In 2015, Vitor Belfort aimed to become the first three-division champion in UFC history when he challenged Chris Weidman at UFC 187, even printing commemorative t-shirts in anticipation of victory. Belfort, who was on a strong run of finishes and had elevated testosterone levels of 1,200 ng/dL, was stopped by Weidman via ground-and-pound. Now, at the same age of 38 that Belfort was then, Alex Pereira is pursuing the same historic three-belt achievement — this time as the betting favorite.
Ten years after Vitor Belfort fell short of becoming the UFC's first three-division champion, Alex Pereira is chasing that same piece of history — and doing so at the exact same age Belfort was when he tried.
At UFC 187 in 2015, Belfort challenged Chris Weidman for the middleweight title with two belts already to his name and enough confidence to print commemorative t-shirts before the fight had even been contested. The attempt ended in a ground-and-pound stoppage at the hands of Weidman, and the historic milestone slipped away. Belfort, now 49, carries a professional record of 26 wins and 14 losses across a career defined by explosive finishing ability. The Brazilian southpaw stood six feet tall with a 74-inch reach and fought out of a lineage of power striking and early finishes that made him one of the most feared knockout artists of his era.
Now it is Pereira, also 38 years old, who stands at the doorstep of that same record. The summary does not specify the opponent or event for Pereira's attempt, but it notes he enters as the betting favorite — a sharp contrast to the circumstances Belfort faced a decade ago. The parallel is striking: same age, same goal, same ghost of UFC history hovering over the moment.
Why it matters
- Pereira winning would accomplish what no UFC fighter in the promotion's history has managed: holding titles in three separate divisions
- The Belfort comparison adds narrative weight, connecting two Brazilian power strikers across a ten-year gap
- Pereira entering as a favorite shifts the probability calculus significantly from where Belfort stood in 2015
- The story underscores how rare and difficult the three-division milestone truly is, having survived intact through the entire modern era of the sport
