Why Is Vitor Belfort Challenging for the UFC Middleweight Title?
by Jonathan Snowden on Sep 22, 2010 5:42 PM EDT
in UFC Editorial
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Vitor Belfort is a man with no wins in the UFC's middleweight division. Vitor Belfort will be the next challenger looking to dethrone middleweight champion Anderson Silva at UFC 125. These, amazingly enough, are both factual statements. But how can that be?
The problem, essentially, is depth. In the middleweight division there is none. It's a problem Silva himself noted some time ago - it's a big part of why he wanted to test himself in the light heavyweight division. But now Silva wants to stay put. Booking the champion at 205 pounds isn't an option for UFC brass who aren't allowed to force a fighter into any particular weight class. So dream matchups with Jon Jones and Randy Couture are non-starters. Silva is taking fights only in the middleweight division. And with Chael Sonnen on the shelf, Belfort steps in as the next best thing.
Sonnen's positive steroid test forced the UFC's hand, forced them to make this move. With five consecutive wins, Belfort's a viable contender in theory. With a name built over 15 years in the sport, he's the biggest name available. Ideally Belfort would have dispatched Yushin Okami at UFC 122 and come into a title fight with lots of momentum behind him. But UFC matchmakers rarely get to live in an ideal world.
The UFC feels strongly that Belfort-Silva is a legitimate main event match, not a main event in name only that will need to be supported by a bank breaking semi-main event. With interest in Silva at an all-time high and tons of footage with which to promote Belfort's stunningly fast hands and incredible power, they may just be right.
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i feel bad for okami
that’s bullshit
Next victim: Cain Velasquez
by HitokiriX on Sep 22, 2010 2:04 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Besides a change of opponent what is different now for Okami? He went from one win and a title shot to one win and a title shot.
i think he deserves to be put in that position over vitor who has no fights under the UFC banner and MW
Even shields, who was a champion, isn’t coming in for and immediate title shot.
Next victim: Cain Velasquez
Vitor was supposed to get the title shot next to start with, they booked the Sonnen rematch due to how well Sonnen did and booked the Okami fight to keep Vitor busy. Yea Okami may of been stuck in line for a while now (and he lost a title shot due to getting injured) but in this situation nothing changed for him except his opponent, he wasn’t going to get a shot now anyway. Sonnen took it from Vitor and Vitor got it back when Sonnen couldn’t do the rematch.
The fact that he got one to start with doesn't change the fact that he didn't deserve it in the first place.
And then God created Saturn... and he liked it, so he put a ring on it.
Twitter me and what not.
Define “deserve”. He’s a former world champion on a five fight win streak that includes Terry Martin, Matt Lindland and Rich Franklin. Are we really going to compare this to the Lesnar situation or act like it’s some kind of travesty just because the Rich Franklin fight was at 195lbs instead of 185lbs? Yea he hasn’t fought at 185lbs in the UFC yet but It’s not as big of a stretch that people are making it out to be. Yes he should of fought at least at middleweight in the UFC once first but the situation is what it is.
by who me on Sep 22, 2010 5:35 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Why not. Okami got handles by Franklin and Vitor torched Rich. Vitor may not have a fight in the UFC 185 division yet but you can’t discredit his wins vs Franklin and Lindland.
by xbuckeyex05 on Sep 22, 2010 6:32 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Belfort is a striker
Silva will not have to worry about sprawling, and the odds of this fight being amazing and ending in a knockout become much higher. It’s just good matchmaking.
That's all well and good
But Yushin Okami (and correct me if I’m wrong) is still a fairly obscure fighter, I’m not sure if he speaks English, and while he’s not the least entertaining guy around, he’s certainly not lit the world on fire.
Vitor is still an oldschool UFC name. Let no one be fooled into thinking that he is not getting this opportunity on name recognition and past achievements. The meritocracy only goes so far and they’ve put Anderson up against small name fighters with dubious paths to victory against him before and we know how that went. You can say he could replicate what Sonnen did and I can’t say that you’d be wrong but Chael does what Okami does better.
I don't feel sorry for any of the fighters under this scenario...
As I see it, only the UFC suffers but it looks as though Joe Silva made the best decisions available to him:
Obviously, Belfort is the major benefactor.
Okami may have been waiting longer, but the Silva-Belfort match had already begun construction long before Belfort’s injury. Okami’s shot against Anderson was promoted by hardcore fans but I think he was always that one big fight away to get there. I think Marquardt’s profile is currently much higher and I feel that Okami beating Marquardt (if it were to happen) would essentially force the UFC to give him that shot. Plus, he’s still on the same rung of the ladder, not lower.
