Another former UFC fighter moves west. This time around, it’s one of the pioneers of mixed martial arts.
Friday morning, ONE Championship chairman Chatri Sitodtong announced that his promotion has signed Vitor Belfort.
The 41-year-old Brazilian, who owns a 26-14 record, joins Eddie Alvarez, Demetrious Johnson, Yoshihiro Akiyama, and Yushin Okami as some of the UFC fighters who have jump shipped to ONE over the last six months.
“I am thrilled to announce that UFC Legend Vitor Belfort is now a ONE Championship athlete!
“A former UFC Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight World Champion, Vitor holds the record for the most KOs in UFC history as well as the second most finishes,” tweeted Sityodtong about Belfort, who was in attendance during ONE: Call to Greatness in Singapore last Friday.
Dubbed the ‘Phenom’, Belfort took the world by storm back in 1997. At the young age of 19, he was able to win the UFC 12 Heavyweight tournament. Seven years later, he became the UFC’s fourth Light Heavyweight champion.
Even with the arrival of the next generation of mixed martial artists, Belfort has kept up with the best of the best, contending for titles in both the middleweight and light heavyweight division.
In May of 2018, he figured in his last UFC bout, falling to Lyoto Machida via second-round knockout during UFC 224.
In ONE, he can either compete in the middleweight and light heavyweight division – both divisions ruled by Aung La N Sang.
