Vitor Belfort – fighter liaison? 'The Phenom' wants to help UFC be more valuable than Uber

RIO DE JANEIRO – Vitor Belfort said the UFC 212 appearance that was expected to serve as his retirement bout might not mark such an occasion. But if it does, “The Phenom” wants to serve the company in a different manner.

“I was sick of training and all this, but something stirred in me when I went to Canada,” Belfort told MMAjunkie.

Belfort (25-13 MMA, 14-10 UFC), 40, made his UFC debut in July 1997. Nearly 20 years later, he meets Nate Marquardt (35-17-2 MMA, 13-10 UFC) on Saturday’s UFC 212 pay-per-view main card at Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro.

Heading into the fight, Belfort had said he expected the matchup to be his last in the octagon but now says his training camp, which took place at Canada’s famed Tristar Gym, went so well he believes he still has more to offer as a fighter. He said he even joked with Tristar head trainer Firas Zahabi that he has another five UFC appearances in the tank.

“We were playing, but I really mean it,” Belfort said. “I’m willing to keep fighting. I don’t feel that (UFC 212) is going to be my end, but of course anything can happen now.”

Saturday’s result may weigh heavily into Belfort’s options. He’s certainly one of the biggest stars the sport has seen and remains a huge draw in his native Brazil. But were it not for Kelvin Gastelum failing a drug test, which led to an overturned result, Belfort would be on a three-fight losing skid.

So if UFC 212 will be his final fight, Belfort said he wants to serve the company in another way – and to help the organization’s financial value skyrocket.

“I think you guys are going to be able to see me more times in the octagon,” Belfort said. “I love the UFC. I love the way they always treat me very nice. I think even though when I’m walking away from the octagon, I want to be with this company because I really believe that we can make this go to the next level, and I really believe that’s where we are going.

“But one thing I believe now, we need someone – I believe the new owners need someone – to communicate (between) the fighters and the organization. We don’t need a union. We don’t need one more player. We need someone that can represent the fighter, that can understand what are their needs.”

Chief among Belfort’s desires for fighters is a year-round income system that offers money for athletes even when they can’t compete. He also stands firm in his support of a “Legends League” and thinks UFC President Dana White may eventually warm to the idea, even if he hasn’t eventually offered his support.

“If a couple of years ago, you were talking about the women’s division, Dana was totally against it, and now he’s in favor,” Belfort said. “So we have a leader (who) can admit, ‘I know I thought wrong, and now I accept it.’

“Why not? I believe things are going to change in the future. It’s just a matter of time. If I can shorten this time instead of taking 10 years, we can make it two years, we’re going to be more profitable.”

Profits are certainly important to the UFC, with new owners WME-IMG looking to recoup the $4 billion they paid out to purchase the promotion in 2016. Belfort said with him on board behind the scenes, working to improve relationships among the fighters, the fans and the promotion, the UFC can become not only one of the most valuable sports organizations in the world, but one of the most valuable businesses in any industry – perhaps surpassing a recent $70 billion valuation of ride-sharing service Uber.

“I think that’s my role,” Belfort said. “That’s my passion. I’m not chasing money. I’m chasing my passion. I think that’s what God put me (here) to be.

“It’s not about the money. The creator of Uber didn’t make Uber for money. He had a passion. An entrepreneur has to have a passion. That’s the first rule of an entrepreneur. So I think my role is not just working for the organization. I have a passion. I helped build this sport. I want to continue to be part of it.

“If they give me the opportunity, we’re going to turn passion into profit.”

To hear more from Belfort, check out the video above. Or to hear the complete interview, click on the video below.

And for the latest on UFC 212, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.

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