More than four years since his most recent appearance inside the cage, Vitor Belfort’s name still resonates with much of the mixed martial arts world.
Belfort burst on the scene with the Ultimate Fighting Championship in 1996—he was just 19 years old at the time—and rolled through four consecutive opponents in 77 seconds or less, winning the UFC 12 heavyweight tournament in the process. Hype soon cooled around the Brazilian and his lightning-quick hands, as he often fell short of the great expectations that had been before him. Belfort experienced his share of success, including a brief run as UFC light heavyweight champion, but his inability to rise to the occasion more often than not has left him to be viewed through a prism of disappointment.