It’s only seven months since Vitor Belfort retired from the sport, but it seems that the Brazilian star has already got the itch to make a comeback.
“I am a free agent,” Belfort told ESPN’s Ariel Helwani yesterday. “We are in conversation [with promotions]. In 2019 I will come back.”
Belfort says he came to the decision to make a return after having successful shoulder surgery earlier in the year.
Belfort had retired back in May after suffering a front kick KO loss to Lyoto Machida in his native Brazil. That had continued a troubling trend in his career, having been TKO’d in four of his previous six fights prior to that against the likes of Chris Weidman, Ronaldo ‘Jacare’ Souza, Gegard Mousasi and Kelvin Gastelum (a result which was later amended to a no-contest).
Nonetheless, it seems ‘The Phenom’ still thinks he can return to winning ways, though it may well not be in the UFC.
“We are looking for a place where we can be a fighter and be the athlete and we can bring value,” is all Belfort would say about where he might end up, with the likes of Bellator, ONE FC and Rizin sure to be interested in having a fighter with star powr on their roster.
