V. Belfort wants to return to the heavyweight division. Photo: Reproduction/ Facebook UFC
One of the main names in the history of Brazilian MMA, Vitor belfort he is even willing to fight again, at 43 years old. Hired by ONE FC last year, the fighter shows enthusiasm by admitting that he is negotiating a new commitment, however, the coronavirus pandemic ended up postponing the plans. In an interview with 'Ag.Fight', the Rio native gave clues about his next opponent and stated that he intends to return to the heavyweight division (up to 120,2kg).
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“We were already talking about a possible fight against a heavyweight and we hope we can return as soon as possible. I was thinking about fighting in April. It was the date we were waiting for, but the coronavirus (COVID-19) postponed everything”, stated 'Fenômeno'.
Even without having an official opponent, Belfort preferred not to leave fans curious and tried to signal who his next opponent could be.
“We mentioned some names, but there is a heavyweight, Alain Ngalani, a big, strong guy. It is very flexible, very strong. They talked about a possible fight against him”, revealed Vitor.
At 44 years old, Ngalani has a record of 10 fights. The Cameroonian won four, lost five and had one performance without result. The 'giant' has been part of the ONE FC 'squad' since his MMA debut in 2013.
Aware of the dangers of facing an athlete with greater muscle mass, Vitor, who played among the middleweights (up to 83,9kg) in his last commitments, believes that the difference in size, in this case, will not be a disadvantage. If Alain is confirmed as the Brazilian's next rival, the 'Phenomenon' intends to use his smaller height and weight to his advantage.
“With my speed and explosiveness, I have a lot of advantage at heavyweight. In the light heavyweights (93 kg) and middleweights (83,9 kg) there are fighters with more skill. In the heavyweight division, they are fighters with a strong grip, with strength, but I think I have speed and strength on my side. It's a category that I've always done well in. I want to fight again against a guy heavier than me”, he concluded.
The challenge to the Cameroonian could end up frustrating the imagination of some nostalgic fans, who even showed interest in watching a rematch between Belfort against Wanderlei Silva, a rival he defeated in 1998. The 'Crazy Dog' even challenged his former tormentor to a 'bare-knuckle boxing' confrontation, but Vitor denied the commitment, stating that he would only accept the duel under current MMA rules for safety reasons. .
Belfort has not performed since his defeat to Lyoto Machida, in May 2018. At the time, the confrontation marked their departure from the UFC. Vitor, today, has 41 fights as a professional in mixed martial arts. The Brazilian has 26 victories, 14 setbacks and one fight without result.
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