Former UFC light heavyweight champion Vitor Belfort had a Hall of Fame career inside the octagon. He won the UFC 12 Heavyweight Tournament in 1997 at 19 years-old. His 44-second knockout of Wanderlei Silva at UFC Brazil in 1998 solidified his place as one of the most dangerous strikers to ever step in the cage.
“The Phenom” retired from mixed martial arts in 2018 and the landscape of combat sports has dramatically changed over the last seven years. Social media influencers like Jake Paul entered boxing and changed the traditional path to big money fights. Likes, clicks, and followers became a variable.
Belfort doesn’t like the current trend and doesn’t consider Paul to be a ‘real fighter.’
“We have UFC athletes competing with getting a sponsorship with influencers. So, when you go to Nike, when you go to Under Armor, and then they offer a fighter and they say, ‘how many likes does he have?’ It is disgusting… I don’t care how many likes he has.”
The 48 year-old attributes the landscape changing to the rise of social media and its influence. Popularity became more important than skillset and accomplishment.
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“We live in a generation now that it’s about content. But I say, ‘What type of content?’ Tell me. You’re a content creator. I want to see what. ‘Oh, I make people laugh. The problem is understanding the value of things you do. Success is not how much money you have in the bank,” Belfort told MMAFighting.
“It is very sad today that a lot of athletes today are losing their money,” Belfort said. “Look at Jake Paul. Jake Paul is a fighter, and I say, ‘What?’ I understand that he is now, but he created a whole different element. He is not a real fighter. I have respect for what he did, but he’s not (a fighter),” continued Belfort.
“He picks his opponents. He created his career. People think this is real boxing. He’s not. I know he’s successful. I know he did something, but this is not what it is. Now we live in this world that we call virtual reality. It’s not a reality. MMA, it’s a reality. If you sign with the UFC, you’re not going to be a champion because you have followers. You’re going to have to fight.”
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