Matt Lindland vs. Vitor Belfort
Two former UFC champions will meet inside Affliction’s ring, as Matt Lindland and Vitor Belfort square off with one another. Belfort, once one of the top stars in the sport of Mixed Martial Arts, has suffered a precipitous fall over the last few years, and Lindland has never been considered one of the most exciting fighters in the world, so this one could get pretty ugly. Belfort +160 / Lindland -200
Vitor Belfort was, at one point, one of the most dominant 205 pound fighter in the world. A combination of age, personal tragedy, and failure to grow as a fighter have slowly whittled away his reputation to the point that he is generally discussed now in terms of missed opportunities and wasted potential. Primarily a striker, but also possessing decent jiu jitsu, Belfort’s skills have never been questioned. The biggest question mark surrounding Belfort is his motivation.
Regardless of Belfort’s motivation, though, he is going to have his hands full with Lindland. Probably the most decorated wrestler ever to compete in MMA, Lindland’s ability to force a takedown and neutralize his opponent on the ground is unmatched in mixed martial arts. While it does not always make for exciting or crowd pleasing fights, Lindland is consistently dangerous and usually dominant. Considering Belfort’s patchy track record and Lindland’s intense ground control, this should be 3 ugly rounds of Belfort getting smothered.
Lindland by unanimous decision.
