Filed under: UFC
LAS VEGAS -- Around the edges and out of focus, there's a thought that Vitor Belfort will mentally break at some point during his middleweight championship fight against Anderson Silva. During UFC 126 fight week, it's rarely been directly addressed. As you might imagine, the people who think it don't necessarily have the courage to bring up the possibility to Belfort. But the whispers are there if you listen.Belfort has faced the criticism for a long time. Many fighters -- and even greats -- face recurring critiques for sins committed years before. BJ Penn, for example, still hears questions about his stamina to this day. To be honest, some of it is rooted in some reality, but must past mistakes shadow you for an entire career? Not everyone has a second act, but perhaps that's what Saturday represents for Belfort, a chance to finally quiet the doubters once and for all.
It's never easy to know what thoughts are swirling around an athlete's head, even when you stand in front of him, listen to his words, and examine his body language. But Belfort has made a believer of some when it comes to the inner peace he's found. This is the most important fight in Brazil's MMA history, and yet Belfort looks as though he feels no pressure, his eyes filled with happiness and excitement at what is to come.
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