In the co-main event of UFC 133, Vitor Belfort unleashed his trademark flurry of punches to knock out Yoshihiro Akiyama. This was Belfort's return fight since losing to Anderson Silva earlier this year, and was an impressive, and much needed, win. Akiyama now falls to 1-3 in the UFC, with his third straight loss.
Prior to the fight, Akiyama had talked openly about his plan to strike with Belfort, who most accepted as the superior striker. Once the fight started, it was clear that this was indeed Akiyama's plan. And, as many predicted, Belfort made him pay for this plan. Vitor caught him with a nice punch roughly 90 seconds into the fight, following that up with a blitz of punches that put Akiyama out. The ending was not without controversy, as Belfort landed two punches to the back of Akiyama's head after the Japanese fighter was prone and unconscious.
What was the high spot of this fight?
That ending was exactly what you want to see in a Vitor Belfort fight - pure speed, power, and fury from some of the most devastating hands in the business.
Where do these guys go from here?
Vitor called for a title shot, but I don't think that's happening, and neither does Dana White. I'd really love to see him against Chris Leben - how would Leben's iron chin stand up to Vitor's heavy hands?
Since his UFC debut, many have been clamoring for Akiyama to drop down to Welterweight, and if he wants to continue his UFC career, that seems like a must. If he won't do it, the only real fight I could see for him at Middleweight is Wanderlei Silva, which the UFC has tried to make a few times before but has been forced to cancel.
Watch it now, later, or never?
Now. It's Vitor Belfort, doing that Vitor Belfort thing, plus a hint of controversy. What's not to love?
More BE coverage of UFC 133 in the full entry.
UFC 133 Results: Vitor Belfort's Illegal Finish Met With Shocking Ignorance - Leland Roling
UFC 133 Results: Vitor Belfort's Back of the Head Shots and Nonsensical Outrage - KJ Gould
UFC 133 Results: Five Fights to Make - Mike Fagan
UFC 133: Why We Love Tito Ortiz, and Why the UFC Needs Him - Fraser Coffeen
UFC 133 Results: Where Do We Go From Here? - Matthew Roth
UFC 133: The Sweet Stench of Homophobia - Mike Fagan
UFC 133 Results: Rashad Evans' Beats Up Tito Ortiz and More Post-Hangover Thoughts - Brent Brookhouse
UFC 133 Results: Rashad Evans vs. Tito Ortiz Post-Fight Recap and Analysis - Mike Fagan
UFC 133 Results: Rashad Evans Stops Tito Ortiz by Punishment - Bloody Elbow
UFC 133 Results: Vitor Belfort Stops Yoshihiro Akiyama in the First - Bloody Elbow
UFC 133 Results: Brian Ebersole Beats the Pants off of Dennis Hallman - Bloody Elbow
UFC 133 Results: Constantinos Philippou Scores a Split Decision Over Jorge Rivera - Bloody Elbow
UFC 133 Results: Rory MacDonald Pounds Mike Pyle to a First Round Stoppage - Bloody Elbow
UFC 133 Results: Alexander Gustafsson Mauls Matt Hamill in the Second - Bloody Elbow
UFC 133 Results: Chad Mendes Puts On A Clinic Against Rani Yahya - Bloody Elbow
UFC 133 Results: Ivan Menjivar Edges a Decision Over Nick Pace - Bloody Elbow
UFC 133 Results: Johny Hendricks Wins the Wrestling Match against Mike Pierce - Bloody Elbow
UFC 133 Results: Mike Brown Outwrestles Nam Phan to a Decision Win - Bloody Elbow
UFC 133 Results: Rafael Natal Punishes Paul Bradley to a Decision Win - Bloody Elbow
UFC 133 Post-Fight Press Conference Video and Updates - Bloody Elbow