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[link widoczny dla zalogowanych Użytkowników]

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Training Day: Vitor Belfort - 8/13/2004
by Michael DiSanto


The thunder cracking at the beginning of Vitória, Vitor Belfort's entrance song, sends a signal to those listening that the time has come - fight time is here. Vitor…Vitor…Belfort. The name in the lyrics is enough to get the attention of anyone in the mixed martial arts world. That name has commanded respect since 1996 when the 19-year-old Phenom exploded onto the scene with 4 consecutive brutal stoppages. Vitor Belfort...representando Brasil. The Brazilian is ready to return to Octagon once again at UFC 49, but this time as the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion.

By the time the drums begin, it’s too late to turn back. Randy Couture is waiting in the Octagon, and Belfort is on his way. Forget 1997 and UFC 15. Forget January 31st and UFC 46. A different Vitor Belfort will enter the cage on August 21st, and Unfinished Business involving the UFC light heavyweight title will finally be resolved once and for all!

Wait a minute. A “new” Vitor Belfort? Is that so? How many times have we heard that cliché used before an athletic competition? It seems as if athletes are newly focused or rededicated to meet their upcoming challenges only to be routinely exposed during the competition for failing to break old, bad habits. Only with Vitor, the story is somewhat different – very different, in fact.

It’s a story that is told from an isolated spot in the mountains of Southern California....

It’s been nearly two months since Vitor last saw his new wife, Joana. Almost 3 months pregnant, she is unable to fly, and so she remains home in Sao Paolo, Brazil anxiously awaiting the return of her husband.

Belfort, on the other hand, is more than 6000 miles away at a remote location nestled within the San Bernadino National Forrest called Big Bear Lake, California. He is isolated from the distractions of his everyday life in Brazil, and the personal tragedy involving the disappearance of his sister, Priscila, that continues to haunt the Belfort family to this day.


The house Belfort is using in Big Bear

If you’ve never been to Big Bear, let me paint a quick mental picture for you. It is a remote resort town geared toward those who want get away. There is nothing – and I mean absolutely nothing - to do socially. A few shops, a few small restaurants, a bowling alley, a movie theater and that’s about it. In other words, it’s the perfect place to go to eliminate distractions and focus on whatever it is that demands your attention.

"The whole Big Bear camp is designed to either destroy your mind or put you right where you need to be to fight," explained 8-time UFC and Pride veteran Fabiano Iha, who was in charge of arranging Belfort’s camp. "Either you cannot handle it and want to give up, or you will be fully prepared for the fight mentally. There are no distractions at all – nothing fun to do. It’s just from the house to training, training to house, house to training. That’s it. That’s what Vitor does Monday through Saturday. On Sunday, we go to church."

Although Belfort began his professional fighting career back in 1996, his training camp for the Couture rubber match is a completely new experience.

"This is the first time that I’ve ever had a real camp," Belfort said. "I always trained at home. This is the first time that I’ve really trained in a very professional way by coming to a camp, taking your life away and focusing on nothing but the fight. That’s what I’m doing now. Hopefully, it will pay off."

The champion’s training day begins each day at the rented home that he shares with Iha and his trainers - Leonardo Vieira (BJJ), Marciais Distak (boxing), Paul Herrera (wrestling), his Muay Thai kickboxing coach, George - and, of course, his father, Jose Marcos Belfort, who just arrived last Monday.


Belfort and Vieira relaxing sore muscles between workouts

After a light breakfast, Team Belfort makes the 1 mile drive to an old, empty warehouse that the team rented out and converted into a gym. The warehouse itself is like a scene straight out of Rocky IV. There are no frills, no luxuries, nothing extra. Inside it is very simple, but has everything that Vitor needs to prepare for his first title defense including an octagon, a heavy bag, some weightlifting equipment and a few folding chairs so that his sparring partners and trainers can sit down.

The morning session is what Team Belfort refers to as "The School." That’s when Vitor does all of his technique work and conditioning. Every day it is something different. One day it may be 2 hours with George working on his kickboxing, whereas another day it may be 2 hours with Herrera working specifically from the clinch with his back against the fence. Either way, he drills certain movements and positions over and over until they are perfect.

