IN the main even t of UFC Fight Night 32, former UFC Light Heavyweight champion Vitor Belfort faced off against former Strikeforce champion Dan Henderson. Prior to the fight, UFC president Dana White promised a Middleweight title shot to Belfort if he came away with a victory against Henderson.
Belfort made the most of the opportunity. The two heavy-handed strikers took the first minute to find their range. But, when Henderson lunged in Vitor clocked him with a left uppercut that dropped Hendo to the mat. Henderson struggled to his feet while eating blows. When he finally got both feet beneath him, Belfort unleashed a devastating left head kick that forced referee Dan Miragliotta to stop the fight.
While his 185 lb. title shot won’t be official until after the UFC 168 fight between champion Chris Weidman and Anderson Silva, Belfort has certainly made his case for contendership. Since losing against Silva in his last title bout, Vitor’s gone 4-0 in the division with finishes in every victory. In his two fights outside the division, his only loss was to dominant 205 lb. champion Jon Jones. And tonight he gave Henderson, a former Middleweight contender, his first ever loss to strikes.