Vitor Belfort Explains How PFL is Different than Any Other MMA Organization

Mixed martial arts veteran Vitor Belfort is happy to be front-row to watch some of the brightest young talent in the sport compete for a Professional Fighters League contract.

Former Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight titleholder Belfort will be cageside at the upcoming PFL Challenger Series Week 3 as he will be part of the expert panel. “The Phenom” in 2018 stopped competing in MMA, but he still loves to test himself across different combat sports. On April 1, on the same day he turns 46, Belfort will clash with long-term rival Ronaldo Souza in a six-round boxing clash. The first time, the pair collided in an MMA bout that ended with a first-round victory for “Jacare” at UFC 198. Seven years later, Belfort and Souza are ready to collide again. Ahead of his upcoming assignment, Belfort praised PFL for its unique format and for allowing the fighters to be the way they are without turning them into characters that don’t reflect their real personalities.

“The sport has evolved. Now I'm working with PFL, it's an organization that is creating a system that I think it’s very unique in a sense. In life, we’re always looking for earning things. When you give something to someone… I'm not just saying that you can't give something to someone, but in sport you wanna earn your way out. That's the only [way] in sport. PFL Challenger Series is where you can earn in less than a year, you can become a multimillionaire as a fighter. Fighters are understanding how great it is. You can lose, you still can win, it’s a kind of tournament style of a meritocracy way. I really like the format and I think it's pretty fun. I'll be able to watch now and see the future, the guys that really want to make it. It's always us trying to discover talent and bringing to PFL. I think it gives you that sense of, ‘I can earn here, I don't need to talk my way out,’ you know? Become your personality as well, almost become like a character type of guy. You can be a quiet guy and you can be a guy that doesn't like to be someone [else]. You can be you, just be a performer. Like I said, you just perform, your win.”

Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro
(00:17) Being happy
(00:43) Promoting his Boxing Martial Arts gloves
(01:38) Saying that the BMA gloves would work for Tyson Fury-Francis Ngannou
(03:40) Claiming he was supposed to face Roy Jones Jr.
(05:49) Using traditional gloves in his fight with Souza
(06:46) Confirming his fight with Souza is professional and not just exhibition
(07:00) Preparing for Jacare
(08:36) His thoughts on Week 3 of the PFL Challenger Series
(12:02) The qualities he appreciates the most in a fighter
(13:49) Hoping to see a PFL event in Brazil
(14:45) Outro