Marquardt just received a legitimate fight for a title shot. This is significant because who else could he fight in that division that would give him that shot. A rematch with Sonnen would’ve been interesting; one with Maia not so much.
Anderson Silva has an opportunity to look spectacular against Belfort (finally), which I couldn’t manage to see how he would in a Sonnen rematch even with a slick submission
Obviously, Sonnen the only loser but that is what started these match-up changes in the first place.
by flassasin24 on Sep 22, 2010 2:36 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions 1 recs
Okami is still in a number one contenders match.
Just like he was a week ago. Why do you feel bad for him? You think Nate is that much tougher than Belfort?
Nate Doesn’t have any rust
a life: it's the shit that happens while you're waiting for moments that never come -Lester Freamon
by eastcoastatlas on Sep 22, 2010 3:13 PM EDT up reply actions
This is really weak sauce by the UFC
Right now It feels like Vitor is getting the “Brock” treatment, but even then Brock had more than one fight at HW before he got his title shot.
UFC match making loses a lot of legitimacy if Silva beats Belfort. But then that’s par for the course.
by squaresphere on Sep 22, 2010 5:08 PM EDT up reply actions
The “Brock” treatment should be renamed the “Randy” treament. Couture, with the belt, after being off for a while, requested Lesnar. But I mean it’s the “in” thing to hate Brock right?
If you want to hear my opinion on Les Miles go to BJPenn.com.
please
It’s a little irregular, but it hardly undermines the UFC’s legitimacy. Belfort is a veteran of the UFC and an MMA legend coming off five straight wins. If he beats Silva he did something no other fighter could do in years. If he loses, he’s supposed to, because Silva is the best. The only way I think it looks really bad is if he folds like a lawn chair and Silva runs through him, but I’m hopeful that doesn’t happen.
Tatum: I think he's a good man. I like him. I got nothing against him, but I'm definitely gonna make orphans of his children.
by Dave Strummer on Sep 22, 2010 5:20 PM EDT up reply actions
It is a bit much the outrage at this move. Belfort beat Matt Lindland and Rich Franklin back to back. That’s no small deal and just because he beat the former middleweight champion at 195lbs doesn’t mean that fight doesn’t count. He’s done more to earn a middleweight shot than a lot of other guys that get title fights have done and that’s not to mention he’s a veteran of the sport and a former world champion.
Okami beat Lucio Linhares and Mark Munoz after losing to Sonnen.
What part of that screams “title shot”? At least Vitor beat Franklin and Lindland before getting injured.
Yeah
one at catchweight, and the other in a different promotion.
"The fight between Overeem and Rogers probably resembled Overeem’s prom night, with the overwhelmed opposition succumbing to a brutal pounding eventually leading to submission in the face of agony and a stay in the hospital."
I'd rather him earn it but this is the best option.
I’ll go out on a limb Vitor loses in the 3rd do to a cut.
Drink to remember, drink to forget.
by doonerthesooner on Sep 22, 2010 2:04 PM EDT reply actions
Vitor Belfort is a man with no wins in the UFC’s middleweight division. Vitor Belfort will be the next challenger looking to dethrone middleweight champion Anderson Silva. These, amazingly enough, are both factual statements. But how can that be?
Because of the other contenders, he was the one that was promised a title shot. Yes, he didn’t fight at 185, but he ran through Rich Franklin like he wasn’t even there.
Marquardt and Okami’s most recent efforts simply haven’t been impressive.
I dunno, Okami’s looked good in his last two fights, but I agree that beating Vitor would have made it legit. Unfortunately for Marquardt, he got a victory but it wasn’t exciting or impressive under the circumstances. Vitor really is the best choice for the UFC. I certainly don’t blame them for it.
by BurtBacharach on Sep 22, 2010 2:10 PM EDT up reply actions
meh
he caught Franklin behind the ear (back of the head, but whatever) and so on.
http://mixedmartialartsblogger.wordpress.com/
by Cory Braiterman on Sep 22, 2010 2:46 PM EDT up reply actions
meh...Mir got caught behind the ear
(and directly on the back of the skull with more than half of carwin’s shots, but whatever)…
"All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident." -Arthur Schopenhauer
As for being well rounded... "The fox devises many strategies, the hedgehog only one, but he uses it very effectively." -Archilochus
by BigDNotDallas on Sep 22, 2010 6:18 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Damn John you're crankin um out today.
