Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Vitor Belfort

From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Vitor Belfort made an impact.

Vitor Belfort is a Brazilian professional boxer and retired mixed martial artist. He is renowned for his time in the UFC, where he held both the Light Heavyweight Championship and won the UFC 12 Heavyweight Tournament. Celebrated for his striking power and finishing ability, Belfort holds a place among the leaders for most finishes in UFC history. Beyond the UFC, Belfort also competed in notable MMA promotions such as Pride FC, Strikeforce, and Affliction, marking a significant career across various organizations.

Sections (5)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles

2001: ADCC Championship participation

In 2001, Vitor Belfort participated in the ADCC championships in the Absolute division. He won against Genki Sudo and Ricco Rodriguez by points but lost to Ricardo Arona by points in the semi-final. In the 3rd place fight, he defeated Ricardo Almeida, winning the bronze medal after Almeida could not continue due to a knee injury.

January 2004: Belfort vs Couture II

On January 31, 2004, Vitor Belfort rematched Randy Couture for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship and won in 49 seconds after a cut from his glove opened a corneal abrasion on Couture's eye, leading to a referee stoppage.

August 2004: Belfort vs Couture III

On August 21, 2004, Vitor Belfort fought Randy Couture for the third time; Couture won via doctor stoppage after the third round, recapturing the title.

April 2006: Professional Boxing Debut

In April 2006, Vitor Belfort made his professional boxing debut against Josemario Neves. Belfort won the match by TKO in the first minute after knocking his opponent down three times.

October 2006: Loss to Dan Henderson and positive drug test

On October 21, 2006, at Pride 32: The Real Deal, Belfort lost a unanimous decision to Dan Henderson. After the fight, Belfort tested positive for 4-hydroxytestosterone, an illegal substance.

April 2007: TKO Victory against Ivan Serati at Cage Rage 21

On April 21, 2007, Vítor Belfort defeated Ivan Serati by TKO at Cage Rage 21 in England.

September 2007: Cage Rage Light Heavyweight Title Win

On September 22, 2007, at Cage Rage 23, Vitor Belfort defeated James Zikic by unanimous decision, claiming the Cage Rage Light Heavyweight title. Despite entering the fight with a broken hand, he secured takedowns and utilized ground and pound techniques.

2008: Interest in Golden Boy Promotions

In 2008, Vitor Belfort expressed his desire to return to professional boxing and showed interest in discussing a deal with Golden Boy Promotions.

January 2009: Affliction Event

In January 2009, Belfort was scheduled to fight Matt Lindland at the second Affliction event. However, he was forced to pull out due to a hand injury sustained during the Terry Martin fight. The event was postponed and rescheduled, enabling Belfort to fight on that card.

January 2010: UFC 108 Fight Postponed

In January 2010, Belfort was expected to face Anderson Silva for the UFC Middleweight Championship at UFC 108, but the fight was postponed due to Silva's injury.

February 2010: UFC 109 Fight Canceled

In February 2010, Belfort was again slated to fight Anderson Silva at UFC 109, but the fight was canceled because of Silva's surgery.

April 2010: UFC 112 Fight Canceled

In April 2010, a fight between Vitor Belfort and Anderson Silva at UFC 112 was canceled due to an injury suffered by Belfort.

2010: Response to James Toney's Challenge

In 2010, Vitor Belfort responded to former IBA Heavyweight Champion James Toney's challenge to fight an MMA fighter in the boxing ring, expressing interest in representing MMA against Toney in a 6-round professional match.

November 2011: Removal from UFC 139

In November 2011, Belfort was briefly linked to a matchup with Cung Le at UFC 139, but he was removed from the bout due to injury and replaced by Wanderlei Silva.

January 2012: Victory over Anthony Johnson at UFC 142

On January 14, 2012, at UFC 142, Belfort faced Anthony Johnson, who came in 11 pounds overweight. Belfort won the fight via rear naked choke in the first round.

May 2012: Withdrawal from UFC 147

On May 27, 2012, Belfort was forced to pull out of his rematch against Wanderlei Silva at UFC 147 due to a broken hand in training. He was replaced by Rich Franklin.

June 2012: The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil coach

In June 2012, Belfort was selected to coach The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil against Wanderlei Silva, but he later had to pull out of their scheduled fight.

October 2012: UFC Light Heavyweight Championship

On October 13, 2012, at UFC 152, Vitor Belfort replaced Lyoto Machida in a bout against Jon Jones for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship. Belfort lost via keylock in the fourth round.

2012: Publication of Autobiography

In 2012, Vitor Belfort's autobiography, Vitor Belfort: Lições de garra, fé e sucesso, was published by Thomas Nelson Brazil.

January 2013: Victory over Michael Bisping at UFC on FX

On January 19, 2013, at UFC on FX: Belfort vs. Bisping, Vitor Belfort defeated Michael Bisping via TKO due to a head kick and punches, earning him the Knockout of the Night award.

