UFC legend Vitor Belfort already had plans to retire from the sport of Mixed Martial Arts.
He was supposed to fight Uriah Hall in St. Louis, but Hall fell ill on weigh-ins day and the bout never happened.
Now, according to Vitor, he will fight Lyoto Machida in his farewell to the sport, and he’s released a lengthy message to his fans about what it means to go out against a fellow Brazilian, friend, and legend.
Check it out:
“I’m over 20 years being relevant in this sport. I broke a lot barriers and paved the way for a generation after me. I am one of the pioneers of the sport and I’m proud it it.
I could not walk into the octagon for the last time without sending a relevant message to the: athletes, fans and to the sport itself.
That is the reason why I chose to fight a friend of mine. An athlete that I have a lot respect. A good person a family man. I’m against the so famous “trash talk”. MMA is a sport!
A sport that myself and a lot of family men work really hard to support our families. Lyoto and I have known each other for many years, I know his family and we have trained together. I wanted this fight to take place in Brazil because that is where everything started and now it’s time for us to send another message to the world.
And the message is:
RESPECT!
May 12th @lyotomachidafw and I will step into the octagon as professionals and we still be friends.
Always respecting each other and the way we will do that is giving our best in the octagon.
I want people to understand that you don’t have to be a bully to be a fighter, you have to be a real man.
And that is exactly what the world is in need, real man willing to pay the price to make a difference”
