Former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Vitor Belfort faces another former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion in Lyoto Machida at UFC 224.
Despite the fact that Belfort is competing for the final time at the event, one thing the Brazilian says is that he isn’t retiring this Saturday Night.
“This is my last fight,” Belfort told MMA Junkie. “That’s important because people say, ‘OK, what’s the legacy you’re leaving?’ Legacy is not what I did for myself. It’s what I’m doing for the next generation. So I think I’m leaving one of the biggest legacies in the sport, for sure, worldwide. But this is my last fight, for sure, and I’m very content with what I accomplished in this sport. But I still believe I can contribute so much with the sport, and I love what the UFC is doing, creating the (UFC Performance Institute) and creating all that. But we have so much left to do.”
Belfort had said he was retiring before at UFC 212, but went back on those words when the fighter realized there was still a fight left on the UFC contract.
Belfort refuses to say that he is retiring and the former champion has a good reason for that.
“I’m not retiring because when you retire, you’re still getting paid. I’m not getting paid, so I’m not retiring,” Belfort said. “I’m looking for jobs. I’m looking for opportunities.”
UFC 224 takes place on Saturday, May 12 from the Jeunesse Arena in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil with Amanda Nunes and Raquel Pennington headlining. Fightful is providing live coverage of the event, with a post-show podcast to follow.
