Delusional quote of the day: Vitor Belfort wants interim title
Despite avoiding real regulation for two years by fighting internationally, and allowing his licensing in U.S. jurisdictions to lapse while using banned drug treatments, Vitor Belfort (24-10) was granted a middleweight title shot by the UFC. The UFC wanted the big middleweight title fight between Belfort and champion Chris Weidman (12-0) to take place in the fight capital of the world, Las Vegas (where Belfort had already failed a drug test in 2006 by testing positive for a steroid. That failed drug test resulted in a suspension from the Nevada Athletic Commission - NAC- that Belfort disregarded by fighting in the United Kingdom during it.), so the Nevada commission promptly administered a drug test to Belfort.
Belfort then failed the test and attempted to keep the results secret. When a Cagewriter report revealed that Belfort's test results would be made public at a commission hearing, the fighter decided to admit that he failed the test.
Instead of penalizing Belfort, however, the NAC- (likely fearing a jurisdiction battle with the unlicensed Belfort, similar to the one it later got with Wanderlei Silva) decided to effectively let Belfort regulate himself. "The Phenom" pulled out the fight with Weidman, and when the commission finally got around to giving him a hearing, they issued no suspension for his second failed performance-enhancing drug test, and Belfort was given a second title shot against Weidman on Dec. 6.
We reiterate all of this just to contextualize just how brazen Belfort's recent comments about the UFC belt and Weidman truly are. Speaking to Brazilian outlet Globo, Belfort complained about his date with Weidman being postponed to Feb. 2015 because of a broken hand sustained by the champ.
"You're kidding, right?" Belfort said of Weidman's latest injury.
"To me, he wanted to spend Christmas with his belt, and only in this way could do it."
Belfort was gifted a title shot twice this year, despite avoiding regulation and failing a drug test, and has managed to avoid any formal sanction for his cheating, yet he's saying that Weidman is the one avoiding the contest and getting special treatment. Belfort went on to suggest that an interim belt should be created, obstensibly so that he could go ahead and fight for a world title again without, you know, fighting the world champion.
"At first I did not believe, after all this being the second fight of his title defense then had to be postponed because of injury. I think for every holder of that belt gets injured more than once, the UFC should already create the interim belt," Belfort said.
"With that, the fans, the fighters and the UFC would not leave himself harmed, only the injured athlete."
Of course, Weidman most recently fought this past July, and Belfort has not fought since November of 2013. In fact, in the time that Weidman has taken to fight his last three fights, Belfort has just fought once.
Yet it's the Blackzilian who is complaining of Weidman's inactivity. Go figure.
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