In the main event of UFC on FX 7, Vitor Belfort picked up a big second-round TKO victory over Michael Bisping. After controlling most of the first round with some measured striking, Bisping ate a head kick from Belfort that hurt him. Bisping managed to survive and got out of the round without too much trouble though. But early in the second, Belfort threw some body kicks to confuse Bisping, then came up with another head kick that Bisping didn’t block. The shot put Bisping down, and some Vitor punches ended the bout at the 1:27 mark of round two.
Belfort (22-10, 11-6 UFC) has won four of his six bouts in his most recent UFC run, only dropping title bouts to Anderson Silva and Jon Jones. Bisping (22-6, 12-6 UFC) would have earned a title shot against Silva with a victory, but came up short once again.
What was the high point of the fight?
The head kick that led to the finish. It was set up beautifully by Belfort and when it connected, you just knew it was over.
Where do they go from here?
Belfort has proven to be a top contender at middleweight, but has already lost a bout to the champion. Brazil would certainly like to see a rematch, but the UFC doesn’t seem interested in that. Belfort asked for a rematch with Jon Jones after the fight and said that he wasn’t a big fan of the cut to 185 anymore, so his future might be at light heavyweight. He also called Chael Sonnen a bunch of names, which could lead to a future matchup.
Bisping is 0-3 in number one contender’s bouts, and he doesn’t seem destined to ever get a title shot. But he’s certainly a top 10 talent at 185, and bouts with Alan Belcher and/or Tim Boetsch are probably in his future.
Watch now, later, or never?
Now. The pace was slow early, but the finish was great.