With his conflict with the UFC apparently solved, former champion Vitor Belfort has turned his energy elsewhere.
More specifically, into a rematch with Michael Bisping.
Belfort was supposed to have made his final octagon appearance Sunday vs. Uriah Hall at UFC Fight Night 124. On Saturday, Belfort weighed in. Hall, however, fell ill and failed to make it to the scale. He was hospitalized, and the bout was scrapped.
Belfort later took to social media to express his “conflicting feelings” with the situation and ask the promotion to be paid for his efforts. UFC President Dana White, in turn, replied that Belfort had been offered replacement bouts and turned them down.
In the interim, reports of a meeting with ex-middleweight-champ Bisping, whom Belfort (26-13 MMA, 15-10 UFC) knocked out in 2013, came up. Bisping (30-9 MMA, 20-9 UFC) shot them down. White, in turn, confirmed that was Belfort’s desire and said that, while “he wasn’t opposed to it,” he’d yet to figure it out.
On Tuesday, Belfort took to Instagram to say the matchup was indeed offered. And, after thanking the UFC and White for “finding a way to help me with all the camp expenses and offering me this great fight,” he’s urging Bisping to “stop finding excuses” not to take it.
Via Instagram:
“Bisping stop finding excuses. UFC had offered us Belfort vs Bisping 2 and I said YES. I will fight you in your hometown. How about that? Let’s make an amazing show for all the fans around the the world and retire in great fashion… Thanks UFC and Dana White for finding a way to help me with all the camp expenses and offering me this great fight. I promise you and all my fans. on March 17th in London you all will see the Phenom in the octagon. I’m leaving it all in there!”
Brazil’s Combate.com was the first to report news of the matchup, which would take place at UFC Fight Night 127 on March 17 at The O2 in London.
This is the last fight on Belfort’s current UFC contract – and, according to what “The Phenom” said during fight week, it’s also set to be the last of his more than two-decade long career. Belfort comes off a win over Nate Marquardt, which snapped a three-fight winless skid.
Bisping, in turn, is now on a two-fight losing skid. Three weeks after losing the middleweight title to Georges St-Pierre, the Brit was knocked out by Kelvin Gastelum in the main event of UFC Fight Night 122. Before that, he won three consecutive fights – including the UFC 199 rematch that earned him the title over Luke Rockhold.
For more on UFC Fight Night 127, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.
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