Vitor Belfort will be enshrined in the UFC Hall of Fame this summer as part of the 2025 class.
The former UFC light heavyweight champion and man who once held the record for most knockouts in octagon history, Belfort, will have his name immortalized by the company for which he competed 26 times from UFC 12 in February 1997 to UFC 224 in May 2018.
Nicknamed “The Phenom,” Belfort (26-14 MMA, 15-10 UFC) made his promotional debut at 19. He would build a reputation as a fearsome fighter, earning his first six career wins in the first round, with four coming in a minute or less.
After defeating Wanderlei Silva at UFC 17.5 in October 1998, Belfort exited the UFC and headed to PRIDE FC in Japan, where he would add more wins to his resume. He returned to the UFC in July 2002, and the following year would win the light heavyweight championship in controversial fashion.
At UFC 46 in January 2004, a highly unusual cut to the eyelid of Randy Couture just 49 seconds into their contest at UFC 46 led to him exiting as champion. The pair had an immediate rematch, with Couture reclaiming the belt by doctor’s stoppage TKO.
In the years afterward, Belfort competed in various organizations such as Strikeforce, PRIDE, Cage Rage and Affliction before making his way back to the UFC in September 2009. He fought in many high profile bouts against the likes of Jon Jones, Anderson Silva, Anthony Johnson, Michael Bisping, Luke Rockhold and Dan Henderson.
Although Belfort maintained his reputation as a serious knockout threat, his legacy is also marred by the shadow of his time using Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT), which was a massive story in the sport and led to questions about whether it was a form of cheating.
TRT eventually was outlawed from the sport, which coincided with the final chapter of Belfort’s UFC tenure, in which he won just two of his final seven UFC appearances.
Belfort joins the UFC Hall of Fame class of 2025 that currently also includes Robbie Lawler (Modern Wing), Craig Piligian (Contributor Wing), and Israel Adesanya vs. Kelvin Gastelum (Fight Wing).
The 2025 UFC Hall of Fame ceremony takes place June 26 during International Fight Week, which is highlighted by UFC 317 on June 28 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
