Vitor Belfort to face Nate Marquardt in top contender battle

A wrong has been righted if the Fighters Only report that Vitor Belfort will face Nate Marquardt while he waits for middleweight champ Anderson Silva’s elbow to heal turns out to be true. Belfort jumped to the head of the UFC contender line after just one fight, a knockout of Rich Franklin in a meaningless 195-pound catchweight bout at UFC 103, that left many, including Marquardt, Silva and Dan Henderson scratching their heads. After all, what had Belfort done to earn the title shot?

Obviously, the Silva-Belfort match-up was based on the entertainment factor – a clash of two explosive styles – and not on any legitimate claim to a title shot by Belfort. Silva preferred to face the winner of Marquardt vs. Henderson or even to face Belfort in a catchweight bout to take the title off the line but was pressured into a title fight by UFC president Dana White.

But now Silva’s return, originally slated for January’s UFC 108 and then pushed to February,  is off indefinitely (or until at least April). With Hendo in contractual limbo, it makes sense to match Marquardt up against Belfort. Marquardt hasn’t fought since his 21-second knockout of Demian Maia at UFC 102 and he’s currently slated to face Chael Sonnen – yawn! – at UFC 109 on February 6. So expect Belfort and Marquardt at UFC 109 to determine the top middleweight contender and Sonnen to look for a new dance partner.