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Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Vitor Belfort's UFC Hall of Fame entry raises tricky questions — and for Michael Bisping, complicated feelings
Here's my first thought upon hearing that Vitor Belfort would be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame this summer: Wait, he's not already in the Hall of Fame? Right after that, my second thought was: Wonder what Michael Bisping thinks about this. Advertisement That's not sarcasm, just to be clear. It's an honest admission that, more than anyone else, Bisping has a right to feel some type of way about it. That's because back in 2013, when Belfort and Bisping clashed in the headliner of a UFC Fight Night event in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Belfort landed a knockout kick that eventually cost Bisping his right eye. The kick was clean. Belfort? Not so much. As we suspected at the time, and later had confirmed in the most hilarious way possible, Belfort was juiced up with synthetic testosterone. We didn't necessarily need lab results to tell us this (though we did eventually get them). All we had to do was look at the action figure physique he'd suddenly sprouted in his mid-30s and then apply some basic math. Belfort, who'd already been busted by one drug test nearly a decade earlier, was far from the only one taking advantage of the MMA world's laissez-faire approach to testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) at the time. Chael Sonnen and Dan Henderson had helped stamp 'TRT' into the fight fan vocabulary, claiming they needed the hormonal boost due to their abnormally low testosterone levels. This was absurd, of course, but maybe we were living in an absurd time. Belfort simply took it to the next level by aggressively flunking the eye test while piling up highlight-reel finishes, which played a major role in eventually forcing the state athletic commissions to admit that the whole thing was too ridiculous to continue. Advertisement That's about when TRT was finally effectively ended in MMA, but it was shallow comfort to Bisping. Banning Belfort's supplement of choice didn't restore the vision in his right eye. There was arguably no one more harmed than Bisping by the TRT era in MMA. He fought and lost against at least three known users — Henderson, Sonnen, and Belfort — and suffered devastating knockouts in two of those fights. Since the Belfort loss cost him the most, at least physically, you might think Bisping would have some complicated feelings about enshrining the man in the UFC Hall of Fame. You'd be right about that. But only to a point. 'Was he a massive cheater? Of course,' Bisping told MMA Junkie's Mike Bohn recently. 'Did he take a lot of steroids? Of course. Were there a lot of other people doing that at the same time. Absolutely there was. So I was like, I get it. But then when I thought about it, I lost an eye because of this guy. I'm like, no, he can stick his Hall of Fame up his ass." Bisping then added: "But he does deserve it.' Advertisement This is where it gets tricky, for all the reasons Bisping just outlined. Just going by the official record, you have to admit Belfort had a great career. He burst onto the scene as a teenager in the wild west days of mid-'90s MMA, and was somehow still around — and very much in title contention — by the time the UFC had new ownership and a network television deal in the mid-2010s. Vitor Belfort knocked out Michael Bisping in an infamous 2013 bout in Brazil that ultimately cost Bisping his right eye. (Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) (Josh Hedges via Getty Images) That right there is incredible all on its own. His UFC titles at heavyweight and light heavyweight also look good on paper, though they're arguably a lot less impressive under even the lightest scrutiny than the middleweight run that came later. Really, the only possible justification to keep a guy like Belfort out of the UFC Hall of Fame would be the doping stuff. And if you were doping in one or more of MMA's notorious doping eras (see also: the entire history of PRIDE Fighting Championships), how much can we hold it against you just for doing it less discreetly and more successfully than others? Advertisement Belfort lived many different lives across many different eras of this sport. He also inhabited several different bodies while doing it. You couldn't not notice this. He practically forced us to form some kind of opinion on it, one way or another. Usually fight fans get more forgiving of that stuff the further removed we are from it. While it's happening in the moment, sure, it's cheating and that's bad (especially when it's not your favorite fighter doing it). But give us a decade or so and we'll decide it was actually really fun to watch and we miss it. Bisping's missing eye makes that a little tougher to do in the case of Belfort. Professional fighting is the hurt game, as we know. There's not a doctor anywhere in the world who would tell you it's good for your health, and everyone who steps in the cage knows it comes with risks. Bisping could have easily lost that eye against a clean fighter. But he didn't. Should Belfort still get a place in the UFC Hall of Fame despite all that? I think so. But that doesn't mean we can't feel more than one way about it. And if you're Bisping, I don't think anyone would blame you if you skipped the induction ceremony entirely.
