Date of Birth:
Vitor Belfort (Vitor Vieira Belfort) was born on April 1, 1977 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Getting Into Fighting:
According to an interview, Belfort first got into fighting through Carlson Gracie. Initially, he was training with one of his students, who told him that he “needed to train with Carlson,” because he “was too tough for the other guys in the gym.” In fact, at age 17 Belfort moved to the United States with Gracie, eventually receiving his Black Belt in BJJ under him before they had a falling out.
MMA Beginnings:
Belfort made his MMA debut at Super Brawl 2, dismissing Jon Hess by KO after only 12 seconds. He then went onto win the UFC 12 Heavyweight Tournament before defeating Tank Abbott, a legendary MMA fighter, by TKO after only 52 seconds at UFC 13. Unfortunately for him, he then lost to Randy Couture when “The Natural” dominated him in the clinch. This fight served as Couture’s breakthrough fight.
Vitor Belfort vs. Wanderlei Silva:
It was thought by many that Wanderlei Silva, also known as “The Axe Murderer”, was going to be the next big ticket item in the UFC. But then Belfort destroyed him by vicious TKO at UFC: Ultimate Brazil in only 44 seconds, once again reminding the masses of his amazing explosiveness.
Vitor Belfort UFC Champion:
After matches in both PRIDE and the UFC, Belfort received a shot at the UFC light heavyweight title via a rematch against Randy Couture (UFC 46). After an errant thumb opened up a cut on Couture’s eye, he won. Due to the circumstances, the UFC pitted the two against one another again at UFC 49. This time Couture won his belt back by way of decision.
Fighting Style:
As was indicated earlier, Belfort has a background in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Along with this, he certainly has solid submissions on the ground and takedown defense. That said, he is most proficient at the stand up game, where he has regularly demonstrated an ability to take opponents out viciously with his hands. He simply possesses excellent boxing skills.
Personal Life:
Belfort is married to Joana Prado, a Brazilian model perhaps best known for the character H she portrayed on a television show. They have three children together, including one son named Davi, and two daughters, Kyara and Victoria. Belfort’s sister, Priscila Belfort, was kidnapped on January 9, 2004 and eventually killed. A woman identified as Elaine Paiva later confessed to participating in her killing, which was done in an attempt to help pay off drug debts she had.