(By Felipe Dana, AP)
(PhatzRadio / MMA) — UFC president Dana White recently teased a few upcoming big fights in the middleweight division, and now the first of those matchups is on the schedule.
MMAjunkie.com confirmed Tuesday with sources close to the two fighters that Vitor Belfort (21-9 MMA, 10-5 UFC) and Alan Belcher (18-6 MMA, 9-4 UFC) have verbally agreed to meet on the main card of this fall’s UFC 153 event.
Additionally, Belfort late Tuesday took to his Twitter account to call out Belcher for UFC 153, then said in his native Portugese that the matchup was one UFC president Dana White wanted.
Featuring a featherweight title fight between current champion Jose Aldo and challenger Erik Koch, “UFC 153: Aldo vs. Koch” takes place Oct. 13 at Rio de Janeiro’s HSBC Arena.
Belcher was briefly linked to a possible fight with Michael Bisping after the two took turns issuing challenges to each other in the media. However, Bisping was eventually booked to meet Brian Stann, and Belcher was left waiting for another top 185-pounder.
“The Talent” in May notched a TKO win over submission specialist Rousimar Palhares, which built on another first-round stoppage of veteran Jason MacDonald at UFC Fight Night 25. Prior to that, he was forced to take 16 months off as a career-threatening eye injury (detached retina) healed. The injury slowed Belcher’s rise up the middleweight ranks, but he is currently 6-1 in his past seven fights in the octagon.
Meanwhile, Belfort was rumored to potentially fight opposing “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil” coach Wanderlei Silva, and UFC managing director of international development Marshall Zelaznik even admitted that fight was “something we’re working toward” even after Silva was defeated by Rich Franklin (who replaced an injured Belfort) at UFC 147.
Belfort, however, earlier in the day Tuesday went on Twitter to ask for a fight with Chris Weidman. Weidman, who recently knocked out Mark Munoz, believes he should get the next shot at middleweight champ Anderson Silva.
Instead, Belfort now will face Belcher in a fight that is expected to have real impact on the 185-pound title picture.
“The Phenom” is 7-1 in his past eight overall contests. The lone loss in that stretch is a February 2011 loss to current champ Silva, and Belfort has openly lobbied for a rematch of the first-round defeat.
