UFC 126: 4 Reasons Why Vitor Belfort Could Be Anderson Silva's Biggest Threat

Dominant.  Record-breaking. Pound-for-pound great.  

Anderson Silva is the longest reigning champion in UFC history and perennial betting favorite against his opposition.  

On Feb. 5, Silva will attempt to defend his middleweight belt and extend his record of consecutive championship defenses as he takes on Vitor Belfort.

Vitor "The Phenom" Belfort is a former UFC heavyweight tournament winner and former UFC light heavyweight champion.  He also could be Anderson's biggest threat to date.  These are the top four reasons why...

Reason No.1: The Résumé of Vitor Belfort

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The main criticisms of Vitor Belfort over the course of his career have been his inconsistency and skepticism about his mental fortitude.

Regardless of these criticisms, Belfort has fought top-flight competition over the course of his entire career and started when he was just a teenager.  Not to mention fighting through the heart-wrenching abduction and murder scandal of his sister from 2004-07.

The early part of Belfort's impressive résumé includes wins over notable opponents like Wanderlei Silva, Heath Herring, Gilbert Yvel and Randy Couture*.  And speaking to the quality of his opposition, the six individuals to hold victories over Belfort are all bona-fide superstars and legends in MMA.

Since 2007, Belfort has gone a perfect 5-0 with his last three fights winning by truly devastating knockout against stiff middleweight competition in Terry Martin, Matt Lindland and Rich Franklin.

The most notable of his last three wins is of course the first-round knockout of former UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin.  Belfort knocked Franklin out faster than Silva.

*Belfort won his second fight against Randy Couture due to a cut on Couture's eye in the first round.

Reason No. 2: The Decline of Anderson Silva?

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CHICAGO- OCTOBER 25: Anderson Silva talks to fans after he won the Middleweight Title Bout at UFC's Ultimate Fight Night at Allstate Arena on October 25, 2008 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)

In Silva's most recent title defense against Chael Sonnen at UFC 117, he looked more human than ever as he got dominated for the first time in his UFC career, only to pull off a miraculous come from behind submission win in the fifth and final round.

Silva sympathizers will be quick to point out that he entered the bout with a rib injury.  They will also point out that Sonnen tested positive for highly elevated levels of testosterone after the fight and that he also happens to be a stylistic mismatch for the champion.

No matter what the excuse, no one can forget the sight of seeing the champion being thrown around and beat up for the better part of five rounds.  

Don't forget that Silva is 35 years old.

Has Anderson lost a step?  It certainly looked like he has.  

That's a step you cannot afford to give up in a fight against such a devastating finisher like Vitor Belfort.

Reason No. 3: Motivations and Mentality

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PORT ELIZABETH, SOUTH AFRICA - JULY 02: Brazil fans enjoy the atmosphere during the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa Quarter Final match between Netherlands and Brazil at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on July 2, 2010 in Nelson Mandela Bay/Port Elizabeth, So

As it gets closer to fight night there will be increased media exposure and we will be able to get a better read on where Belfort and Silva's heads are at respectively.

Until then, it's pretty easy to assess that Belfort has more to gain and more to lose in the upcoming battle.

Through his career and his troubled personal issues, Belfort has fought to reclaim his potential and his status atop the sport.  Defeating Silva would accomplish this, while a loss would likely be devastating.

Anderson Silva, on the other hand, is likely on the latter end of his career and a loss would not prevent his name from being entrenched in the record books and being heralded for years to come.  Meanwhile, a win for Silva would simply be another win over another opponent who he was supposed to beat.

Will Silva come out disinterested and unfocused?  Will Silva know that he has put on a show to prevent further performance criticisms and make hurried mistakes as a result?  These are both possibilities. 

Reason No. 4: Fighting Fire with Fire

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DALLAS - SEPTEMBER 19: UFC fighter Vitor Belfort (L) battles UFC fighter Rich Franklin (R) during their Catch weight bout at UFC 103: Franklin vs. Belfort at the American Airlines Center on September 19, 2009 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Jon Kopaloff/Ge

Probably the most important reason why Vitor Belfort could be Anderson Silva's biggest threat is that he is fighting fire with fire because both men carry elite stand-up striking games.

Chuck Liddell made a name for himself as a legendary fighter because of his stand-up skills.  He was able to neutralize strong ground games, and find a way to knock his opponents out.

Liddell's eventual downfall was not because some grappler finally found some way to befuddle him, it was because other elite strikers played right into his game.

Before Anderson Silva, Rich Franklin ruled over the middleweight division with a polished striking game. The most devastating losses in Franklin's career are to Silva and Belfort because they simply have better striking games.

Silva has long been heralded as the most talented and technical stand-up striker in the game, but Belfort's stand-up skill is also a seemingly unstoppable force and he'll likely carry an advantage in power and explosiveness.

If anyone can make Silva's stand-up game blow up in his own face, that man would have to be Vitor Belfort.

Although known for his inflammatory or hyperbolic comments, Chael Sonnen at least gave us some food for thought when saying the following about the Silva/Belfort matchup:

"Vitor Belfort, in truth, has never lost a fight in the stand-up realm...the blueprint to beat Vitor is out there, but it's not to stand up with him..."