As for as standings go I think Okami earned it, but he’s not a draw and will not help Anderson’s buyrate numbers. I would be suprised if Anderson came up with an elbow injury until Chael gets out.
If you want to hear my opinion on Les Miles go to BJPenn.com.
I don’t see Belfort as much of a draw either
by StillUnknown on Sep 22, 2010 2:18 PM EDT up reply actions
He’s a bigger name than Okami & Nate the Grrrrrrrrrrr -eat
If you want to hear my opinion on Les Miles go to BJPenn.com.
Is he really?
I don’t think “casuals” know him any better than Okami or Nate.
"Now you see that evil will always triumph, because good is dumb."
by menckenstein on Sep 22, 2010 2:38 PM EDT up reply actions
It’s hard to say who casuals know because we are not them.
The only thing casuals will know about Nate is that he KO’d the Brazilian sub specialist who they never heard of. Other than that he had a weak UFC FN a while back.
You could put up a picture of Okami with three choices and less than half of the casuals would pick the right name.
Belfort may be new for them, but if they saw KO Rich orbought any KO vides from the UFC then they know who Belfort is.
If you want to hear my opinion on Les Miles go to BJPenn.com.
C'mon
as long as Nate had been in the company it’s not like casuals couldn’t have a better clue of who he is, the guys been in the company five years and has fought 12 times so I think they’d have some frame of reference. As for Vitor, he had one fight recently in the company a year ago after being out for five.
"The fight between Overeem and Rogers probably resembled Overeem’s prom night, with the overwhelmed opposition succumbing to a brutal pounding eventually leading to submission in the face of agony and a stay in the hospital."
Did those fan watch Nate’s last headling free show on Spike?
Spike TV has released the numbers for Ultimate Fight Night 22 — a 0.9, which the Wrestling Observer notes is the lowest ever for a Fight Night live on Spike TV.
http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2010/9/17/1695072/weak-ratings-for-ufc-fight-night
I doubt Belfort would have had gotten a lot of momentum from beating Okami. Okami himself is not a draw and the fight was in Germany.
The card airs free on Spike though.
Lots of people would have seen it. An impressive victory for either guy would have done wonders for public appeal.
I bet 122 is going to be terrible in the ratings
Mo Johnston finally fired. Let the house cleaning and road to success begin.
Vitor is going to lose because of Shawn Tompkins
That dude is a jinx.
"Now you see that evil will always triumph, because good is dumb."
Silva only doesn't want to fight for the title in LHW
that doesn’t mean he won’t fight anyone at LHW (bring on Jones Bones, funny how he is the one who says he wouldn’t fight Silva right now yet Silva is the one people say won’t fight Jones…), he just doesn’t want to fight for the title since he has two teammates in that division who he feels deserves it…
As for Vitor, I think they’re just remaking the fight that was originally supposed to go down in Abu Dhabi, quite frankly it’s better than Nate or Okami, I think it can sell better that’s why they make it.
the following two things are signs of weaknesses:
stay silent when it's needed to speak up, and speak up when it's needed to stay silent.
and where do you get that idea?
the following two things are signs of weaknesses:
stay silent when it's needed to speak up, and speak up when it's needed to stay silent.
well
I believe Anderson speaking for himself over someone saying they have sources that AS doesn’t want to fight in LHW yet can’t disclose them, I understand from a journalistic point but I just can’t accept that myself.
the following two things are signs of weaknesses:
stay silent when it's needed to speak up, and speak up when it's needed to stay silent.
I can’t remember where but I feel like recently Anderson has been saying that he wants to stay at MW himself.
by BurtBacharach on Sep 22, 2010 2:16 PM EDT up reply actions
Silva's information on Silva is incorrect.
He wants to move up to LHW
He wants to move up to HW
He wants to move down to WW
He wants to stay put
He has go on the record saying all of that hasn’t he?
If you're paying attention to what HE says
then yeah.
"I trained with Steven Seagal."
by B.H. Farnsworth on Sep 22, 2010 3:01 PM EDT up reply actions
he says he'll welcome fights at those weights
the one discrepancy I definitely see from him is whether he’d fight GSP at WW or MW, it used to be that he would go down to WW, but now it’s at MW. other than that he’s been consistent IMO.
the following two things are signs of weaknesses:
stay silent when it's needed to speak up, and speak up when it's needed to stay silent.