USA Today
26-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Michael Bisping has mixed feelings about Vitor Belfort's UFC Hall of Fame induction
Michael Bisping has mixed feelings about Vitor Belfort's UFC Hall of Fame induction Michael Bisping has mixed feelings about Vitor Belfort joining the UFC Hall of Fame. If there's anyone who would have a valid protest to Belfort having his name enshrined in the pioneer wing of the Hall during International Fight Week on June 28, it would be Bisping. The former UFC middleweight champion, who is a member of the Hall himself, received a serious eye injury in his January 2013 loss to Belfort at UFC on FX 7. The repercussions of a kick ultimately led to Bisping completely losing his vision, and now he famously has a prosthetic eye. Injuries are an inherent risk of combat sports, but what makes the situation with Bisping even worse, is that Belfort was competing while being granted a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) for Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT), which essentially was a then-legal performance-enhancing drug that was outlawed and banned from the sport in February 2014. Bisping understandably still has issue with Belfort for everything that happened. It makes the legacy of "The Phenom" highly complicated, but if Bisping can remove all emotion, he said Belfort belongs in the UFC Hall of Fame. "When we were in Des Moines, Paul Felder had a little piece for the (video) package where we speak about the greatness of the people getting inducted into the Hall of Fame. They said, 'We won't ask you Mike, for obvious reasons.' I said, 'You know what? I don't care. I'll do it,'" Bisping told MMA Junkie. "When you look at it and remove all the emotions from it, the man was the UFC heavyweight champion of the world at 19. He then became the light heavyweight champion. He almost became the middleweight champion. He's the closest thing we've had to a three-weight champion. "Was he a massive cheater? Of course. Did he take a lot of steroids? Of course. Were there a lot of other people doing that at the same time. Absolutely there was. I get it." During his storied career, Belfort owned UFC gold, won the UFC 12 heavyweight tournament and racked up an all-time UFC record 13 finishes in the first round of his fights. There are other athletes in the UFC Hall of Fame who have accomplished far less than Belfort, and had their own controversies as well. For that reason, Bisping can accept that Belfort, despite his faults, earned his place. "I lost an eye because of this guy," Bisping said. "He can stick his Hall of Fame up his ass. But he does deserve it. You can't deny what he did inside the octagon. You just can't deny it. If that's not a Hall of Fame career, I don't know what is. Whether you like it or not, he deserves it." To hear more from Bisping, check out his complete appearance on "The Bohnfire" podcast with MMA Junkie senior reporter Mike Bohn above.
Scottish Sun
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Inside the real Wolf of Wall Street's luxury home with nods to drug-fuelled lifestyle that inspired Leo DiCaprio film
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) TAKE A look inside the incredible luxury home of Jordan Belfort, the real Wolf of Wall Street. The property features many nods to the drug-fuelled lifestyle that inspired that Leonardo DiCaprio film. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 8 Inside the real Wolf of Wall Street's incredible luxury home Credit: Instagram @wolfofwallst 8 Paying homage to the iconic 2013 film he proudly displayed a number related memorabilia Credit: Instagram @wolfofwallst 8 Belfort showed off various items in his lavish pad including a painted self-portrait Credit: Instagram @wolfofwallst 8 The video was complete with a clip of Jordan's two luxury Mercedes cars Credit: Instagram @wolfofwallst 8 Amongst the standout pieces was an iconic wolf statue Credit: Instagram @wolfofwallst In a clip posted to his official Instagram account Belfort, 62, showed off various items in his lavish pad. Amongst the standout pieces was a massive painted self-portrait, a custom Stratton Oakmont golf bag — a nod to the infamous brokerage firm Belfort founded, and a wooden cold plunge. Paying homage to the 2013 Martin Scorsese blockbuster he proudly displayed a number of cinematic-themed collectables. These included an iconic wolf statue, customised movie poster and a framed image of Belfort's 37 million superyacht Nadine which sank off the coast of Sardinia. READ MORE ON JORDAN BELFORT Wolf of Wall Street Jordan Belfort's ex wives - from Denise Lombardo to Nadine Caridi The former stockbroker also had various items in the home relating to Quaalude, a drug which he was notoriously addicted to during the peak of his Wall Street career. He showcased two large jars which had the name of the drug imprinted on as well as a framed image of Quaaludes' chemical structure. The video was complete with a clip of Jordan's two luxury Mercedes cars. Fans took to the comments reveling over the post, one user said: 'Bro took it to the limit and beyond!' 'Not the Quaaludes! (laughing emoji)' chimed another. 