Anderson Silva: Vitor Belfort Has 'Nowhere To Run on Saturday Night'

Is it Saturday yet? For months, the MMA world has been buzzing about the upcoming UFC Middleweight Championship bout between pound-for-pound kingpin Anderson Silva and MMA legend Vitor Belfort.

Now, fight fans are less than three days away from one of the most anticipated showdowns in recent memory.

"On Saturday night, there's nowhere to run," said Silva at the UFC 126 press conference on Wednesday.

Despite the cold tone, Silva makes a valid point. With the fight rapidly approaching, the time for talk is over. When that cage door closes, there won't be anywhere to run or hide. Two of the sport's biggest names will battle for middleweight supremacy.

Some have credited Belfort as being the greatest striker Silva has ever faced. Sporting a pair of sunglasses, Silva was blunt in his answer to whether or not he actually believed Belfort to be his toughest test on the feet.

Silva replied, "No."

Despite Silva's casual demeanor, fans' anticipation for this fight is building all over the globe. In Brazil, fans are calling this bout the fight of the decade, though Silva politely disagrees with this sentiment.

In his mind, there is only one fight that can fit that bill.

"If you were to ask me what the fight of the decade would be, it would be me fighting my clone," Silva stated with a grin across his face.

Currently on a five-fight win streak, Belfort is more than a worthy contender. His speed and power makes him an interesting match-up for Silva. And as a member of Team Black House, Silva constantly spars with world-class strikers like Junior Dos Santos, Jose Aldo, and Lyoto Machida.

Belfort may not be the best striker Silva has ever faced, but he will be the best he's faced in the octagon.

"The belt for me is a conquer," Belfort said. "If you want to get to the top of the mountain, you have to sacrifice yourself. Without sacrifice, I don't believe we can achieve anything."

Belfort has sacrificed plenty in his return to the spotlight.

His strength and perseverance through personal tragedy has been inspiring. In January 2004, Priscila Belfort, Vitor's sister, was kidnapped and never heard from again. Rumors of her murder and the apprehension of the alleged kidnappers isn't enough to give the Belfort family the closure they deserve.

Still, Belfort has become a stronger person. His career is back on track, and he'll have the opportunity to once again brandish UFC gold.

"In life, everyone experiences things, and you have to live through those experiences. That's the only way to find out if it's good or bad," said Belfort.

"I've always sought in life why things happen and why people get hurt, and I had a relationship with God. When I met Jesus, I learned a lot of the principles he taught me, and I carried that in my life, and I try to evolve everyday."

Belfort has not only evolved into a better person, but he has evolved into a better fighter as well. Silva may have trained with Belfort in the past, but this Vitor Belfort is a completely different fighter than the one Silva remembers.

"Something happened in my life a couple of years ago, and the people that knew me for a long time, they don't know me now. They are at a disadvantage," Belfort contended.

"They don't know what's going on right now. 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 [the fans]."

Despite Silva's brooding confidence, he has a genuine respect for Belfort as an opponent. He understands the magnitude of this fight and the excitement it's generating amongst MMA fans, especially those in Brazil.

"In Brazil, a lot of people are talking about this fight. It's two of the greatest fighters that have ever come out of Brazil fighting in this great fight. There's a lot of people in Brazil looking forward to watching this," the champion said.

"Vitor is a great fighter like a lot of fighters that I've faced, and I think it's going to be fun."

At the end of the press conference, both fighters posed for the media in an intense staredown. With the biggest fight of his MMA career on the horizon, Belfort feels that he's the most prepared he's ever been. While he might not be able to predict the outcome, "The Phenom" has made preparations in every area possible.

Belfort stated, "We've been training in all the types of things that can happen in the octagon. We've really prepared. He's the champion, and I have to go for the win."

"It's hard to make a statement of what's going to happen. I'm there to fight. I'm going to do my best. I've never been so prepared for a fight. I'm at a perfect weight, and I trained very hard. We got to wait and see. Buy this pay-per-view and don't miss it."