5 Reasons To Be Excited For Vitor Belfort Vs. Anderson Silva

While middleweight contender Chael Sonnen tries to appeal his suspension, after testing positive for steroids following his loss at UFC 117, Vitor Belfort has been rightfully chosen to be the next challenger to Anderson Silva's middleweight crown.

Originally it appeared that Belfort was injured and was forced to pull out of his bout against middleweight contender Yushin Okami for UFC 120, however that was not the case.

Both Belfort and Silva are standouts in the middleweight division and have defeated a list of who's-who in MMA to be where they are today.

While there is no official date or location announced, rumors are suggesting this bout will take place at UFC 125 next year, the anticipation for this match up couldn't be any bigger.

Here are 5 Reasons To Be Excited For Vitor Belfort Vs. Anderson Silva.

No. 5: The Winner Of Marquardt Vs. Okami Will Be The Next Challenger

Should either Silva or Belfort become victorious, their next opponent will not be a easy task.

Yushin Okami is very talented fighter and he is very well-rounded especially with his improved striking ability.

He also uses his speed effectively to wear down his opponents. A bout with either Silva or Belfort would be competitive.

Nate Marquardt is a student of MMA trainer and strategist Greg Jackson and is one of the bright, potential stars in the middleweight division.

He is also a well-rounded fighter and has exceptional take downs and grappling ability, while displaying a strong stand-up game.

He has certainly improved since the last time he fought Anderson Silva and it would be a much more competitive bout should they square off in a rematch.

In fact, Silva has stated before that he feels Marquardt is the future of the middleweight division.

The fact it will be either Yushin Okami or Nate Marquardt as the next contender tells us the UFC middleweight division has enough depth for it to remain competitive.

No. 4: The Resurgence Of Vitor Belfort

Vitor Belfort will be entering his bout on a five-fight win streak, and while some MMA fans might not agree that he deserves a title shot just yet, his knockout victory over former champion Rich Franklin was enough to earn it.

This will be the second stint in the UFC for Belfort and even though his first stint with the company was hit and miss, he has since remained competitive and consistent.

Holding knockouts over Matt Lindland, Gilbert Yvel and Terry Martin has not only built confidence in the Brazilian, but it has rejuvenated his career.

In his most recent bout with Franklin, Belfort was more patient than usual and wisely timed his counterpunches against Franklin, in hopes of finding an opening and finishing the fight.

In devastating fashion, he countered his opponent and blasted him out cold just three minutes in the opening round.

With his confidence built up and his career certainly on the right track, Belfort will look to be very prepared as he collides with Anderson Silva.

No. 3: Anderson Silva Will Be Fully Recovered

In his title defense against Chael Sonnen at UFC 117, Anderson Silva was completely dominated for four rounds before locking in a triangle submission for the victory.

Little did we know, Silva was injured during the bout, as he told media after the fight that his ribs were cracked.

It was revealed following the fight that Silva would be sidelined for the remainder of the year.

If Silva was capable to pull off the win while enduring as much punishment as he took, and battling through an injury, imagine how much more dangerous 'The Spider' is when he's healthy.

No.2: Silva and Belfort's Striking Abilities

No one can argue against the fact that both fighters are incredibly dangerous on the feet.

Anderson Silva is the most superior striker in MMA today. He is very accurate and technical with his strikes and possesses a lot of power.

He is so well rounded on the feet and he uses a good combination of knees, elbows and kicks. And as deadly as Silva is on the feet, he is just as dangerous on the ground.

Vitor Belfort holds incredible knockout power in both hands and is very quick with his combinations. Once the bell sounds, Belfort immediately pressures his opponent and is very aggressive in his approach.

He has some of the fastest hands in MMA and is arguably as fast as Silva. He also has very underrated grappling skills and ground game, as he holds a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Judo.

Once these two competitors meet inside the Octagon, it'll be interesting to see who will land the first punch. Belfort and Silva are equally fast and equally dangerous and it's certain that both of them will be looking for a knockout victory.

No.1: Vitor Belfort Is Capable Of Beating Anderson Silva

It was evident in Anderson Silva's previous title defense against Chael Sonnen that he is beatable.

In almost all aspects of the fight, Silva was losing.

While standing up he was out struck and at one point he was rocked, he was out grappled in the clinch and taken down, and on the ground, Sonnen was in a dominant position for almost the entire fight.

But Chael Sonnen is not Vitor Belfort.

Belfort has the potential to dethrone the middleweight champion, plus he has the knockout power and stand up skills to compete with him.

While Silva has been known to taunt his opponents in the past, make no mistake Belfort is not an opponent to fool around with. If Silva thinks about taunting, his reign as champion could end at that moment.

While Belfort maintains pressure on his opponents, he also finds openings and then unloads a barrage of punches. So even if Silva is to throw a punch or attempting to attack, he is leaving some part of himself open, which Belfort will look to capitalize on.

And although Sonnen and Maia landed clean hard shots on Silva, neither of them possess the power nor the quickness Belfort holds in his hands.

After taking hard shots from Sonnen, plus being dominated on the ground, Silva will be wary of this and should not underestimate the power of his opponent.

Out of all the competitors who have challenged for the middleweight crown, Vitor Belfort has a legitimate chance of beating Anderson Silva.