This summer, former UFC Champion Vitor Belfort will add ‘UFC Hall of Famer’ to his resume. The Brazilian ‘Phenom’ is considered one of MMA’s most dangerous fighters with 18 knockouts on his record, 15 of those in the first round. Vitor Belfort simply fought everybody from the middleweight division to the heavyweight division such as Jon Jones, Anderson Silva, Chuck Liddell, and many more legends. Belfort won the UFC Light Heavyweight title from Randy Couture in 2004. After 26 fights in the Octagon and seven years removed from his final appearance, the UFC would bestow Belfort with the highest honor they can give a fighter.
On Saturday night at UFC 315 from Montreal, Canada, the premier promotion rolled the tape for Belfort’s legendary induction at International Fight Week in June. In the building, the 48-year-old Belfort teared up at a montage of his greatest highlights playing on the big screen and fellow legends speaking to his greatness and what he brought into the Octagon: sheer violence. “That hall of fame [induction] makes the toughest dudes in the world cry,” Daniel Cormier said as Belfort shed a tear from his eye.
The newly-minted UFC Hall of Famer has fought the who’s-who of the UFC and then some. Before he boxed the likes of 58-year-old former heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield, Belfort fought at least 15 world champions during his MMA career, 10 of those former/current UFC Champions. Belfort fought the following UFC champions: Jon Jones, Anderson Silva, Randy Couture (three times), Chuck Liddell, Tito Ortiz, Rich Franklin, Chris Weidman, Michael Bisping, Luke Rockhold, and Lyoto Machida.
Belfort also tested himself against champions from other organizations/sports: Dan Henderson (three times), Alistair Overeem (twice), Wanderlei Silva, Gegard Mousasi, and Nate Marquardt. Belfort left the UFC in 2018 with a record of 15-10 (1 NC). He’s 26-14 (1 NC) as a pro.
The UFC will induct former light heavyweight champion Vitor Belfort into the Hall of Fame later this year, the promotion announced Saturday, May 10, 2025. Belfort (26-14) fought primarily in the UFC throughout his career, which began in 1996. He entered the sport as a phenom, a 19-year-old Brazilian who won the UFC heavyweight tournament in his first promotional appearance in 1997. Later that year, he suffered the first loss of his career in a heavyweight No. 1 contender fight against legendary two-weight champion Randy Couture.
Belfort went on to earn notable victories over the likes of Wanderlei Silva, Couture, Rich Franklin, Michael Bisping, Luke Rockhold, and Dan Henderson. He challenged two of the best champions of his era in Anderson Silva at middleweight and Jon Jones at light heavyweight, but came up short in both title bids.
In 2013, he put together arguably the greatest year of his career by knocking out Bisping, Rockhold, and Henderson in a span of 11 months. He came to embody a sport-wide controversy that year due to his legal use of testosterone-replacement therapy (TRT). The Nevada State Athletic Commission later banned TRT use from competition without proof of a medical exemption.
Belfort also fought in Pride Fighting Championships and competed in two exhibition boxing matches in 2021 and 2023. As the MMA community prepares to honor his legacy, Vitor Belfort's induction into the UFC Hall of Fame stands as a testament to his incredible journey, filled with both triumphs and challenges that have shaped the sport.
