Vitor Belfort guarantees he will enter the Octagon for the last time when he faces Lyoto Machida at UFC 224 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on May 12, and he wanted to explain why he “chose” to do it against a friend.
“The Phenom” will take on “The Dragon” on the last bout of his current contract with the UFC, and he posted a lengthy statement Saturday on social media saying that the fight with Machida is a message of “respect” to the MMA world, reaffirming his stance against trash talk.
Both Belfort and Machida – former UFC light heavyweight champions – are coming off close decision victories in Brazil.