Vitor Belfort calls for new league within the UFC
“I have brains; I still have some left,” joked Vitor Belfort. “I want to be able to make the fans happy and give them what they need.”
Brian Stann, now 36, retired in 2013 citing a lifetime of head trauma. He played football from the second grade through college. He went to war. And he fought in MMA for eight years.
“There’s only so long that I can roll those dice and be successful,” said Stann. “For me, the risk is not worth it.”
Chuck Liddell, now 47, had a no-show job created for him by his friend Dana White, so he would no longer fight. When he speaks, he sounds different.
Vitor Belfort, 39, has been fighting professionally for over 20 years and has a plan for himself, Liddell, Stann, and others.
I have even one idea I want to present for the UFC: It’s creating a new league inside the UFC, said Belfort to Fernanda Prates and John Morgan for MMAjunkie. We need something new – I can see now. These new owners, they want to create something new. There is a lot of changing. What I want to propose to them is creating a league inside the UFC, the Legend League, so we can bring back these retired people – bring them back to the game and sell more tickets – give more opportunities so they can make more revenue.
I can lead that. We can make a title fight between me and one of the legends, and that can be a new program in the UFC.
In the interests of safety, Belfort proposes a longer period of rest, larger gloves, and the removal of knees and elbows.
I have brains; I still have some left, joked Belfort. I want to be able to make the fans happy and give them what they need. Not just entertain them, but give them the pleasure to see legends. I think that’s what they love to do. Why just retire them? Bring them back.
On Saturday, Belfort fights Kelvin Gastelum, 25, at UFC Fight Night 106: Belfort vs. Gastelum in Fortaleza, Brazil.
The sport is becoming not like it used to be before,” said Belfort. “Now, fighters are taking fights that, ‘I think I can win this.’ I think I’m the older generation, where we want to make fans happy with fights and fights that bring challenges and Kelvin is a guy who brings that challenge.