After technique and conditioning, Team Belfort returns home for lunch and rest. If Belfort’s not eating, sleeping or watching film on his opponent or his training sessions, the devout Christian is reading the Bible or talking about religion to keep his mind relaxed. 6000 miles away from his wife and family, religion is how he stays at peace with himself mentally in the isolation of the mountains surrounding Big Bear Lake.


Vitor working on defending the clinch with his back against the cage

Once Belfort is fully recovered from the morning session, the team gathers up and returns to the warehouse one more time. This time it is to put his technique work to use in real fight situations. That means sparring, and one of his favorite days is Tuesday, boxing day.

"I’ve never seen someone in MMA with hands like Vitor," Iha explained with excitement thinking back to the session. "He throws combinations in fights and sparring like a boxer. He connects in sparring with many punches in combination and from different angles. It’s amazing."

There’s no question that Belfort is tremendously dangerous on his feet. However, if Randy Couture has anything to say about how the fight unfolds, it won’t stay standing for very long. His game plan will be to back Vitor to the fence, initiate a clinch, take the fight to the ground, and keep it there.

"We’re very realistic about the fight," Herrera explained. "I envision Vitor being on his back at some point, so we’re working very hard on his wrestling and grappling from both standing positions and on the ground. I’ve got a couple of Division I All-Americans, myself, a 6-time National Champion, and a Greco-Roman Wrestling World Champion up here – and all the guys are pretty well versed in submissions as well. He will be very well-prepared for Randy."

For his part, Belfort is no stranger to ground fighting. He has an extensive grappling background which includes a black belt in BJJ under Carlson Gracie and decision wins over Ricco Rodriguez and Genki Sudo in Abu Dhabi. Yet, he still works hard to improve his game specifically for fight situations that arise in MMA matches.

"Vitor is a natural athlete," Herrera said. "I’ve been in this game since ’93, so I’ve worked with a lot of guys. He has natural ability and picks up on stuff very quickly, and he’s also very competitive. At first, he was like most of the guys that you start working with, but he’s at a totally different level now. He’s very, very solid. I’ve worked with all the guys. I’ve trained with Randy – we’ve wrestled and worked submission. I’ve worked with Tito. But Belfort is just at a different level."


Will Vitor get the dominant position against the world class wrestler, Couture?

Physically, Vitor Belfort has always been at a different level. His God-given athletic ability is second to none. He is unbelievably explosive, lightening quick and (along with Rampage) is quite possibly the strongest light heavyweight in the game – just ask Ricco Rodriguez about his strength. And only Wanderlei Silva can claim a similarly well-rounded set of offensive weapons – black belt in BJJ, knockout striker and an excellent kickboxer. Add to the mix that he’s very difficult to take down and you have a very complete fighter.

But nobody ever questioned his physical tools. It was his mental focus that remained a question. Well, that question just got answered over the past 2 months in Big Bear.

Suffice it to say, this is a new Vitor Belfort. His dedication to training and singular focus on fighting is something that we have not seen in the past. Fans have waited for years to hear about a completely focused and dedicated Vitor Belfort, although that isn't exactly good news for the light heavyweight division.

Vitória. It’s not only the name of his entrance song, but also what he believes to be the only possible outcome of fight with Randy Couture next Saturday night. And when his name fills the MGM loudspeakers to that Brazilian beat, a fully prepared and completely focused Vitor Belfort will be coming to the Octagon to take care of business.

"I think Randy is going to run into a lot of trouble," Herrera concluded. "No matter what position he puts him in, Vitor will be solid. All Vitor needs is one opening to let his hands go, and it’s over. I think he will get that opening a few times."

"I’m so excited and ready for this fight," a focused and determined Belfort said as our time was drawing to a close. "Randy is a great fighter, but I’m so confident right now. I’m coming to do my job on Saturday, and nobody is going to stop me!"

[budo_dollyo]

Download Belfort's UFC entrance song and listen while reading: [link widoczny dla zalogowanych Użytkowników]!!!

[budo_dollyo]

Exclusive Interview: "The Phenom" Vitor Belfort - 8/15/2004
by Michael DiSanto

As “The Phenom” Vitor Belfort winds down his training in Big Bear, California, fans remain gripped with intrigue about the first defense of his UFC Light Heavyweight Championship against the man he defeated for the title, Randy “The Natural” Couture. The brief seconds that the two spent in the Octagon on that fateful January night nearly 8 months ago did little to answer the multitude of questions surrounding the fight.

