Dana White: UFC offered Vitor Belfort last-minute fights, but he wants Michael Bisping

ST. LOUIS – When his recent bout was scrapped, Vitor Belfort apparently was offered a couple last-minute replacements, though the retiring UFC vet has another idea in mind.

Belfort (26-13 MMA, 15-10 UFC), the former UFC champion and one of the sport’s most recognizable stars, was slated to co-headline Sunday’s UFC Fight Night 124 event against middleweight Uriah Hall (13-8 MMA, 6-6 UFC), who was forced off the card during his weight cut.

Prior to the bout, Belfort explained why it would be his retirement fight. Now, though, he still wants one more fight; it just wasn’t one of the late-notice options that UFC President Dana White said he offered.

“I haven’t seen or talked to Vitor yet,” White said after Sunday’s FS1-televised UFC Fight Night 124 event in St. Louis. “But we will get Vitor a fight. He wants to fight (Michael Bisping) in London.

“That’s the fight he wants. We’ll see. I don’t know. I’ve still got to get back and home and get in a room and figure it out. But I’m not opposed to it, no.”

Bisping (30-9 MMA, 20-9 UFC) wants a fight at UFC Fight Night 127, which takes place March 17 at The O2 in London. The 38-year-old Brit would like to end his career on a high note; he lost his title to Georges St-Pierre in early November and then suffered a short-notice knockout loss to Kelvin Gastelum just three weeks later.

Now, he wants a retirement fight, and a rematch with Belfort – who scored a TKO victory over Bisping in 2013 – is certainly sellable.

White, though, said the UFC initially offered him a replacement opponent for Sunday’s UFC Fight Night 124 event, as well as an opponent for Saturday’s upcoming UFC 220 card in Boson.

“We offered him a fight tonight,” White said after UFC Fight Night 124. “Vitor could have fought tonight. We got him a fight and offered him a fight, and he turned it down. We also got him a fight in Boston, and he turned that down too.

“(UFC matchmaker Mick Maynard) and those guys know. I just got back from vacation, but Vitor could have fought tonight. He turned it down. He didn’t want to fight in Boston either.”

Those two possible opponents were undefeated Karl Roberson (6-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) and vet Brad Tavares (16-4 MMA, 11-4 UFC), according to MMAjunkie’s John Morgan (via Twitter):

For complete coverage of UFC Fight Night 122, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.