Chael Sonnen IS out of the title picture, Vitor Belfort has received a golden ticket and will be Anderson Silva’s next opponent. Read more after “The Jump”!
With Chael Sonnen likely getting suspended for using performance enhancing drugs for his fight with Silva at UFC 117, the UFC was forced to act quick and move on without him. Vitor Belfort has been pulled from his UFC 122 bout against Youshin Okami and has replaced Chael Sonnen as the number-one contender to Anderson Silva’s UFC Middleweight Title. Originally rumored to have suffered another injury, Dana White just recently laid the rumors to rest via. Twitter: “Vitor is not injured. He is going to fight anderson for the title and the winner of marquart and okami are next.”
A fight between Anderson Silva and Vitor Belfort has been in the making for over seven months, as it was the planned main event for UFC 112. Belfort unfortunately suffered a shoulder injury, giving us the infamous bout between Maia and Silva.
With Chael Sonnen’s failed drug test being dealt face-up, the middleweight deck has been shuffled and the hands have been re-dealt. Nate Marquardt, coming off a bizarre victory over Rousimar Palhares at Fight Night 22, will step in to take Belfort’s place against Yushin Okami at UFC 122 which takes place in Germany and will be broadcast live on Spike TV in the US. Here are the current plans for the middleweight division in the near-future:
UFC 120: Michael Bisping vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama
UFC 122: Youshin Okami vs. Nate Marquardt (#1 Contender Match)
UFC 125: Anderson Silva (Champion) vs. Vitor Belfort
Rumored: Chris Leben vs. Wanderlei Silva