'Legendary' penned a third, whilst a fourth added 'King of Sales (fire emoji).' Titanic blunder spotted 28 years after film came out - and once you notice it you can't unsee it Belfort inspired Leo DiCaprio's character in the hit films which is based on his own book. He is an author and public speaker who became known as The Wolf of Wall Street during his life as a stockbroker. Born in 1962 in New York, Jordan became the founder of Stratton Oakmont - specialising in penny stocks and defrauding investors with "pump and dump" stock sales. He plead guilty to the crime in 2009 and was sentenced to four years in prison as well as ordered to pay back $110million. Releasing a book in 2008 about how he earned his money, Belfort also admitted to being a prolific drug user. Back in 2021 his estimated net worth was approximately -$100million. This comes after he was told to pay back after he was convicted of defrauding investors. 8 Jordan became the founder of Stratton Oakmont Credit: Getty Images - Getty 8 The former stockbroker had various items in the home relating to the drug Quaalude Credit: Instagram @wolfofwallst
The Irish Sun
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Inside the real Wolf of Wall Street's luxury home with nods to drug-fuelled lifestyle that inspired Leo DiCaprio film
TAKE A look inside the incredible luxury home of Jordan Belfort, the real Wolf of Wall Street. The property features many nods to the drug-fuelled lifestyle that inspired that 8 Inside the real Wolf of Wall Street's incredible luxury home Credit: Instagram @wolfofwallst 8 Paying homage to the iconic 2013 film he proudly displayed a number related memorabilia Credit: Instagram @wolfofwallst 8 Belfort showed off various items in his lavish pad including a painted self-portrait Credit: Instagram @wolfofwallst 8 The video was complete with a clip of Jordan's two luxury Mercedes cars Credit: Instagram @wolfofwallst 8 Amongst the standout pieces was an iconic wolf statue Credit: Instagram @wolfofwallst In a clip posted to his official Instagram account Amongst the standout pieces was a massive painted self-portrait, a custom Stratton Oakmont golf bag — a nod to the infamous brokerage firm Belfort founded, and a wooden cold plunge. Paying homage to the 2013 Martin Scorsese blockbuster he proudly displayed a number of cinematic-themed collectables. These included an iconic wolf statue, customised movie poster and a framed image of Belfort's 37 million superyacht Nadine which sank off the coast of Sardinia. READ MORE ON JORDAN BELFORT The former stockbroker also had various items in the home relating to Quaalude, a drug which he was notoriously addicted to during the peak of his Wall Street career. He showcased two large jars which had the name of the drug imprinted on as well as a framed image of Quaaludes' chemical structure. The video was complete with a clip of Jordan's two luxury Mercedes cars. Fans took to the comments reveling over the post, one user said: 'Bro took it to the limit and beyond!' Most read in TV 'Not the Quaaludes! (laughing emoji)' chimed another. 'Legendary' penned a third, whilst a fourth added 'King of Sales (fire emoji).' Titanic blunder spotted 28 years after film came out - and once you notice it you can't unsee it Belfort inspired Leo DiCaprio's character in the hit films which is based on his own book. He is an author and public speaker who became known as The Wolf of Wall Street during his life as a stockbroker. Born in 1962 in New York, Jordan became the founder of Stratton Oakmont - specialising in penny stocks and defrauding investors with "pump and dump" stock sales. He plead guilty to the crime in 2009 and was sentenced to four years in prison as well as ordered to pay back $110million. Releasing a book in 2008 about how he earned his money, Belfort also admitted to being a prolific drug user. Back in 2021 his estimated net worth was approximately -$100million. This comes after he was told to pay back after he was convicted of defrauding investors. 8 Jordan became the founder of Stratton Oakmont Credit: Getty Images - Getty 8 The former stockbroker had various items in the home relating to the drug Quaalude Credit: Instagram @wolfofwallst 8 Belfort inspired Leo DiCaprio's character in the hit films which is based on his own book
Miami Herald
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Vitor Belfort named to UFC Hall of Fame Class of 2025
Former light heavyweight champion Vitor Belfort will be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame, the promotion announced. Belfort (26-14, 1 no contest) made his professional MMA debut at 19 years of age on Oct. 11, 1996. The Brazilian defeated Jon Hess via knockout in 12 seconds of the first round despite being at a seven-inch, 100-pound disadvantage. Belfort immediately signed with UFC following his victory. He made his UFC debut as a heavyweight on Feb. 7, 1997, recording first-round TKO wins over both Tra Telligman and Scott Ferrozzo to win the heavyweight tournament. "Vitor Belfort was 19 years (old) when he was signed by UFC and he quickly made an impact by becoming the youngest athlete to win a UFC fight, and UFC tournament," UFC president & CEO Dana White said. "Vitor was a pioneer of the sport and is definitely a UFC legend. It will be an honor to induct him into the UFC Hall of Fame this summer." Belfort will enter the UFC Hall of Fame as the 20th member of the Pioneer Era Wing, which includes athletes who turned professional before Nov. 17, 2000. The 2025 UFC Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place on June 26 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. --Field Level Media Field Level Media 2025 - All Rights Reserved
