Gegard Mousasi Confident Against Post-USADA Vitor Belfort

Vitor Belfort and Gegard Mousasi are two fighters on very different paths in their respective careers. In terms of time, Belfort has been around the sport much longer. The Brazilian knockout artist has competed as a professional since 1996, posting his first fight for the promotion at UFC 12 in 1997. Mousasi is a little shorter in the tooth, having started in 2002, but has crammed in 47 fights in comparison to ‘The Phenom’s’ 37. Arguably at the very tail end of his fighting life, Belfort is now 39 years of age.

The Brazilian will take on ‘The Dreamcatcher,’ who is eight years Belfort’s junior, at UFC 204 in Manchester. Following his brutal knockout of Thiago Santos at UFC 200, Mousasi is on a two-fight streak. Belfort’s form has started to slide considerably, and his last fight was a rather miserable TKO defeat against Ronaldo Souza. The former UFC light-heavyweight champion and heavyweight tournament winner needs a big win against Mousasi.

Easier Said

Taking on the younger, fresher and in better form Gegard Mousasi is a tall task for Vitor Belfort. Also, as Mousasi himself recently pointed out in an interview with MMAJunkie.com, ‘The Phenom’ is a different fighter since the end of TRT and the beginning of the USADA era.

“Some say he’s not the same Vitor Belfort since…” asked a reporter during a scrum prior to UFC Fight Night 93 in Hamburg, German (snippet via MMAMania) before Gegard interrupted with, “steroids.” “Now we’re on a (even) playing field. He doesn’t have a doctor’s advantage and I will beat him.”

“He’s explosive and dangerous in the first two minutes, but I’ve seen him in the last two fights, especially with ‘Jacare’ and Weidman. He fades out very fast. So, either one or two minutes, (and) if he does his thing and it doesn’t work, he’s mine.”

Danger

When Gegard Mousasi is on form, he truly is one of the most dangerous fighters on the planet. Long regarded as the best light-heavyweight outside the promotion, ‘The Dreamcatcher’ holds wins over Dan Henderson, Ronaldo Souza, Mark Hunt, Mark Munoz, Ovince St-Preux and many others. Some feel Mousasi is only just starting to find his form in the UFC, and he has big plans:

“I think if I beat Vitor, you have (Ronaldo Souza) now and then I think Yoel Romero; those guys are ahead. If I beat Vitor, then I’m right up there. But, of course, Chris Weidman and Luke Rockhold, they are ex-champions, so with one win they probably will get ahead of me. But we’ll see. I don’t know. First, Vitor Belfort.”