Belfort answered a few questions that night in a very definitive fashion. Questions about his willingness to fight or his desire to become a UFC champion were answered with an exclamation point the moment he stepped foot inside the Octagon. He didn’t have to fight at UFC 46. Dana White gave him the opportunity to back out in light of his personal situation back home in Sao Paolo, Brazil. Yet, Vitor Belfort chose to fight.

As UFC 49 approaches, Vitor Belfort finds himself once again facing Randy Couture. As with last time, critics are questioning his focus and desire. After 2 months of the toughest and most focused training camp of his career, Belfort seeks to answer those questions with another exclamation point by defending his championship in spectacular fashion. After all, the UFC champion has some Unfinished Business to attend to.


InsideFighting: Vitor, thank you for taking the time to talk with us.
Vitor Belfort: It’s no problem, man. How are you doing?

IF: I’m well. Thank you. How are you feeling? Talk to me about your mindset during your last week of serious training?
Belfort: I feel so good, man. I feel confident. I’ve sacrificed a lot for this fight. I’ve been here on the mountain for 2 months already, so I’m doing everything that I can to win this fight. My mind and my body are coming together right now. It’s perfect, man.


Team Belfort in Big Bear

IF: Vitor, when you are training, how different is it for you being in Big Bear rather than preparing back home in Brazil.
Belfort: This is the first time that I’ve ever had a real camp. I always trained at home. This is the first time that I’ve really trained in a very professional way by coming to a camp, taking your life away and focusing on nothing but the fight. That’s what I’m doing now. Hopefully, it will pay off.

IF: Does being in Big Bear help you focus? Or is it tough being away from your family?
Belfort: I’m definitely more focused than before. I’m here just training and nothing else. It’s tough being away from my family. But my training is going perfectly right now. I just can’t wait for the fight next Saturday!

IF: Your last fight with Couture ended suddenly with a cut after one grazing punch. Do you feel slighted by the fact that many people (and journalists) are calling the fight a fluke or saying that it should have been a no contest?
Belfort: I don’t care what people think. I get paid to do my job, and I try to do it well. When I fight, I try to do my best. I don’t worry about what other people have to say. I just try to do my job as best I can.

IF: On fight day, what’s it like for you? Are you very relaxed, very aggressive or very anxious?
Belfort: I get very excited because I want to fight. It’s just a matter of focus for me. I need to bring my mind together with my body and put my stuff together that I did in training and let it happen in the fight. But I mostly try to stay relaxed, very relaxed all day.

IF: What about when your music starts playing and it’s time to walk to the Octagon? Are you still relaxed or does your excitement level jump up?
Belfort: Yes, but I try to remain very calm and cold. I don’t want to get excited. Getting excited is good, but if you get too excited and you don’t put your mind together with your training, that can hurt you down the road during the fight. So I try to stay very calm and wait for my time to put my stuff together – just like in training, you know?


2 months in the isolated mountains of Big Bear is enough to drive anyone
crazy - one of Team Belfort's light moments.

IF: What’s it like working with Fabiano Iha for the first time?
Belfort: It’s good. Fabiano helped me with setting up the camp and bringing all my trainers together. My jiu-jitsu coach is Leonardo Vieira. My boxing coach is Marciais Destak. I have my Muay Thai coach, George. Now I have a wrestling coach, Paul Herrera. So my team is good, and we’ve got everything ready. We’re excited for this fight. You know, it doesn’t matter where I am training. One single bed in one single room or in a big mansion, that doesn’t matter to me. What is important is that is that everyone is together on my team – no egos, nobody thinking that they are better than anyone else. It is very important to me that everyone is equal. I’m very happy to have good people around me, including my doctors who take care of me. Everything is falling into place for me right now. It’s perfect, man.

IF: Speaking of the fight, after your last fight with Couture, you and Randy spoke briefly in the Octagon. It almost looked as if you were apologizing for something. What were you two talking about?
Belfort: I said that I was sorry because I didn’t want to cut him like I did. I was scared because maybe something had happed to his eye. It was a weird, weird cut. I’ve never seen anything like that. He took 8 stitches on the top and 5 stitches on the bottom of his eye, so it wasn’t a little cut. I was worried about his health. That was the most important thing to me at the time. I was worried about him, and wanted him to get healthy.

