The Takedown | The curious case of Vitor Belfort in ONE Championship as Triller bout closes one of strangest chapters in MMA
- Former UFC light heavyweight champ to box Mike Holston on June 19 Triller Fight Club pay-per-view in Miami after ONE grants release from contract
- Belfort signed with Singapore-based martial arts promotion in Febuary 2019, but never even stepped foot in the cage, and his exit is best for both parties
So we finally have official confirmation that Vitor Belfort has parted ways with ONE Championship.
ESPN’s Ariel Helwani reported last weekend that the former UFC light heavyweight champ had agreed a Triller Fight Club boxing match with social media personality “The Real Tarzann”.
There had been no word on Belfort’s status from the Asian martial arts promotion, nor any explanation from the 44-year-old Brazilian, who signed with ONE in February 2019 but had yet to even step foot in their cage.
“So they could not close a fight. My agent was trying to close many fights there but for some reason their agenda and my agenda we could not consolidate it,” Belfort told Dylan Bowker of MyMMANews during a media conference call on Tuesday.
SCMP MMA understands ONE chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong agreed to release “The Phenom” Belfort (26-14, one no contest) from his contract and gave him his blessing to box Mike Holston – an exotic animal specialist and zookeeper who has over six million Instagram followers – on the undercard of a June 19 Triller pay-per-view in Miami.