Belfort: “I’ve been around”
by Dave Doyle | source: mmafighting.com
“I have a lot of respect for Jon Jones,” said Belfort. “I’m very grateful for opportunity. Stepping into this fight, its old lion vs. young lion, so it’s pretty cool.”
Belfort, who earned his nickname “The Phenom” after blitzing the competition at age 19 in the UFC 12 tournament, knows both that he’s fortunate the chips have fallen his way and that he’s considered a heavy underdog for the fight. But that won’t stop him from believe he can get the job done in Toronto.
“I’m an old lion, I have tricks, you know what I mean?” asked Belfort, who will prepare for the fight with the Blackzilian camp. “I’ve been around. I’ve take all kinds of beatings in life, not just inside Octagon, but outside as well. It’s just using my experience and using my knowledge and getting ready. … I like him as well, he’s very nice, very polite, so soft spoken, and a great athlete. That’s good, the sport’s getting bigger. How many guys from my era are around. Not much? How many guys from when I was fighting and winning my first title in ’96, I don’t know what Jon Jones was doing [then]. I’m privileged to fight a guy like him, It’s a privilege to me. I never thought I’d be around that much, 17 years of a career, and having this chance for the light heavyweight title. It’s a title that I had before in 2004. Here I am again with this opportunity.”