IF: Vitor, if you had to point to one thing that will be the key to you beating Randy Couture again, what would it be?
Belfort: The key is that I’m not going to get tired. He definitely cannot have the strategy to wear me out, because it is not going to happen. I’m ready for his game. He trains hard. He is a great, great professional fighter. I’m very glad that I am fighting him. He’s a very humble guy. He’s a gentleman. He’s a great fighter and a great sportsman. I’m very glad to be able to fight him. Our sport is growing. I’m excited. Everything is set up for him in this fight. I’m just going to wait for next Saturday, so I can put my stuff together. I’m just so excited to fight. I’m so ready right to fight!


Belfort en route to a TKO victory over Silva - photo courtesy of Zuffa

IF: Wanderlei Silva will reportedly be in the crowd watching your fight at UFC 49, and he…
Belfort: [Interrupting] I don’t care, man. I just don’t care who’s there. I just care about my fans, my family and my trainers. I don’t care if anybody else is there watching – that’s it. I’m going to do my job on Saturday, and nobody is going to stop me!

IF: Is Silva somebody you still want to fight after Randy?
Belfort: Yes. Definitely. I wanted to fight Wanderlei before Randy, but the company wouldn’t let me. If the UFC wants to put the fight together in the future, then it will be very good for the sport to bring both organizations together. That’s a goal that I want to reach, but I don’t want to talk about it or think about it. I’ve got Randy in front of me right now, and he’s all I’m thinking about. I’ve got to take care of business, and then I’ll take everything else in time. But I’m very relaxed right now, and ready to fight.

IF: The fans haven’t heard from you in quite some time. Is there any message that you want to send to them?
Belfort: I want to thank all of the fans for supporting my sport. Without the fans, we wouldn’t be here right now. We need them so much. Just like we need to train hard to fight, we need the fans, because if you don’t have any fans, we would not be able to fight. I’m very thankful for the fans, and appreciate what they do for the sport. I just hope that they can understand more about the sport, not just about the brawl where people beat on each other. I would like the fans to understand the technique. I would like for them to understand what happens when the fight goes to the ground – the wrestling and the jiu-jitsu. It seems like the Ultimate Fighting Championship fans are not like Japanese fans. It seems like the Ultimate Fighting fans just want to see someone get hurt. I want them to understand the sport more, understand the technique. That way, the sport can grow bigger, bigger and bigger. God bless the fans. Jesus can give them the peace of his heart – that’s what I would offer to the fans.


A devout Christian, church is an escape for
Belfort and keeps his mind clear

IF: Many of our readers are boxing fans. Why should they buy the pay-per-view and watch your fight?
Belfort: The boxing fans can be fans of us, too. Ultimate fighting is a competition and a sport. The same way they love the technique of boxing, they can be a fan of ultimate fighting. If they learn to understand the sport of mixed martial arts, they will be fans because it is a fighting game like boxing, but it is much harder. You’ve got to be very well prepared in mixed martial arts. In boxing, all you have to do is run, do your workouts and box. But in mixed martial arts, we have to do a bunch of different martial arts. If they learn to understand the sport, they will fall in love with it. They’ve got to support the right people. Fans have to be very smart, and support the sport the right way. The fans are so important to the sport.

IF: Vitor, I definitely appreciate it. Best of luck to you next Saturday night, and stay healthy.
Belfort: Okay, man. Thank you very much. God bless you.

We all wish both Vitor Belfort and Randy Couture well in their fight on August 21st at the MGM Grand. But that’s all it is – a fight, an athletic competition, a sporting event. Their fights may define them as athletes, but life defines them as men, and both are class acts. As two of the true gentlemen of the sport collide to settle Unfinished Business, our mind focuses on a great fight, yet our hearts and prayers remain with the Belfort family during their time of need.

Bardzo ciekawy wywiadzik.

[budo_tae tad]

Dolly widze ze przejeles obowiazki samego Sakierskiego good robotix

[budo_dollyo]

Dolly widze ze przejeles obowiazki samego Sakierskiego good robotix

Już taki ze mnie miły gość( czyt. społecznik). Jest powód żeby zrobić sobie przerwę w pracy, żeby do końca nie odjebało

[budo_jani]

Może Saku na chorobowym :wink: .....[/quote]