Vitor be the man to finally dethrone Silva?
Quick answers: 1. yes, he never left. 2. maybe, too soon to tell. 3. possibly and 4. no.
Here's the deal. Vitor Belfort has always been extremely dangerous if you walk into his left hand early in the fight. Lindland cut off the ring, threw an unbelievably awkward left hook and charged right into Vitor's power punch. Further proof that Lindland is no Randy Couture. That was the definition of bad gameplanning.
Getting a flash KO win over Lindland isn't all that either. Dave Terrell did that in 2004 and no one remembers him.
Honestly, Belfort's win over Terry Martin impressed me more. Seeing Belfort gut out a tough fight against a game opponent in the later rounds is much more impressive than another flash quick KO win.
As far as his career prospects. I do agree with those who think Vitor might be headed back to the UFC. He's always been popular with the fans and doesn't need to be introduced to the UFC audience.
The risk factor with Belfort is do you dare give him a build up fight before his title shot? He's the kind of fighter who will let you down in that scenario almost half the time.
In my mind the ideal scenario would be to sign Belfort to the UFC, get Robbie Lawler free from EliteXC and put them into an immediate #1 contender fight. Either way the UFC wins and the resulting title fight could be the one that finally makes Anderson Silva a draw.
I'm not impressed by the return of the "old" Vitor -- the guy who gets quick wins over opponents who charge right into his wheelhouse.
I'm eager to see a "new" Vitor -- a fighter who can sprawl and evade takedowns, a fighter with a strong enough guard to not just survive but be a threat off his back, and most of all a fighter with the heart to go into the championship rounds hurt and still be a formidable offensive force.
Will we see that fighter in the UFC? Its too soon to tell.
UPDATE: Well one person at least isn't losing his head amidst the hype, and that's Vitor himself, from Tatame:
Vitor Belfort – "Next show it’ll be me and Fedor. We’ll see, that could be one of the options. I wouldn’t have to move up much in weight, I just won’t drop any. I’d just fight at my natural weight. I drop at least 10 pounds to fight. I wouldn’t have to drop anything and it would be a good opportunity."
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Terrell gets a bit of a bad rep. He lost in a vacant title fight and won his next bout against Scott Smith. He’s not talked about because his injuries have ended his career.
Honestly, I have no problem witht he jist of this. I’ll go so far as to say that they might as well just do Belfort/Silva right now. He’s a pretty big middleweight, he’s got fast hands, he can wrestle, he has a BJJ black belt. He’s no worse a choice than Leites and he might actually draw some interest, unlike Leites.
by D.Capitated on Jan 26, 2009 11:57 AM EST up reply actions
But they at least have recent fight footage for those, so they can at least try to build up the fights. Belfort would probably get the intro fight to title shot treatment if he comes in and dominates that first intro fight.
Belfort is a legend. Those other guys are nobodies. I mean, hell, look at what the UFC did with Mark Coleman. There’s a guy who hadn’t won a fight in like 3 1/2 years against anyone, and about eight years since his last meaningful win. And Belfort was a much bigger deal to fans than Coleman.
Belfort is a pre-TUF legend, who most of the casual fans have no idea about. You don’t sell shit to hardcore fans, you sell it to casual fans.
They've got a library...
of VERY impressive performances by him that they can draw on for clip shows..etc. that makes him look like a very dangerous fighter.
Contributing Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
by Brent Brookhouse on Jan 26, 2009 2:53 PM EST up reply actions
I just...
don’t want to see the Vitor that decided he was a BJJ guy for a few years and let people maul him from the top.
Contributing Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
by Brent Brookhouse on Jan 26, 2009 11:49 AM EST reply actions
I guess...
it was just the way that he seemed content to lay on his back without trying anything to get back to the feet.
Contributing Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
by Brent Brookhouse on Jan 26, 2009 12:00 PM EST up reply actions
The only thing that matters is that twat lindland not only lost but was “jardined” times 10.
Making that stupid ass documentary all the more asinine… and all the so “called” journalists in there look like complete morons.
I hate that mutherfucker…
by mmalogic on Jan 26, 2009 11:54 AM EST reply actions 2 recs
Tell us how you really feel.
LOL.
I can certainly see how Lindland rubs people the wrong way.
That doesn’t keep me from respecting him as a fighter and wanting to see him get the opportunity to finish his career being paid well and fighting top competition.
oh...
and be a little easy on the language
Contributing Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
by Brent Brookhouse on Jan 26, 2009 12:01 PM EST up reply actions
That’s right Nate, watch your mouth good sir. ;-)
"I see him beating Anderson Silva. I see him picking him apart. Him at a 131 years old...(trails off)." - Tito on Belfort at Affliction:DOR
by Rundownloser on Jan 26, 2009 1:43 PM EST up reply actions
DAYUM!
LOL…that was funny because for some reason I’m realizing some complete stranger being pissed off and saying those words out loud.
http://mma4real.net/
by Tha Realness on Jan 26, 2009 12:00 PM EST up reply actions
I don’t like the idea of him hopping the entire division by virtue of knocking out a 39 year old Matt Lindland. Put him against Marquardt or Maia.
by Derek Suboticki on Jan 26, 2009 1:56 PM EST up reply actions
Brock Lesnar KOed a 45 year old Randy Couture and people are demanding Fedor fight him. Its quite the two way street….
At least..
Randy was the champ when he was KO’d. Even though he didn’t fight for almost a year. It was still a fair fight. The belt was transferred and thus the right to fight the #1 HW in Fedor. What did Lindland have?
but 45 yo Randy was coming off a victory over the UFC HW champion, Lindland was coming off a very poor performance over something called a Fabio Negao.
Lindland utterly dominated that fight and came very close to winning by submission in the first 30 seconds after he landed a hard punch to open the fight.