May 2013: Knockout Victory Over Luke Rockhold

On May 18, 2013, at UFC on FX: Belfort vs. Rockhold, Vitor Belfort faced Luke Rockhold and won the fight by a spinning wheel kick knockout in the first round, earning him another Knockout of the Night award.

November 2013: Knockout Victory Over Dan Henderson

On November 9, 2013, at UFC Fight Night 32, Vitor Belfort defeated Dan Henderson via first-round knockout, becoming the first person to defeat Henderson via strikes. He also earned his fifth Knockout of the Night bonus award.

July 2014: Removal from UFC 175

In July 2014, Vitor Belfort was expected to face Chael Sonnen at UFC 175, but Sonnen failed a drug test and was removed. Belfort was also removed from the card due to the UFC's inability to find him a new opponent.

December 2014: Belfort vs. Weidman

Vitor Belfort was expected to face Chris Weidman on December 6, 2014, at UFC 181.

January 2015: Belfort vs. Weidman

On January 30, 2015, the UFC announced that Weidman had pulled out of the bout again, citing an injury he sustained in training.

February 2015: Belfort vs. Weidman

On February 28, 2015, the bout was again rescheduled to take place on 28 February 2015, at UFC 184

May 2015: Loss to Chris Weidman at UFC 187

On May 23, 2015, at UFC 187, Vitor Belfort faced Chris Weidman, finding initial success but ultimately losing via TKO due to punches after Weidman secured a takedown and achieved mount position.

November 2015: Victory over Dan Henderson at UFC Fight Night 77

On November 7, 2015, at UFC Fight Night 77, Vitor Belfort defeated Dan Henderson via a combination of head kick and punches, earning his first Performance of the Night bonus award.

May 2016: Loss to Ronaldo Souza at UFC 198

On May 14, 2016, at UFC 198, Vitor Belfort faced Ronaldo Souza and lost the fight via TKO in the first round.

October 2016: Loss to Gegard Mousasi at UFC 204

On October 8, 2016, at UFC 204, Vitor Belfort fought Gegard Mousasi and lost the fight via TKO in the second round.

March 2017: No Contest Result Against Kelvin Gastelum

On March 11, 2017, at UFC Fight Night 106, Belfort faced Kelvin Gastelum and lost via K.O. in the first round. However, the result was overturned to a No Contest after Gastelum tested positive for marijuana.

June 2017: Victory over Nate Marquardt at UFC 212

On June 3, 2017, at UFC 212, Vitor Belfort faced Nate Marquardt and won the fight by unanimous decision, his first decision win in nearly a decade.

January 2018: Fight Cancellation Against Uriah Hall

On January 14, 2018, Vitor Belfort was expected to face Uriah Hall at UFC Fight Night: Stephens vs. Choi. However, on January 13, 2018, the bout was cancelled because Hall fainted and suffered seizures from weight-cutting practices.

May 2018: Retirement from MMA Competition

On May 12, 2018, at UFC 224, Vitor Belfort faced Lyoto Machida and lost the fight after being knocked out by a front kick to the face. Following the fight, Belfort announced his retirement from MMA competition.

December 2018: Announcement of Return from Retirement

On Monday, December 17, 2018, Vitor Belfort announced his intentions to return from retirement on the Helwani Show.

March 2019: Signing with ONE Championship

On March 1, 2019, it was reported that Vitor Belfort signed with ONE Championship.

April 2020: Announcement of Promotional Debut

On April 28, 2020, Vitor Belfort announced that he would be making his promotional debut against Alain Ngalani.

June 2021: Boxing bout cancellation

In early June 2021, it was announced that Vitor Belfort would face Michael "The Real Tarzann" Holston in a professional boxing bout on 19 June 2021. However, the bout was later cancelled for unknown reasons.

June 2021: Agreement to exhibition boxing match with Oscar De La Hoya

On 17 June 2021, it was reported that Vitor Belfort had agreed to an exhibition boxing match with Oscar De La Hoya in September 2021, promoted by Triller.

September 2021: Bout with Oscar De La Hoya changed to professional boxing bout

In July 2021, news surfaced that Vitor Belfort's bout with Oscar De La Hoya, initially scheduled as an exhibition, was changed to a professional boxing bout set to take place on 11 September 2021.

August 2022: Boxing match announcement against Hasim Rahman Jr.

On 27 August 2022, DAZN announced that Vitor Belfort would be boxing professional heavyweight Hasim Rahman Jr. in the main event of MF & DAZN: X Series 002 on 15 October 2022, in Sheffield, England.

October 2022: Bout Postponement

In October 2022, Vitor Belfort's bout against Hasim Rahman Jr. was postponed to MF & DAZN: X Series 003 on 19 November 2022, and was expected to take place at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas.

November 2022: Withdrawal from Fight due to COVID-19

In November 2022, Vitor Belfort withdrew from the fight against Hasim Rahman Jr. after testing positive for COVID-19.

April 2023: Victory over Ronaldo 'Jacare' Souza

In April 2023, Vitor Belfort competed against Ronaldo 'Jacare' Souza in a professional boxing match at Gamebred Boxing 4 and defeated Jacare via unanimous decision.