Vitor Belfort i Lyoto Machida ulaze u oktogon 12. svibnja na UFC-u 224. Okršaj će se održati u Riju, koji će sigurno dobrim dijelom biti u nedoumici oko toga za koga navijati.

Podsjećamo, Belfort je u posljednjem nastupu porazio Natea Marquardta, jednoglasnom odlukom sudaca, dok je Zmaj prekinuo gubitnički niz na račun Eryka Andersa, također jednoglasnom sudačkom odlukom.

Vitor je na Instagramu napisao da mu je ovo posljednja borba:

"Relevantan sam u sportu preko 20 godina. Slomio sam puno barijera i pripremio sam put za sljedeću generaciju. Jedan sam od pionira u ovom sportu i ponosan sam na to. Ne bih mogao kročiti u oktogon posljednji put bez da pošaljem relevantnu poruku fanovima i samom sportu. Zbog toga sam se odlučio boriti s prijateljem. Sportašem kojeg jako poštujem. Dobra je osoba i obiteljski je čovjek. Ja se protivim tako popularnom trash talku. MMA je sport! Sport u kojem ja i mnogi drugi rade da bi uzdržavali obitelj.

Lyoto i ja se znamo niz godina, znam njegovu obitelji i trenirali smo zajedno. Htio sam ovu borbu u Brazilu jer ondje je sve krenulo. Sada je vrijeme da pošaljemo još jednu poruku svijetu. A ta poruka je: RESPEKT!"

 

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.

A post shared by Vitor "The Phenom" Belfort (@vitorbelfort) on Feb 17, 2018 at 12:12pm PST