— Update —
Despite the following report regarding Belfort's Instagram post from earlier today, MMA Junkie confirmed that Belfort has no intentions of retiring. His post may have said otherwise, but "The Phenom" is ready and willing to fight as soon as possible.
— End of update —
At 39 years of age, mixed martial arts (MMA) legend Vitor Belfort has decided to hang it up and call it a career. The former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) light heavyweight champion took to Instagram earlier today (Sat., Oct. 15, 2016) to reveal his decision to walk away from the sport.
"Thanks a lot for all the support and advices," wrote Belfort. "But I decided that I will end this chapter of my life looking at the mirror and recognizing myself."
Belfort, who was known for his ferocious striking pallet and relentless finishing ability, will leave a 25-13 career record behind. In his prime, "The Phenom" was considered one of the most dangerous fighters on the planet. His ability to overwhelm opponents led to knockout finishes of prominent MMA figures like Randy Couture, Wanderlei Silva, Michael Bisping and Luke Rockhold.
While Belfort remained atop the UFC middleweight division for the better part of the past three years, dropping back-to-back fights opposite Ronaldo Souza at UFC 198 and Gegard Mousasi at UFC 204 all but took him out of contention.
Belfort is a shoe in for the UFC Hall of Fame and a fighter that will be used as a measuring tool for future MMA fighters of all shapes and sizes.