Former UFC Hall of Famer Michael Bisping will soon share that prestigious honor with one of his fiercest historical rivals, Vitor Belfort.
The careers of Michael Bisping and Vitor Belfort became permanently linked following their encounter in Sao Paulo in 2013. Recently, at UFC 315, the promotion officially announced that Belfort would be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame class of 2025, with the ceremony set to take place during International Fight Week next month.
In their Sao Paulo bout, Belfort secured a knockout victory over Bisping with a head kick. Bisping holds Belfort responsible for the persistent vision problems he has faced since that fight, having suffered a detached retina which resulted in strabismus, a condition where the eyes are not properly aligned.
At the time of their contest, Vitor Belfort was undergoing testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), adding a significant layer of controversy to the outcome. Even years removed from the fight, Bisping steadfastly maintains that Belfort frequently resorted to cheating throughout his combat sports career to gain unfair advantages.
Surprising Endorsement from Bisping
Despite Bisping`s well-documented and long-held animosity towards Belfort, he voiced a surprising perspective, suggesting that the veteran MMA pioneer is, in fact, deserving of the upcoming induction into the UFC Hall of Fame.
Speaking with MMA Junkie recently, Bisping offered his candid thoughts regarding Belfort`s Hall of Fame announcement. He acknowledged Belfort`s impressive career accomplishments, stating: “When you look at it and remove all the emotions from it, the man was the UFC heavyweight champion of the world at 19. He then became the light heavyweight champion. He almost became the middleweight champion. He’s the closest thing we’ve had to a three-weight champion.”
However, Bisping did not hesitate to reiterate his strong criticisms. “Was he a massive cheater? Of course. Did he take a lot of steroids? Of course. Were there a lot of other people doing that at the same time? Absolutely there was. I get it,” he asserted. Referencing his injury, Bisping added starkly, “I lost an eye because of this guy. He can stick his Hall of Fame up his a–.” Yet, he ultimately concluded his controversial take by admitting, “But he does deserve it. You can’t deny what he did inside the octagon. You just can’t deny it. If that’s not a Hall of Fame career, I don’t know what is. Whether you like it or not, he deserves it.”
Belfort concluded his mixed martial arts career following a front kick knockout loss to Lyoto Machida at UFC 224. Earlier in his storied career, at the remarkably young age of 19, he had already claimed the UFC 12 heavyweight tournament title, defeating Scott Ferrozzo and Tra Telligman to become the promotion`s inaugural heavyweight champion.
Michael Bisping was himself inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2019, following his retirement from active competition after losing the UFC middleweight title to Georges St-Pierre at UFC 217 two years prior. Since hanging up his gloves, Bisping has established himself as one of the UFC`s prominent television analysts.
Bisping on Kamaru Usman`s Career Future
Looking ahead, Michael Bisping also shared his perspective on the potential future of another notable fighter. At UFC Atlanta scheduled for July, former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman is slated to headline the event against Joaquin Buckley. This appearance comes after Usman has suffered three consecutive defeats.
Only a few years removed from being widely considered among the UFC`s top pound-for-pound fighters, Usman now finds himself in a critical situation in Atlanta. Bisping expressed his belief that if Usman experiences another loss in this upcoming bout, he ought to consider retiring from competition, bringing an end to what has been a legendary career.
Usman`s recent losing streak began with a dramatic come-from-behind knockout loss against Leon Edwards at UFC 278, followed by a decision loss in their immediate rematch just months later at UFC 286. He then took a short-notice fight stepping up to middleweight against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 294, which also resulted in a loss.
Percy Harlow