Brazilians Anderson Silva and Vitor Belfort are feeling the pressure from their homeland at UFC 126.
The buildup during fight week is often a steady progression of excitement and curiosity that builds exponentially on a daily basis, until it all reaches its apex on fight night. But for some reason in Las Vegas, there is a sense of tension in the air as we move closer to UFC 126: Silva vs. Belfort.
It is undeniable that Saturday's main event between UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva and former friend and fellow Brazilian Vitor Belfort is personal for the champ; one could see his treatment of the challenger during the staredowns at the pre-fight press conference.
While it's not a rarity for The Spider to exude some emotional distain for his opposition, it seems different this time around; something's not right.
Both of these stellar athletes are under an immense amount of pressure from their homeland, which was visible by the massive amount of Brazilian media in attendance at this show. There are so many that the number of bodies in the UFC's media centre on Thursday night was reminiscent of UFC 100. But for my peers south of the equator, they are dubbing this "the fight of the century."
Silva knows this. He cannot hide from this, and has been playing it off as just another fight. But Belfort understands the ramifications of emerging victorious in this tilt, between two of the sport's elite strikers.
It's a must-win and one he plans on securing via exposure. A left cross will likely be the weapon of choice, and one which will make the many landed by Chael Sonnen on Silva's chin at UFC 117 seem like feathers.
While he has stated on numerous occasions that he will show up on Saturday night to fight, and not dance like some of Silva's previous opponents, he is not afraid to throw verbal strikes towards the champ; something many from his homeland have considered taboo since Silva' title defence vs. Demian Maia at UFC 112.
In that bout, Silva put on one of the most bizarre performances to have ever been seen inside of the Octagon, sprinkled with insults towards Maia, physical exchanges designed to embarrass him, while drawing the ire of the UFC fan base and president Dana White.
| UFC 126 schedule | |||
| What? | When? | Where? | |
| Pre-fight press conference | Wednesday (re-watch) | Live stream | |
| UFC Fight Club Q&A | Friday, 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT | Live stream | |
| UFC 126 weigh-ins | Friday, 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT | Live stream | |
| UFC 126 live results | Saturday, 7:20 p.m. ET / 4:20 p.m. PT | Fight card | |
| Kid Yamamoto's UFC debut | Saturday, 8:25 p.m. ET / 5:25 p.m. PT | ||
| UFC 126 preliminary fights | Saturday, 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT | Sportsnet | |
| UFC 126 main card (PPV) | Saturday, 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT | Pay-per-view | |
| Post-fight press conference | Saturday, 1:15 a.m. ET / 10:15 p.m. PT (approx.) | Live stream | |
"(Anderson Silva) is wearing a mask and is showing a person that he is not. It's probably due to insecurity," stated the challenger.
Belfort, who is as cool and calm as one can possibly be before one of the biggest fights in his career, is at peace with his life. A variety of challenges and changes outside of the competition platform sees a tranquility and stillness in the middleweight, akin to that of heavyweight great Fedor Emelianenko. He hinted at some life-changing experiences and an evolution that has seen him progress far away from the label he once had as being "mentally weak."
To many, "The Phenom" was chastised for often being unable to handle the pressures of being a world-class athlete, a label he does not seem to refute. But often times it's not so much as just accepting criticism, it's more about fighting through the denial and embarking on a course of action to correct it.
And Vitor has done just that.
"I'm really prepared, and I don't have any pressure. When I became champion at 19, I carried a lot of pressure on my shoulders, but now, I'm having fun. If I bleed, I'll fix it after. If I break, I'll fix it after. I'm here to entertain."
To wit, Silva addressed the issue by informing the challenger (and the media) of the laundry list of opponents that have come and gone throughout The Spider's current reign, all of whom have not only been destroyed, but many of whom have never been the same. He also fired his own warning towards Belfort, making it crystal clear that talk is cheap and "on Saturday night, there will be nowhere to run."
As Friday's weigh-ins approach, one can just imagine what we can expect when the two fighters square off. The pressure is building. The tension is rising, and according to Dana White, "nobody wants to be the loser in this fight, and have to fly home back to Brazil."
If that's not motivation enough to perform, and proof enough that we are in for the Brazilian "Fight of The Decade," then I do not know what is.
