Vitor Belfort Named To UFC Hall Of Fame Class Of 2025

Las Vegas – UFC at this time introduced that former UFC gentle heavyweight champion and UFC® 12 heavyweight event winner Vitor Belfort will probably be inducted into the 2025 Class of the UFC Corridor of

Fame as a Pioneer. The 2025 UFC Corridor of Fame Induction Ceremony will happen as a part of the thirteenth Annual UFC Worldwide Battle WeekÔ, on Thursday, June 26, at T-Cellular Area, and will probably be streamed stay, solely on UFC FIGHT PASS®.

“Vitor Belfort was 19 years when he was signed by UFC and he shortly made an affect by changing into the youngest athlete to win a UFC battle, and UFC event,” stated UFC President & CEO Dana White. “Vitor was a pioneer of the game and is positively a UFC legend. Will probably be an honor to induct him into the UFC Corridor of Fame this summer season.”

Belfort will enter the UFC Corridor of Fame because the twentieth member of the Pioneer Period Wing. The Pioneer Period Wing contains athletes who turned skilled earlier than November 17, 2000, (when the unified guidelines of combined martial arts have been adopted). Different necessities embody a minimal age of 35 or those that have been retired for one 12 months or extra.

A veteran of 41 fights throughout his 22-year MMA profession, Belfort registered a file of 26-14,1 NC (20-14,1 NC – UFC / PRIDE / Strikeforce), securing victories over UFC Corridor of Famers Wanderlei Silva, Randy Couture, Wealthy Franklin, Michael Bisping, and Dan Henderson (Battle Wing); former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold, former Strikeforce gentle heavyweight champion Bobby Southworth, former Strikeforce welterweight champion Nate Marquardt, and former Pancrase heavyweight champion Kazuo Takahashi.

At age 19, Belfort made his skilled MMA debut on October 11, 1996, by competing in SuperBrawl 2 in Hawaii. Regardless of a seven-inch peak discrepancy and 100-pound. weight drawback, Belfort defeated his opponent, Jon Hess, by way of knockout in 12 seconds of the primary spherical to launch his profession. He instantly signed with UFC following his victory.

Belfort made his UFC debut as a heavyweight by coming into the event of UFC® 12: JUDGEMENT DAY, which came about on February 7, 1997, in Dothan, Alabama. He defeated his opponents, Tra Telligman and Scott Ferrozzo, each by way of first-round TKO, to win the heavyweight event.

Belfort returned to motion three months later, defeating fan favourite Tank Abbott by way of TKO in 52 seconds throughout UFC® 13: THE ULTIMATE FORCE, which came about on Might 30, 1997, in Augusta, Georgia. The win helped set up Belfort as a rising star and earned him a battle towards Couture at UFC 15.

UFC® 15: COLLISION COURSE tookplace on October 17, 1997, in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. Belfort and Couture confronted off within the co-main occasion with the winner going through then-UFC heavyweight champion and future UFC Corridor of Famer Maurice Smith at UFC Japan.

Couture would defeat Belfort by way of TKO eight minutes into the primary spherical handy him his first loss as knowledgeable. Belfort would win his subsequent two fights towards Joe Charles and Wanderlei Silva at UFC Japan (December 21, 1997) and UFC Brazil (October 16, 1998), respectively, bringing his file to 6-1. His battle with Couture would additionally set the stage for 2 thrilling rematches down the highway, as each athletes would proceed to ascend in recognition.

For the following three years, Belfort received 4 of his subsequent 5 fights in PRIDE, along with his solely loss to future UFC Corridor of Famer Kazushi Sakuraba.

Belfort returned to UFC as a lightweight heavyweight on June 22, 2002, shedding a choice to UFC Corridor of Famer Chuck Liddell in the principle occasion of UFC® 37.5: AS REAL AS IT GETS. He would return to his profitable type one 12 months later, defeating Marvin Eastman by way of TKO within the first spherical of UFC® 43: MELTDOWN, on June 6, 2003, in Las Vegas.

The win earned him his first title shot and a rematch towards Couture in the principle occasion of UFC 46. UFC® 46: SUPERNATURAL came about on January 31, 2004, in Las Vegas. The extremely anticipated battle was minimize brief because of a health care provider stoppage 49 seconds into the primary spherical, and Belfort was topped the brand new UFC gentle heavyweight champion.

Belfort would give Couture a right away rematch at UFC® 49: UNFINISHED BUSINESS on August 21, 2004, in Las Vegas, the place he would lose the title because of physician stoppage within the third spherical. He would lose his subsequent battle to future UFC Corridor of Famer Tito Ortiz in the principle occasion of UFC® 51: SUPER SATURDAY on February 5, 2005, ending his second stint with UFC.

Over the following 4 years, he would win six of his subsequent 9 fights throughout quite a few battle promotions, together with Strikeforce and PRIDE, earlier than returning to UFC to face Franklin in the principle occasion of UFC® 103: FRANKLIN vs. BELFORT. Belfort would win his return battle with a memorable KO of Franklin, re-establishing himself as a star contained in the Octagon.

For the following 9 years, Belfort would compete towards the highest contenders within the UFC middleweight and light-weight heavyweight divisions. He would battle for each titles, shedding to UFC Corridor of Famer Anderson Silva and Jon Jones.  He additionally secured unforgettable victories over Bisping, Rockhold, Henderson and Anthony Johnson throughout this stretch. His final victory got here in 2017, as he defeated Nate Marquardt by way of unanimous determination at UFC® 212: ALDO vs. HOLLOWAY, in his hometown of Rio de Janeiro. He retired after his subsequent battle, shedding by way of KO to former UFC gentle heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida throughout UFC® 224: NUNES vs. PENNINGTON on Might 12, 2018, in Rio.

Belfort enters the UFC Corridor of Fame with a formidable resume that features:

UFC:

Most first-round finishes in UFC historical past – 13

Knockouts in 90 seconds or much less – 10

18 first-round finishes in 26 profession wins

Exterior the Octagon, Belfort is an achieved creator, having his autobiography Vitor Belfort: Lições de garra, fé e sucesso revealed by Thomas Nelson Brazil in 2012. In 2013, he received the Knockout of the 12 months for his KO of Luke Rockhold in the principle occasion of UFC® on FX: BELFORT vs. ROCKHOLD through the Fighters Solely World MMA Awards. Belfort additionally hung out contained in the boxing ring, profitable each of his skilled matches in 2006 and 2023.

A local of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, he started coaching in boxing and Brazilian jiu-jitsu on the age of 12. By the age of 18, he was a black belt underneath Carlson Gracie and had captured Brazilian Nationwide Jiu-Jitsu Championships within the absolute and heavyweight divisions. In 2001, he returned to compete in ADCC, profitable the bronze medal within the absolute division. He presently lives in Florida, along with his spouse and youngsters.

Roberto Villa is the CEO, Founder, Government Author, Senior Editor of FightBook MMA. Has a ardour for Fight Sports activities and likewise a podcast host for Sitting Ringside. He’s additionally a former MMA fighter and Kickboxer.

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