I agree
He has consistently made contradicting statements. :P
"I trained with Steven Seagal."
by B.H. Farnsworth on Sep 22, 2010 3:05 PM EDT up reply actions
The most recent talk bit I heard on the matter was after 117...
He said he would probably stay at MW because there were lots of challengers.
In reality, who knows.
he continues to say that today
he actually never said he was bored with MW, that’s just the hype the forums created. but saying he’ll “stay” at MW doesn’t mean he wouldn’t take a fight or two outside of it, he just wants to continue defending the belt and has no interest in other belts.
the following two things are signs of weaknesses:
stay silent when it's needed to speak up, and speak up when it's needed to stay silent.
but these are all old statements. Made when Silva was the undisputed, invincible, middleweight champion.
I’m not saying that his win over Chael was lucky or anything like that, but that fight showed that Anderson is human. The previous statements don’t really apply because the Chael fight has made people stop thinking that Anderson will walk through everyone at 185.
He said those things when none of the fights at 185 were interesting, now they are.
I think it would just look pretty weak from a PR standpoint if nothing else if Silav were to take another LHW fight after the Sonnen fight. Now that the world knows he’s vulnerable it would look more like he’s dodging MW competition and less like he cleaned the division out.
by BurtBacharach on Sep 22, 2010 2:13 PM EDT up reply actions
Dumb fans
This is because even before the Sonnen fight insane fans who hate Silva were acting like Vitor is a cross between Ali and Schilt in their primes and was going to knock his chin into the atmosphere. Hell people were bitching about vitor having to wait until Chael started his insane rants.
Belfort may be the best Striker that Silva has faced.
That makes the fight interesting.
Belfort hasn’t earned it, but he is the closest thing to a name opponent and I can see the logic behind him getting a shot. Do I agree with it? Nope. Will I excitedly pay to see it? Yep!!
I think the speed is a bigger factor
When has Silva fought an opponent that was more athletic than most fighters? Maybe Marquardt three years ago, but back then he wasn’t nearly the fighter that he is today.
Vitor doens't really have the defense to stand with Silva
Silva will catch him with counter punches the whole night or until Vitor gets TKO’d or quits or get to cut to continue
Drink to remember, drink to forget.
by doonerthesooner on Sep 22, 2010 5:44 PM EDT up reply actions
If only the UFC had,
someone who fought at 185, had Sonnen’s wrestling style and was a very difficult man to submit. And had beaten Dan Henderson pretty handily…
Oh wait they totally do but they’re making him fight at 170 to give GSP more challengers because they realize Silva will never be marketable so you gotta keep GSP up by giving him new fighters to beat on.
Yeah, that guy who fought at WW for the majority of his career.
My avatar has Bas Rutten and Terry Funk in it...therefore it's the manliest avatar on SB Nation.
www.twitter.com/RobertGoeman
That’s a good point. However, Shields isn’t 1/10th as good at hyping a fight as Chael. If Chael won, it would have been exciting because the leadup. If Shields won in the same fashion (especially after Chael exposed the holes), it would be another “boring lay and pray” victory. Not necessarily saying I agree, but it could definitely be perceived this way. Also, GSP needs to be fed some more opponents. 111 was bad television, at least Shields and Koscheck are somewhat competitive with him on the ground.
by BurtBacharach on Sep 22, 2010 2:21 PM EDT up reply actions
Is this is a consensus opinion?
Because I REALLY enjoyed the GSP/Hardy fight. I’m amazed Hardy left the cage with both arms intact.
Get rid of the ramp!
I don’t think it’s an opinion, really. I didn’t say it was a bad fight, I said it was bad television. People were calling it the Jersey Snore.
by BurtBacharach on Sep 22, 2010 2:45 PM EDT up reply actions
From a TV standpoint, having another two or three of those five round, one sided decisions will do a lot to erode GSPs drawing power. Remember, the people on these boards and the hardcore fans are a very small percentage of the people following the sport as it grows. Casual fans want to see fireworks.
by BurtBacharach on Sep 22, 2010 2:48 PM EDT up reply actions
Television is about numbers. Remember Strikeforce: Nashville? People don’t like five round wrestling matches.
by BurtBacharach on Sep 22, 2010 3:21 PM EDT up reply actions
Ratings plunges are facts, not opinions. While it may reflect the opinion of viewers, the trend itself is pretty objective. If GSP/Hardy had been on CBS, it probably would have rated higher to begin with but had a similar decline towards the end of the match. You and I are allowed to enjoy our MMA however we want, but at the end of the day it’s about getting the most eyeballs on the product.
