Rumors within the MMA industry are swirling about a middleweight match-up in the works between former champion Anderson Silva and third-ranked Vitor Belfort.
The two previously fought in the UFC 126 main event in February 2011. Silva finished the former light heavyweight champion with a front kick to the face in the opening round. It was the first time Belfort had been knocked out in a professional fighting career that began in 1996.
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Silva is currently serving out the remainder of a one-year suspension stemming from failed drug tests surrounding his UFC 183 bout against Nick Diaz. The fight was Silva’s return to fighting after suffering a gruesome leg break in his rematch against current champion Chris Weidman in the UFC 168 main event in 2013.
Training partner Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza would like to see Silva take a warm-up fight before facing Belfort for the second time. After all, Silva has only competed once since December 2013, and his last fight was 11 months ago.
“Anderson is impressive, but, in my opinion, as a friend and seeing him as a guy that is helping me now, I think he should fight again before fighting Belfort to get his rhythm back,” said Souza during a recent media scrum in Rio de Janeiro.
“Belfort is in a strong rhythm now. He’s fought three times in-a-row now. Anderson spent some time off, had this issue now, and spent another year off, so I think Anderson should fight again first,” stated Silva training partner.
If the rematch between Silva and Belfort does come to fruition, Souza believes the outcome will ultimately be the same as when they first met at UFC 126.
“I believe the result would be the same,” he said.