Anderson Silva front kicks Vitor Belfort at UFC 126. Photo by James Law.
UFC middleweight Vitor Belfort only wants title shots or fights with opponents near the top of his division. But if Anderson Silva beats Chris Weidman to regain the UFC 185-pound title at UFC 168, he may have to settle for the latter.
Silva recently told Combate that he doesn’t believe a fight with Belfort will happen and whatever business the two fighters had in the past is already taken care of. There is no need, according to the former title holder, for a rematch and he prefers not to face his fellow countryman.
“What was supposed to be done was done,” Silva said. “Of course, we are employees of the UFC, but I don’t like to fight against Brazilians.”
Silva and Belfort first faced each other in 2011 at UFC 126, a fight in which then-champion Silva front kicked the challenger on the way to a knockout win. Belfort has since won four consecutive fights at middleweight, with an additional failed attempt at the light heavyweight crown against Jon Jones.
UFC President Dana White and Zuffa Chariman Lorenzo Fertitta have offered a number of fights to Belfort, including a bout with former 205-pound champ Lyoto Machida, but the fighter has turned down every match-up the executives have proposed.
Belfort has recently written on Twitter that he now desires a fight with Chael Sonnen, a tweet that was prompted after the American fighter called out Wanderlei Silva during his recent post-fight interview at UFC Fight Night 26. White and UFC officials are yet to indicate whether or not they are interested in a Belfort-Sonnen bout for a future card.
While Belfort continues to lobby for fights that make sense to him, others aren’t so keen on the idea of fighting him. Time will tell who gets their way in the matchmaking chaos.
“I don’t think so,” Silva said when asked if he’ll fight Belfort again. “I don’t see that possibility.”
