The UFC knows what it wants to do… now it is up to the Nevada Commission.
ESPN’s Brett Okamoto is reporting that Dana White wants Chris Weidman to defend his middleweight title against Vitor Belfort… even if that means moving the match to Brazil. The pair were originally scheduled to lock up at UFC 173 in May, but Belfort was pulled due to a licensing issue.
“[Weidman] wants to fight Vitor Belfort,” White said. “We want to make that fight happen. That’s the next fight. It should have already happened. I love this kid calling out Vitor. He’s awesome. The champ wants to fight Belfort, and I don’t blame him.”
Belfort is seeing a license to fight in Nevada at a commission meeting on Wednesday. His application is unique as he voluntarily submitted a positive test for an elevated testosterone level this year.
Belfort will seek a license to fight in Nevada at a commission meeting on July 23. His application is unique in that he voluntarily submitted a positive test for an elevated testosterone level earlier this year.
Should the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) vote in favor of licensing Belfort, which is not guaranteed, White said that didn’t necessarily mean the title fight would take place in Las Vegas.
“It doesn’t have to take place in Nevada,” White said. “That fight would be big in Brazil. I would do it in Brazil as long as the commission clears him. We’d want the OK from Nevada, and if Nevada is cool with it, we’d do it in Brazil.
“We could do it in Nevada [but] you know how big that fight would be in Brazil? Huge. We’d get a big stadium and we’d sell out there.”
Credit: espn.go.com
