After being knocked out by Kelvin Gastelum in his last outing in March, Vitor Belfort revealed that he had one fight remaining on his UFC contract. “The Phenom” later disclosed plans to retire after he fulfills his contractual obligations to the fight promotion.
His final fight was booked against former Strikeforce champion Nate Marquardt for at UFC 212 on June 3 in Rio.
“I started my UFC journey 20 years ago at UFC 12 and exactly 200 events after at June third, I will be making my last appearance for the organization at my hometown, Rio de Janeiro,” Belfort wrote on Instagram on May 1.
While the UFC 212 bout against Marquardt is expected to be his last Octagon appearance, Belfort has changed his tune on retiring. On Monday, the 40-year-old stated that he plans to compete after his contract with the UFC ends.
“I leave the UFC, but I will continue competing,” he told Brazilian news outlet Veja Rio when asked about his retirement plans. “The fight is my passion.”
Belfort would like for there to be a senior’s division of sorts. He calls it a “League of Legends,” where former champions and pioneers past their primes compete against one another.
“I have wanted to create the League of Legends, with athletes who have done a lot for the martial arts and today are devalued. Where’s Royce Gracie?”