Speaking of which, Shields was part of the reason that happened in the first place, which is why I don’t necessarily agree with the post I had originally responded to.
And again, I’m not saying I think 111 was boring, I actually thought it was pretty cool. I’m not a GSP hater at all, I actually like him. I’m just saying that if GSP keeps turning in those performances it’s not a stretch that he will lose some of his allure as a drawing power. Part of the problem is giving him opponents like Dan Hardy, who is very tough but wasn’t ready for a title shot.
by BurtBacharach on Sep 22, 2010 3:32 PM EDT up reply actions
It's really just overblown by the haters.
I saw UFC 111 in the theater and people were going nuts during the submission attempts and the ensuing escape. I don’t know what more you can ask from any form of entertainment. Quite a contrast to the Fitch fight earlier in the evening.
(not that I’m calling you a hater, Burt, but some people have spewed a lot of venom towards GSP for that fight)
Vitor / Silva is better than the alternatives at the moment.
I have no problem with this.
Anderson Silva also had a questionable contender status since he only won one before fighting for the title. Of course Vitor hasn’t fought at all at MW, and I would have liked to see him beat Okami to gain some momentum after such a long layoff, but whatever. It is what it is.
Yep I think that is what it comes down to, Vitor vs Silva is the best alternative at this point. Hopefully Nate vs Okami headling and event will generate a bit of attention for the winner going into a title fight but right now neither one of them draws at all. I also think that just because Vitor doesn’t have a streak of middleweight wins in the UFC doesn’t mean that he’s not a credible opponent, his reputation speaks for itself. I would of prefered for him to have a middleweight fight or two in the UFC but then I would of prefered for Sonnen to not do drugs too, it is what it is at this point.
What people are over looking
Vitor is much better looking than both Nate or Yushin.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned in nearly 20 years of watching combat sports: its all about handsomeness.
"I trained with Steven Seagal."
by B.H. Farnsworth on Sep 22, 2010 2:36 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Message Paid for by Ken Shamrock
by Jonathan Snowden on Sep 22, 2010 2:38 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
You mean this stud
"I trained with Steven Seagal."
by B.H. Farnsworth on Sep 22, 2010 2:42 PM EDT up reply actions
Reminds me of The Simpsons episode "The Homer They Fall"
Where Moe talks about his nickname changing from “Kid Gorgeous” to “Kid Respectable” to “Kid Moe”
"Now you see that evil will always triumph, because good is dumb."
by menckenstein on Sep 22, 2010 2:43 PM EDT up reply actions
Same reason I now call my penis the “Kid Tolerable”.
"I trained with Steven Seagal."
by B.H. Farnsworth on Sep 22, 2010 2:46 PM EDT up reply actions
My favorite episode
Though that’s not hard to piece together, given my avatar…and my sig.
Tatum: I think he's a good man. I like him. I got nothing against him, but I'm definitely gonna make orphans of his children.
by Dave Strummer on Sep 22, 2010 2:57 PM EDT up reply actions
I read that thread from the bottom up and thought you were making a Kid Nate joke.
I didn’t understand it though.. Stupid upside down reading.
I love this fight
Lemons/lemonade…something something something. I wouldn’t have had a problem with them moving Okami up either, but this is a money fight.
Tatum: I think he's a good man. I like him. I got nothing against him, but I'm definitely gonna make orphans of his children.
When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold
It is a money fight and a very interesting fight stylistically. Belfort may be the most dangerous striker that Silva has faces and Silva probably has greater advantage on the ground than he has standing. It will be really interesting to see how it plays out.
Belfort didn’t earn it, but I think this is the most stylistically appealing option.
by truck on Sep 22, 2010 3:17 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I think Ben Fowlkes said it best in an article this week
…about putting Barnett/Fedor together in Strikeforce. If the company wants to put two guys on a collision course by giving them fights with someone else to hype the potential clash, those plans can be ruined if one of them loses.
Whether Belfort “deserves” a shot is kind of a moot point, since MMA title shots are seldom based on merit alone. Silva had one win in the UFC before fighting Franklin, Lesnar was 1-1, Machida only got a shot because Rampage turned it down after being the first man in history not to knock out Keith Jardine, Sherk got a shot despite being stripped of the title for pissing hot, yadda yadda yadda.
Get rid of the ramp!
this is a cool fight
i have no problems with it
We have a saying back home that if your coming on, COME ON!!!!
