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Belfort heading for Rockhold showdown

ESPN staff
January 25, 2013
Vitor Belfort saw off Michael Bisping with ease

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Vitor Belfort is set to welcome Luke Rockhold to the UFC, president Dana White revealed on Thursday.

The middleweight picture is extremely unclear following Belfort's victory over Michael Bisping, which denied the Brit the chance to fight champion Anderson Silva.

Bisping fell the way of fellow contenders Tim Boetsch and Alan Belcher by suffering defeat in the past two months, while Chris Weidman is recovering from injury. Belfort is arguably the top contender in the division, but the UFC is not keen on a rematch between he and Silva.

Instead Belfort will have to keep proving himself, and it seems he will be asked to welcome Strikeforce champion Rockhold to the UFC.

"We have a fight for [Vitor]. I think it is Rockhold," White said in Chicago. "It may be Rockhold. I think that's it. That's who we're talking about."

Rockhold won nine fights under the Strikeforce banner, and his grinding style could be well-suited to upsetting knockout specialist Belfort. He beat Tim Kennedy via unanimous decision in his last bout.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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