Yahoo Sports Vitor Belfort Says Dislocated Shoulder Hampered Him, Retirement Not an Option
Everyone wondered how Vitor Belfort would look when he stepped into the Octagon with Chris Weidman at UFC 187. It was his first fight in a year and a half, and his first fight since the testosterone replacement therapy he formerly used was banned.
Belfort looked good from the opening bell, swarming Weidman with punches; but the champ weathered the early attacks, took Belfort to the mat, and then finished him in a flurry of strikes.
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The Brazilian, having had some time to reflect, didn't blame his performance on the lack of TRT, but said he suffered a dislocated right shoulder prior to the fight that caused him to throw less punches with his right hand than is normal for him.
“If I took one step back, waited a little bit, I would have knocked him out,” Belfort said in a recent press conference in Brazil, according to a report by MMAFighting‘s Guilherme Cruz. “I’m sure I would have knocked him out. But I started to punch with the left hand, didn’t punch too much with the right hand because I dislocated my shoulder, so I wouldn’t be able to throw hard punches.”
Despite the injury, which he noted would not require surgery, Belfort didn't try to blame his loss on the injury. He gave the champ credit where it was due.
“He’s really tough on the ground,” said Belfort. “When we went to the ground, he used his weight and was able to land punches. That was his moment.”
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Belfort first set foot in the Octagon at UFC 12, where he won a one-night heavyweight tournament. He has competed professionally for nearly 20 years, and has fought in nearly every corner of the globe. But at 38 years of age, Belfort is not ready to call it quits. In fact, he sounds as if he might continue fighting for a long time.
“As long as I have this desire, this joy, we might see me fighting in the Octagon until I’m 89. Is it possible?”
