UFC 134 Fight Card: Vitor Belfort Contracts Hepatitis, Will Still Fight Akiyama

Recent middleweight contender Vitor Belfort has contracted Hepatitis A, but will not withdraw from his next upcoming fight. Belfort broke the news himself through Twitter in a series of tweets that asked for fans to pray for him and stated that he plans to return to training fairly soon.

"I have Hepatitis A," Belfort said, "This thing hurt so bad. I pray that God will take [care] of me. Don't forget to pray for me. I will keep you guys informed how things are going, but now I can promise I will watch every movie and I will [tweet] a bunch. God is healing me.

Belfort continued, "Guys, I just want to let you know that Hepatitis A is easy to treat, so don't worry guys. In two weeks, I am back in the gym, ready to [fight.] I love Jesus. I know that this will make me more strong than before. Please God, burn Hepatitis and send her to hell."

It doesn't appear that the illness will prevent Belfort from his scheduled fight against Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 134 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. However, Belfort will have to change his plans for UFC 129, where he had been planning to corner Randy Couture in his fight against Lyoto Machida.

"Sorry, Canada," Belfort said, "I will not be able to be there, but I am sure you guys will have the best time in life."

Hepatitis A is an inflammation of the liver. A person can become infected with Hepatitis A by consuming contaminated products or coming in contact with the bodily fluids of another infected individual. 

UFC 134: Results, News and More

Sean Smith is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report MMA. For the latest insight and updates on everything MMA, you can follow Sean on Twitter @BR_Sean_Smith.