On the same week Alex
Pereira and Israel
Adesanya will have their championship rematch at UFC 287, the
promotion will gather four middleweight legends for a special fan
event backstage at Miami Dade Arena.
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Vitor
Belfort, who is one of the middleweights scheduled to be in
attendance, confirmed the news to Sherdog.com in a recent interview
following his victory over Ronaldo
Souza at Gamebred Boxing 4.
“I’m very happy and honored to receive that invitation from
UFC and be together with Anderson
Silva, Dan
Henderson and Chael Sonnen
on Friday doing a [Q&A] with the fans,” Belfort said.
As for the fight with “Jacare,” Belfort came away impressed with
his opponent’s toughness in six-round boxing match.
“I have already beaten up many opponents, but I can tell
you for sure: There is no tougher BMF than Ronaldo, and that’s
why I suggested his name when Roy Jones Jr. refused to fight
me,” Belfort said. “I knew I could. There couldn’t have been a
better way to spend my 46th birthday than in the ring having a
historical war against someone I respect and admire like him, who
had already beaten me in MMA. It was such an honor.”
After dominating the third round against Souza, “The Phenom”
revealed why the fight became more competitive down the
stretch.
“I tore my biceps in the third round, and I could not jab so I
could not set up my combinations, which [forced] me to adapt,” he
said. “Also I didn’t tell my coaches because I was afraid that
someone would hear and stop the fight so I just kept quiet.”
Belfort currently doesn’t have any offers to return to the
ring, but he has two conditions that must be met if he is going to
compete in the squared circle again.
“I have no intention to fight champions at 46 years old,” he said.
“I already built my history in the sport, but I’m open to fights on
two conditions: An opponent that brings me a real challenge and
motivates me to train hard and, of course, a financial return of at
least seven figures.”