@vitorbelfort
Vitor Belfort

Martial arts entered my life to signify discipline and respect and this happened when I began to practice judo at the age of 8. Today I see the responsibility carried by my "sport heroes" as I grew up because they influenced my career, and because of that I've always felt the obligation to give back by being an athlete that represents the sport with the same discipline and respect that I was taught when I began almost 30 years ago.

The fight between Wanderlei Silva and Chael Sonnen on TUF Brasil embarrassed me. First of all because MMA is not a brawl, it's a fight between two prepared people inside of an octagon. And that is what I do, I dont brawl, I fight.
Second of all, there's no room in a sport like MMA to accept this kind of behavior when the sport itself has clear rules for unsportsmanlike conduct both inside and outside of the octagon. Third and most important, MMA should never influence behaviors where a discussion ends up in aggression as if that is an adequate standard. Millions of young men and women suffer violence on a regular basis, and television should not promote this kind of behavior as something acceptable, and athletes should resent any violent attitude regardless of any provocation.

MMA fighters should urgently be aware that their behavior both inside and outside of the octagon may influence millions of people for the good or for the bad, I chose to influence people for the good and that is also the path that MMA chose to trail. anything aside from that is no longer MMA, its a brawl and that definitely does not represent me.


Vitor Belfort


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