In 2006, UFC star Vitor Belfort undertook what would prove to be his one and only professional boxing match.

By that point ‘The Phenom’ was already a well-established star in mixed martial arts, having originally burst onto the scene in the Octagon back in 1997, winning the UFC 12 one-night heavyweight tournament with first-round TKO victories over Tra Telligman and Scott Ferrozzo.

A few years later Belfort would defeat Randy Couture to briefly become the UFC’s light-heavyweight champion.

However, he’d suffer a slump in form after that high-point in his career, losing three of his next four fights, including a rematch with Randy Couture and then Tito Ortiz in the UFC, followed by a submission loss to Alistair Overeem in PRIDE.

It was after that disappointing spell that Belfort decided to switch things up by accepting a fight in the boxing ring in his native Brazil in April of 2006.

His opponent was unveiled as Josemario Neves, an amateur boxing champion from the Bahian region of Brazil, who would also be making his professional debut on the night.

Eight of Belfort’s 13 victories in MMA had come by way of T/KO and it wasn’t long before he was able to demonstrate his speed and power in the ring as he staggered Neves with a right hook in the opening minute, then launched two uppercuts to the chin that floored him.

Neves was able to beat the count and get back to his feet, but Belfort immediately swarmed on him again, landing a couple of left hooks and an uppercut to plant Neves on his butt for the second time in the fight.

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The unsteady Neves managed to struggle to his feet again, but a blistering barrage of left and right hands from Belfort sent him down for a third and final time, less than 90 seconds into the contest.

Two years later, Belfort publicly stated that he was interested in pursuing a career in boxing, calling on the ‘Golden Boy’ promotion to sign him, but that never materialized and he’d instead continue to enjoy a long and successful career in MMA.