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WALKER: Betting on the Old Lion - Why Vitor Belfort Could Shock the World at UFC 152
Sep 7, 2012 - 9:45:59 AM WALKER: Betting on the Old Lion - Why Vitor Belfort Could Shock the World at UFC 152

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By: Brad Walker, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

I've always been a fan of the underdog. I don't know why, especially growing up in Chicago during the Michael Jordan era, as there wasn't really any underdog to root for. Now I find myself wedged between hope and a small amount of belief each and every time I find the odds stacked against someone. That someone this month Vitor Belfort, The Phenom who has fought all over the world from Brazil to Japan to Europe and the good old US of A. As we prepare to watch Belfort walk into the cage to face off with one of the best pound for pound fighters in the world, why is it exactly that we are betting against him? I think the world has forgotten just what Vitor Belfort stands for, and how talented a fighter that he truly is.

Let's examine the evidence for a moment, Belfort has only lost one fight in the last five years, and his opponent in that loss was the best fighter likely in the history of MMA: Anderson Silva. He has finished all but four of his opponents, leaving a terrorizing record of 14 knockouts, three submissions and four decisions, against the best fighters in the world. He has held Light Heavyweight Championships in not only the UFC but also the Cage Rage organization, and he's fought for the UFC Middleweight Title. He's also competed in a UFC Heavyweight Title eliminator against Randy Couture. So what is it about Vitor that makes the entire MMA world stop and shake off his chances of defeating his younger counterpart in Jon Jones? After all, he has fought and defeated some of the best in the world, and the few people he has lost to are big names like Dan Henderson, Alistair Overeem, Randy Couture, and Chuck Liddell.

Vitor is not a fighter who is going to be walked over in the cage by a younger and much less experienced fighter, but by no means is he the same young man who ran Wanderlei Silva across the cage and pounded him into a puddle either. Vitor holds the edge in experience; he's fought all across the globe, in three different weight classes and has undoubtedly fought better talent from Day One of his career than Jones has, not to say that Jones hasn't evened that out over time. The ultimate underdog is the one nobody thinks will win, and in this case Belfort fits the bill fantastically, except for the fact that a few people, myself included, believe that he can do the impossible and stop Jonny Bones. He has a couple of ways that he can manage this seemingly David and Goliath-esque victory, but it's not going to be easy any way you slice it. Let's take a look at how Belfort could manage a victory and stun the world at UFC 152.

The Blitz; the Vitor Special, the Phenom's Phenomenal quick striking as he dashes inside of his opponents reach and pummels him senseless. It has worked splendidly for Vitor before, and his striking is explosive, fast and devastating with each strike, just ask Matt Lindland and Wanderlei Silva. The man possesses unimaginable speed and he is no slouch having also won a professional boxing bout in his off time. Now this is the less likely way to see Vitor go after Jon Jones, after all, with Jones having the world's most insanely long reach it would only take Vitor two steps from cage side to get in his range, so it's not going to go down that way, I think. That is not the only strength Vitor possesses in the cage, though lest we forget about his incredible training in jiu-jitsu.

Vitor is a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under Carlson Gracie which means his ground game is every bit as devastating as his power on his feet. By no means is Jones a slouch with submissions, his long limbs make him dangerous from unusual angles and positions, but he's certainly not at the level of Belfort in that area. Belfort also holds a black belt in Judo as well as a purple belt in Shotokan, so there is no doubt that wherever this fight is, Belfort will find a way to be in a personal comfort zone, unless of course he's unconscious, but that's an entirely different matter. So why is it that we count out such a talented and well-rounded fighter – whether it be age, the change in weight class, or just the talent the champ possesses, we are still undercutting a very dangerous fighter. Belfort is a future UFC hall of famer without a doubt, but what he needs right now is to get a belt back in his hands.


I can't say honestly whether or not Vitor can or will defeat Jon Jones, only time will tell when we see that fight in a couple of weeks, but one thing that is for sure is that he has all of the tools to do it. Age and size differences aside, Vitor is the better rounded fighter on paper, but once you re-add the age and size Jones does take a sizeable advantage. I truly believe the 'old lion' - as he has dubbed himself - can still pull out his bag of tricks and defeat the 'young lion.' It may not look like a fantastic matchup to many of the fans out there, but when you look at the raw talent these two men possess we couldn't ask for a crazier fight to take place all of a sudden for the light heavyweight title. For now, Vitor is a massive underdog to the champ, but on September 22 we will all see whether or not "The Phenom" can still go out there and defy the odds as he did in his younger years.

Let me know what you think and follow me on Twitter @BradMMATorch