• UFC

Belfort set for eight-month lay-off from the Octagon

ESPN staff
February 17, 2010
Vitor Belfort was explosive in his last fight against Rich Franklin © Getty Images
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Vitor Belfort will not return to full contact training for at least five months following surgery on his shoulder.

Belfort had been set for a titanic UFC middleweight title showdown with Anderson Silva at UFC 112, but a persistent shoulder problem forced him to withdraw. Demian Maia will replace Belfort in the title collision, which takes place in Abu Dhabi.

A future match-up between Anderson Silva and Belfort undoubtedly remains on the cards, with the latter said to be the only man in the 185lb division capable of matching the champion's outstanding stand-up game. That bout will not happen before October though, with Belfort admitting he has a long period of rehabilitation ahead of him.

"I went under surgery already. I can't take too long off, because of my career and physical conditioning," Belfort told MMA portal Tatame. "Around eight months [I will be out]. The surgery was great, I'm way better now, but I have to rest. Let's move on… I'll work to be better to come back to fight.

"I had this problem since last year. I felt my shoulder had damage in the fight against Jorge Santiago. Then I did it three more times. I was going to fight Anderson in January, but I kept training hard and the UFC was forced to postpone the fight. We did a MRI and doctor Michel Simoni, one of the best in Brazil and well known overseas, said there was no way, to be 100% I'd have to stop. Now I'll be back only five months from now."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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