It was a crossroads fight for Vitor Belfort and Michael Bisping, whose MMA careers have had more than their fair share of ups and downs. Both fighters showed great promise and potential at the start of their careers but always fell short when it came to their biggest fights.
Nobody will forget Bisping's spectacular and embarrassing KO loss against Dan Henderson years ago. More recently, Belfort lost to heavyweight-in-disguise and reigning light heavyweight champ, Jon Jones, by way of submission (following a steady diet of Jones' elbows). Then there were the fights with Couture and Liddell.
But tonight was Belfort's night. It was an overall decent fight. It wasn't exactly the stand up war that everyone expected, but it was a good one. Belfort, known for his blazing hands and one-punch power, threw more kicks and even attempted a flying knee. The first round was pretty even but Belfort stole it with a late flurry.
In the second round both fighters chose to remain on their feet and threw calculated strikes. Then out of nowhere Belfort unleashed a high kick that would make Mirko "Cro Cop" proud. Bisping saw it coming and tried to defend but Belfort's shin found Bisping's temple, sending him crumpling to the mat. A few follow up punches by Belfort were enough to prompt the referee to stop the bout.
The victory puts Vitor Belfort back in line for another title shot down the road although with Anderson Silva ruling the middleweights and Jon Jones dominating the light heavyweights, you could say that Belfort is caught between a rock and a hard place. But for a warrior like Belfort, there's no better place to be. For a pretty close re-enactment of the fight, be sure to watch the video!
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