Dude, Fabio Negao. You better finish that shit.
by Michaelthebox on Jan 26, 2009 3:33 PM EST up reply actions
Randy Couture > Matt Lindland.
By just a lil bit.
by Derek Suboticki on Jan 26, 2009 3:03 PM EST up reply actions
The UFC did cut Lindland to prevent him from potentially winning one. I wouldn’t necessarily blame him on that. He responded by almost beating a guy who won the UFC light heavyweight title.
He needs one more fight to confirm “he’s the old vitor” or “new vitor” or just basically grew some nuts and can actually win a fight when pushed.
He has or had the Gonzaga syndrome… he needs another fight to see where that is.
I agree on the Gonzaga syndrome 100%.
I am the bastard love child of Junie Browning and Diamond Dave Kaplan.
Vitor going to the UFC
Based on what Affliction paid Vitor (200K), I would think that might be a bit steep for UFC to match out? With some of these new organizations cropping up, you would think that Vitor popularity and current win streak over quality oppenants, he would have no issues securing a much better deal somewhere else. Family first.
I bet the UFC could make him a very competitive offer and the best part is they don’t have to match Affliction dollar for dollar because they can offer him a longer term contract (would you sign a four fight deal with Affliction? a two fight deal?) and the sponsorship opportunities will dramatically increase.
Even at $50,000/$50,000 Vitor would make more money in the UFC if he wins a couple fights than he would fighting for Affliction.
I love how one flash KO over
an overrated & over the hill wrestler somehow means that Vitor is back? Nate made some great points about the reasons why Vitor never fully lived up to his own hype. He is great when someone walks into his wheelhouse, but has no balls & no will to win no matter what is happening in the fight. Defeating a game Terry Martin not withstanding, this really does nothing to up his stock other than Dana probably laughing his ass off about Lindland getting KTFO’d! This may be enough to shoot up Belfort’s stock enough for the UFC to bring him back, but it does not mean he has earned it other than being a draw.
Flash KO? No Flash KO is what happened to Andre. Lindland went on a sleepover.
I’d love to see Belfort back in the UFC, if anything it ups the talent at middleweight and is someone who Silva hasn’t destroyed (yet).
I think Vitor is the one that Tito said was 131 years old.
Which is only kind germane to this discussion, but it did crack me up.
"BJ on the BE" - Kierkegaard
Seriously...
Vitor just got people saying, “man he looks great at middleweight.” Now Vitor’s talking about challenging the top heavyweight in the world? Shit.
It’s almost as though he lacks focus…
by Derek Suboticki on Jan 26, 2009 1:57 PM EST up reply actions
Flash Knockout?
i know this is kind of off the point of the post, but my understanding has always been that a flash KO was one in which you were out for a briefly and perfectly fine after just a few seconds i.e. the 2nd AA vs. Sylvia fight. there was nothing “flash” about Lindland’s unconsciousness.
Agreed.
I thought he hurt him badly with a solid shot and then KTFO’d him with the g’n’p.
Flash KO’s are like Irvin v. Alexander, AA vs. Buentello – where they’re out and then back up in seconds. Like the lights go completely off and back on, more like a power surge. When I think of them, I think of the fighter going out, ref jumping in swiftly and the fighter being conscious and everyone bitching about an early stoppage.
I am the bastard love child of Junie Browning and Diamond Dave Kaplan.
Beating of deadhorse is over.
I am the bastard love child of Junie Browning and Diamond Dave Kaplan.
Shouldn't you have changed it to...
flash quit quick?
Sorry, I’m an a**hole.
I am the bastard love child of Junie Browning and Diamond Dave Kaplan.
i would have prefered the line to read as such…..
“Honestly, Belfort’s win over Terry Martin impressed me more. Seeing Belfort gut out a tough fight against a game opponent in the later rounds is much more impressive than another brutally viscious display of violence, which left Matt Lindland debilitated and me questioning my love off MMA.”
The one thing that annoys me, as someone who has been following Belfort’s career closely for the last few years, is how people continue to harp on that tired old line about how Vitor is bound to just disappoint everyone at some point. You’d think after four dominant victories in 2007 and 2008, people’s opinions might actually evolve a bit, but I guess a lot of people didn’t see the fights or watch them closely enough. Belfort is a complete fighter who is at his physical peak, and has become very strong mentally. The only real weakness you can point to is that he has been controlled by elite wrestlers in the past, but if you look at his last career loss to Dan Henderson, it wasn’t like he got dominated. He was constantly looking for things off his back and managed to work several sweeps over the course of the fight.
I know a lot of people will scoff at the Anderson Silva matchup because he has been put on a pedestal as UFC champ, but he is still a mere mortal, and Belfort’s skills match up very well with Silva. Neither has ever been knocked out in a fight.
Scoff at this
Vitor Belfort’s striking is a solid two levels above anyone Silva has faced in the UFC.
I'll scoff at that
Rich Franklin’s stand up game is at least comparable to Belfort’s. He’s got longer reach, he uses kicks very well and throws lots of combinations. Franklin’s style is more awkward than Belfort’s (largely because he’s a right hander who fights southpaw) but I think that only makes it more effective.
Franklin hung with Anderson at distance in both fights, it was only in the clinch where he got killed.
Vitor throws straight punches very quickly but only developed a really polished stand-up game in the last couple of years.
Hey, I believe in Vitor. His win over Terry Martin was quite impressive and I think the move to 185 was smart. I wouldn’t get too pumped about the Henderson fight because he didn’t manage to DO anything in that fight but at least he didn’t get what they call “Belforted”.
All I was trying to say is that his win over Lindland is nothing unexpected from Vitor, it’s how the Old Vitor always won.
What I want to see is him hang in there and gut out a win in a tough fight against a top wrestler.
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