Vitor Belfort is off to face Chris Weidman at UFC 181 for the 185 pound championship. Belfort and Weidman are two fierce competitors. Belfort is well known for his lightning speed movements and KO power while former All-American wrestler Weidman has already faced some of the best UFC fighters there like Anderson Silva and Lyoto Machida to name a few. On top of that, Weidman came out victorious in each fight.
That is the reason why, Lyoto Machida has so much high regards to Weidman saying "Weidman is ready to fight anywhere. If he has to stand, he will. Vitor can obviously land a punch and end this, that's what makes this sport so captivating, but I think he will be ready to fight him there."
He added "It's a good fight for both. They both stand a chance. We can't underestimate either of them. Weidman has evolved a lot, has a big heart. Vitor is super talented, also evolved a lot, and is an athlete that works hard. When you have such a close fight like that, when it's hard to break down, it's hard to predict a result."
The former light heavyweight champion think that Weidman has the advantage over Belfort saying "I think Vitor has a better chance in the first round and the first half of the second round. But after that, I think Weidman's chances are better than Vitor's."
Machida believes that Belfort best chance at beating Weidman will be in the first round and a half but if the fight goes longer than that, Weidman will have the advantage as he is well conditioned for long fights.
It can also be noted that Belfort just recently admitted to failing surprise drug test given to him by the Nevada Athletic Commission last February. His testosterone levels were outside of the legal limits, even for a person with a Therapuetic Use Exemption (TUE) for Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT).
According to Belfort's statement "he tested high but that soon after, his doctors adjusted his dosage to bring him within allowable limits and that after TRT was banned, he stopped using it altogether."