Former UFC Champion Vitor Belfort Has Signed With ONE Championship

February 28, 2019

vitor1 — Image Source: Vitor Belfort via Instagram

Accomplished MMA athlete and former UFC champion Vitor Belfort has officially signed with ONE Championship, the promotion’s CEO has reported.

Belfort, who is a BJJ black belt under Carlson Gracie, has been fighting MMA for over twenty years. He announced before his knockout loss to Lyoto Machida in May of last year that he would no longer be fighting, but ONE Championship CEO Chatri Sityodtong confirmed yesterday that Belfort would be competing for the Singapore-based promotion.

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I am thrilled to announce that UFC Legend Vitor Belfort is now a ONE Championship athlete! A former UFC Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight World Champion, Vitor holds the record for the most KOs in UFC history as well as the 2nd most finishes. He has notable victories over the likes of Randy Couture, Wanderlei Silva, Rich Franklin, Michael Bisping, Luke Rockhold, Dan Henderson, and many others.

A post shared by Chatri Sityodtong (@yodchatri) on Feb 28, 2019 at 5:39pm PST

The development doesn’t come as a total surprise to Belfort’s fans — the fighter had announced on Ariel Helwani’s show in December that he was intending on returning from his brief retirement.

Belfort isn’t the first UFC fighter who’s made the switch to ONE Championship. In October, Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson was also signed to the promotion in a historic and unconventional trade for former ONE fighter Ben Askren.

Details of Belfort’s contract and any potential opponents are currently unknown.