It’s been over three years since Vitor Belfort’s knockout of Michael Bisping at UFC on FX 7, but ‘The Count’ is still very much visibly scarred by the loss.
‘The Phenom’ almost ended the Brit’s career when he detached his retina with a head kick in the second round and caused permanent disfigurement to Bisping’s eye.
Bisping, though, seems to have moved on from the loss and went on to capture the middleweight title with a first-round KO of Luke Rockhold at UFC 199.
Despite Bisping’s perseverance, Belfort said he is still ‘in his head’ and expects the newly-crowned champion to pursue a rematch if he beats Dan Henderson at UFC 204.
“He doesn't forget me. That guy cannot forget me. I'm in his head,” Belfort said to FOX Sports. "I bet he'll be asking for this fight. I think that's what he wants.”
Belfort, 39, has been competing in the sport for 20 years and is still considered one of the most dangerous fighters in the middleweight division. The Brazilian KO’d Dan Henderson in 2015 but recently suffered a devastating loss to Ronaldo ‘Jacare’ Souza at UFC 198.
Belfort will look to spring back into the winners column against Gegard Mousasi, who he will face in the co-main event of UFC 204. The pay-per-view, which features Bisping’s first title defense against Henderson in the main event, takes place tomorrow night, October 8 at the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England.