Belfort reveals leg injury weeks before fight against Henderson

Vitor belfort (Photo: Josh Hedges/UFC)

Vitor belfort revealed that he had suffered an injury to his left leg weeks before UFC Fight Night 32, in Goiânia, when he knocked out Dan Henderson spectacularly.

In an interview with Beat 98 FM radio, on the program Mundo da Luta, the Brazilian, without giving many details of what happened, stated that he considered infiltrating his leg – the same one with which he knocked out the North American. However, Belfort decided to face the pain.

“The leg I hit was the one I had a big injury two weeks before the fight. I was going to do an infiltration, but I decided not to. I thought it was something I had to overcome. It was cool to overcome that, to train with pain, to experience and overcome pain. It was a very big, very serious injury,” she said.

The Blackzilians athlete credited the knockout – his third consecutive one using kicks – to his intense training in striking. “I train everything – boxing, muay thai. What differentiates is the spirit, being prepared to take the necessary risks in the fight. He tried [to hit me] twice and I blocked it, I managed to knock him off balance. In the third, I hit a hook, he left the ground with both legs and fell. It was a very strong hook, a painting of God,” he commented.

Although the fight against Hendo took place in the light heavyweight category (up to 93 kg), Belfort is now waiting for an opportunity to fight for the middleweight belt (up to 84 kg), against the winner of the rematch between Anderson Silva e Chris Weidman, on December 28th.