Vitor at open training session at Mandalay Bay / Photo: UFC publicity
They’ve been training partners, they were on the same team and had the same sparring partners. Now, it’s each to his own.
Shortly, middleweight champion Anderson Silva will face Vitor Belfort in a battle that will be anything but strictly professional. And you will get all the details on www.twitter.com/graciemag.
Vitor’s exit from Black House team, in 2008, was a messy affair, with some team members following Belfort out. Add to that the fact Anderson doesn’t take well to former colleagues who dare cross his path and the clamor becomes pandemonium. If what transpires will please the fans, we’ll only know when Mario Yamasaki authorizes the superstars to touch gloves, a gesture the champion undefeated in the UFC will likely decline…
Personal or not, the bout promises fireworks. In the days leading up to UFC 126 the two athletes, each in their own way, showed how they see the fight.
Vitor Belfort received some extra incentive from his wife, Joana Prado. The former “Feiticeira” from Brazilian television wrote a long and inspiring phrase on the message board at home, for Vitor to read every. It said: “Want it easy? Then go join the army!” Vitor the soldier understood the message.
Now Anderson had been responding to hundreds of interviews on the bout and tired of repeating the same conversation. This awoke the prankster in him. When a Brazilian reporter called, the champion answered with the voice of an old lady, pretending to be Grandma Silva and asking the journalist to help convince her poor grandson escape the profession of fighter, a very dangerous one according to her, or better yet him.
Then, seriously, Anderson added: “I don’t consider myself the best. Perhaps in the future I’ll look back and see that I managed to do something good,” the Spider told Leandro Lannes, of Kzuka.com.br, taking the opportunity to defend Jiu-Jitsu and other martial arts being taught in Brazilian schools. “In China and Korea they teach kung-fu and taekwondo in schools. If you can provide young people with discipline, you create better people. I have five sons who train with me, I can see it.” Granny knows it all.
Are you ready for tonight’s big event? Anderson Silva and Vitor Belfort sure are.
Anderson trains with son Kalyl in Vegas. Photo: UFC publicity
UFC 126
Mandalay Bay Center, Las Vegas, Nevada
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Anderson Silva vs. Vitor Belfort
Forrest Griffin vs. Rich Franklin
Jon Jones vs. Ryan Bader
Carlos Eduardo “Tá Danado” vs. Jake Ellenberger
Miguel Torres vs. Antonio Banuelos
Preliminary card
Paul Kelly vs. Donald Cerrone
Chad Mendes vs. Michihiro Omigawa
Gabe Ruediger vs. Paul Taylor
Demetrious Johnson vs. Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto
Kyle Kingsbury vs. Ricardo Romero
Mike Pierce vs. Kenny Robertson