I'm going to guess here
There is nobody in the UFC MW division with powerful striking like Belfort. All the decent strikers are gatekeepers. They want Striker vs. Striker instead of Silva’s umpteenth Wrestler/Grappler opponent.
I don’t agree with it, Belfort should’ve earned it, but hey I still want to see the fight.
Mo Johnston finally fired. Let the house cleaning and road to success begin.
Hey guys I fought once at catch-weight and earned a title shot, so cool.
This is not something you’d see in a real sport.
let me go to sherdog
LOL
let’s go to sherdog for vitor’s record
and see how often he has fought at middle
biggerst name/draw?
how about GSP?
oh no can’t kill a cash cow?
hm?
what a cunundrum
Haiku?
"Don’t quote old fucks to me" – Brent Brookhouse
by Chris Barton on Sep 22, 2010 5:18 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I hate this.
He doesn’t deserve it. I’d like to see it, but he doesn’t deserve it.
And then God created Saturn... and he liked it, so he put a ring on it.
Twitter me and what not.
Well they still would deserve it more.
"The fight between Overeem and Rogers probably resembled Overeem’s prom night, with the overwhelmed opposition succumbing to a brutal pounding eventually leading to submission in the face of agony and a stay in the hospital."
I think the article misses the real reason for Vitor's shot
Before Sonnen was busted, they had one title fight from the rematch and another from the Belfort-Okami match. Now the rematch is off, and while they would still get one contender from Belfort-Okami, what do you do for the second contender? You can’t put Marquardt on the shelf for 8 months, and you’d really prefer that he had another win after Palhares made that victory so empty. Belcher is still having eye problems.
The solution is to give Vitor his shot, because he’s half-legit as the #1 contender already in most people’s eyes, and let Marquardt-Okami duke it out for the other spot.
The other upshot is that we may get good timing for GSP-Silva if both fighters complete their two defenses.
I'm glad he's getting a tot at the shitle.
He should, it makes for the most interesting fight.
Eh, I don’t feel that strongly for or against Vitor getting a title shot now I just hope he doesn’t get injured again and actually shows up to fight.
"they mad at me, I keep going hard reppin/
cause what's your Rampage to Rashad Evans/"
-Joe Budden (Something To Ride To)
http://www.zshare.net/audio/76866807deabe3c1/
BOOLSHIT!!!
Okami is getting hosed again. Vitor hasn’t had a single fucking fight at 185 in the UFC. He doesn’t deserve squat. I hope Anderson annihilates him.
Sports Entertainment, indeed.
I specializes in grammar fail.
Without the injury, Vitor is far more deserving than Okami right now.
Vitor last three fights:
W Rich Franklin (KO)
W Matt Lindland (KO)
W Terry Martin (KO)
Okami last three fights:
W Mark Munoz (SD)
W Lucio Linhares (KO)
L Chael Sonnen (UD)
The best thing would have been for them to face off, but with Sonnen out of the picture, it has to go to Belfort. You can’t compare Munoz and Linhares to Franklin and Lindland.
by sBruce24 on Sep 22, 2010 7:09 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
And so what if the Lindland and Martin wins weren't in the UFC?
They were against MW fighters, good ones, too. This isn’t like a AA team playing in the world series, its combat sports. Regardless of the promotion, a good opponent is a good opponent.
What was left out
Vitor Belfort is a man with no wins in the UFC’s middleweight division.
This article doesn’t even mention that Belfort’s last win was over Rich Franklin, the former middleweight champion, so I’d say that’s probably why he’s challenging for the UFC Middleweight Title. Yes, they fought at 195, but more important is the fact that Belfort destroyed him. Weight classes are secondary to fighter marketability. Most people who will watch the Silva/Belfort fight are going to have no clue what weight class Belfort has fought at in the past unless the announcers make a point of it.
When Randy Couture came back to win the heavyweight title from Tim Sylvia, he was coming off a loss at light heavyweight to Chuck Liddell, and hadn’t fought at heavyweight in 4 1/2 years.
by MMAmadman on Sep 22, 2010 9:02 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Rich Franklin has a know weakness to southpaws. All of his losses are to southpaws except for one. I love Belfort to deat but he dosn’t deserve the title shot. the reason that Belfort skipped the contendor match is that UFC are babying him
by Mohammedini Hussein on Sep 22, 2010 11:24 PM EDT reply actions
People really don't want to see this fight?
Umm, Silva v. Belfort. Can’t we stop nitpicking and be MMA fans for a second?
With the way Maia and Sonnen were tagging Silva, the Vitor matchup comes at a perfect time.
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