Vitor Belfort isn't looking for any gimmes ahead of his last fight.
"The Phenom" drew no shortage of ire after revealing he wanted to go out against a lesser man than the luminaries who've comprised a 39-fight, 20-year career, with middleweight champ Michael Bisping leading the charge. "The Count" scathingly questioned Belfort's manhood on a recent episode of his "Believe You Me" podcast following the Brazilian's flippant callout of neophyte CM Punk, prompting Belfort to clarify his remarks in an Instagram post on Sunday:
A post shared by Vitor "The Phenom" Belfort (@vitorbelfort) on
Belfort pointedly listed the elite competition he's faced over his last 10 bouts, before stating that while he'd love to hang up his gloves with a win, his retirement fight would not be the outlier in a resume that reads like a Hall of Fame class.
"Now if you ask me if I would like an easy last fight," he wrote. "If I would like to have an opponent that at least in theory I would knock him down easily ... I will confess that would be great! But that would not be me ... would not live up to my history and the legacy I want to leave for the next generations."
The 39-year-old made sure to throw a jab Bisping's way in his spiel, deeming the Brit the "only easy fight" he's had over his last 10. Belfort disposed of the "fake champ" with a head kick back in January 2013 - a win that will forever bear an asterisk, as he'd been undergoing testosterone replacement therapy - since banned - at the time.
Belfort hasn't been nearly as successful of late, having been finished in each of his last three fights. Shortly after falling to Kelvin Gastelum earlier this month, the Brazilian revealed he has one bout left on his UFC contract, and intends to make it the last of his career, preferably in June at UFC 212 in his native Rio de Janeiro.
