Vitor Belfort ~ Sacrifice, Discipline And Humility

**notrightn0w** · Posted On: 4/20/2010 5:23pm

While UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva has been stirring up controversy about his behavior from his fight against Damian Maia, his original opponent for "UFC 112: Invincible," Vitor Belfort has been healing hard, and focusing even harder.

Belfort was recently at the RVCA training center in Costa Mesa, Cailf., and MMA Spot has the exclusive interview with Silva’s potential next opponent. After being pulled from the UFC 112 card due to a shoulder injury, Belfort has been on the mend and is getting ready to have the fight that he was meant to fight.

Belfort reflects on his thoughts of seeing his replacement, Maia, in the cage against Silva instead of him: “It was a bad feeling, but what can you do? It wasn’t what I wanted. I wanted to be there. It was painful for me, I was very excited to be at the UFC event but it just wasn’t good, until you can be there and beat the guy, and I have all the tools to do that, then I’m a happy guy.”

On his prospective opponent’s behavior toward Maia, which continues to make waves in the news, Belfort simply said, “I think that Dana [White] spoke for everyone.”

Belfort has been fighting on and off for the UFC since 1997, making him a long-time veteran of not only the organization, but the sport of MMA itself. He has fought some of the biggest names in the industry including Wanderlei Silva, Randy Couture, Chuck Lidell, Tito Ortiz and Dan Henderson.

“I don’t miss nothing from back then,” said Belfort. “I think Lorenzo [Fertitta] and Dana, they made things better. Things just needed to grow up and they invested in the sport and worked hard for the fans and hopefully we can become the biggest sport in the world.”

The Brazil native is a devout family man with a wife and three children. His family is everything to him and he manages to balance his professional fighting career while keeping his family at top priority. “That’s who I am. [My career] doesn’t change anything,” said Belfort.

“The past is a canceled check, tomorrow is a promissory note, and today is cash in hand. That’s how I live my life. I always try to improve and look to the future. Many things that I did in the past, I regret, and for me and my wife, it’s never too late to improve. Everyday I try to make improvement in my life, in my personal and professional and my spiritual [life]. That’s how I see life and that’s how I live life,” he said.

Being one of the most popular professional fighters in the world provides Belfort with a certain humility.

“[My] favorite thing about UFC is fighting for the fans, seeing how so many fans they support you no matter how you are in your life. Fighting for things that I believe in as a man representing this sport. Also watching this sport grow up, and being there from the beginning. Many champions right now, they look to me. Just to see how you help this sport grow makes me feel good and I want to leave my footprints, not just in this sport but in the hearts of people as a good man, a man of order and a man of principle."

Belfort has trained at Xtreme Couture with Randy Couture, an old opponent. One would think that could be an awkward situation, seeing that Couture and Belfort have fought three times in the past. But for the humble Belfort, it is normal. “Randy is a very good representation of martial arts, he is a very good friend. It’s normal. This is what it is, we are athletes and this is what we do, we fight.”

Belfort is currently looking for a training camp as he continues to cross train while he rehabs. “I train with Coach Tompkins and Ray Sefo, I was training at Couture, we don’t know what we are going to do, if we are going to go there, we will see. We are going to see where we will go for a training camp and sparring partners. I am really looking forward to maybe working with John Jones, he is a guy that I really admire. For me, he is one of the best fighters coming up and he has the style of Anderson, so I’m going to call him and see if he can work with me.”

“I am looking to fight for the title and to get healed and then do what I need to do, and do what I know how to do, and what the fans expect me to do,” said Belfort on his next fight.
“Nothing will be different and I’m going to train hard and I am going to go there and do my best and I’m going to put up a fight.”

When asked what his predictions are on a likely fight against Silva, Belfort responded: “I don’t live through predictions, I live through sacrifice, the more I work, the harder I work and the more discipline I have the more chance I have to succeed. So predictions, the more you train, the more you have chance to win.”

Belfort’s shoulder is improving everyday. He is doing as much as he can do physically to stay in shape and “when the time comes, I’ll be 100 percent.”

In response to his Silva’s criticism, he maintained, “Who ever has a mouth can say what they can say. But what’s the difference between the truth and the real truth? The true can be true, but not the real truth. The real truth is what I live and what I preach. Some people live by the lie. I don’t get it, I don’t get the fool. I let them eat by their selves, that’s not a fountain that I want to drink. They can say whatever they want; you cannot turn water into a rock.”

Belfort is a class act and a positive representation of the sport, fight fans are looking forward to a fight against Silva and his 100 percent recovery to be showcased in the cage, the cage that has shaped great fighters like Belfort and the cage that will continue to make history as long as there are athletes like Vitor Belfort occupying them.
Photos: Juice Anda

http://www.mmaspot.net/index.php/red...vitor_belfort/

**simonifrius** · Posted On: 4/20/2010 6:04pm

Guy's a class act. I'd love to see him bring it like the old days. Haven't seen him fight in a long time.

**sandbag2** · Posted On: 4/20/2010 6:36pm

Just met Belfort last week.

**wolunt** · Posted On: 4/20/2010 11:31pm

I love it that's he's back to the Vitor of old but better. He seems to be fighting much smarter today versus during his rise before. I remember him blowing his wad against Sakuraba then getting his ass kicked for next 14 minutes. It wasn't pretty.

**shelbydeth** · Posted On: 4/21/2010 12:23am

I'm hoping he will KTFO Silva so Anderson realizes he isn't really the second coming.

**Monkfg** · Posted On: 4/22/2010 9:48am

I wonder what strategy he will use against Silva. He could make enough pressure to bring Silva out of his comfort zone...

**Matt Phillips** · Posted On: 4/22/2010 11:09am

War phenom

**Shawarma** · Posted On: 4/22/2010 11:16am

Belfort will do what he always does: Make his way to the very top of his division and then drop the ball when it REALLY counts, disappointing all his fans. I expect Silva to dismantle him with ease once Belfort fails to knock him out with a flurry in the first round and gassing.

**shelbydeth** · Posted On: 4/22/2010 1:35pm

Originally Posted by Shawarma

Belfort will do what he always does: Make his way to the very top of his division and then drop the ball when it REALLY counts, disappointing all his fans. I expect Silva to dismantle him with ease once Belfort fails to knock him out with a flurry in the first round and gassing.

I hate you. I'll hate you double if you are right.