The fight started slow with neither fighter wanting to attack first. It was Belfort who would commit to his strikes which ended the fight immediately in the first round. He dropped Akiyama and finished him with punches from the top which put Akiyama out.
This win will have many claiming that the old Vitor Belfort is back. He looked good against Yoshihiro Akiyama and his hands were on point. He will have the distinction of being the second fighter ever to knockout Sexyama with strikes. Akiyama finds himself in a precarious position. He hasn’t been impressive in his UFC career and is now 1-3 in the promotion. His contract is one of the biggest on the roster and there hasn’t been a return on the investment. Vitor is now 7-5 in the UFC and will be looking to work his way back up the middleweight latter.
Where these two men go from here is anyone’s guess, but this fight definitely showed that Akiyama should no longer be fighting at Middleweight if he does continue to fight in the UFC. Belfort will need to fight his way back to the top and there are far more talented fighters at 185 than Akiyama that he’ll need to go through. Maybe a fight with Maia?
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