Vitor Belfort may have been brutally dispatched by Chris Weidman at UFC 187, but the Brazilian still feels like he has another title run left in him.
Speaking with Brazil's Sensei SporTV (h/t MMA Fighting's Guilherme Cruz for the translation and transcription), Belfort said he still has what it takes to be a UFC champion. "When I see this, I see I can be here and fight more," he said. "I still can do another run for the title."
Belfort briefly held the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship in 2004, controversially defeating Randy Couture via doctor stoppage due to an eye injury at UFC 46. He would lose the belt just a few months later at UFC 49 and leave the UFC for Pride in 2005.
He returned in 2009 and has come up short in multiple title bids since, losing to Anderson Silva at UFC 126, Jon Jones at UFC 152 and Weidman at UFC 187.
While Belfort has been undeniably successful in the UFC over recent years, his physical appearance and in-cage performance at UFC 187 have many questioning how much longer he has in the sport.
Belfort's controversial use—and abuse—of testosterone replacement therapy ended in 2014 when the treatment was banned from MMA, and Belfort was visibly smaller and slower than he was during his impressive 2013 campaign which saw him knock out Michael Bisping, Luke Rockhold and Dan Henderson consecutively.
Nonetheless, Belfort says he wants to continue, and as long as he is in the sport, he is aiming for the top.
"Joana asked me an interesting question. ‘Why do you want to continue fighting?’" he said, referencing his wife. "I won’t lie, won’t fight only to continue fighting. If I’m in, I will want to go there to win the title. If it’s just to (fight), I don’t want it."
Belfort didn't discuss when he plans to return to the Octagon, but he already has fighters clamoring to greet him, including Gegard Mousasi and Tim Kennedy:
I wonder what @vitorbelfort is up to around the November timeframe?!?!
— Tim Kennedy (@TimKennedyMMA) May 30, 2015
The Phenom remains one of the brightest stars in Brazil, so expect him to return to the cage in the coming months.
