UFC 133 Results: 5 Fights Vitor Belfort Should Take Next

Vitor Belfort (20-9) appeared to be in full-form when he blasted away Yoshihiro Akiyama in the first round of their fight at UFC 133. It was reminiscent of "The Phenom" of the early days of the UFC, where he became the UFC 12 Tournament Heavyweight Champion at the age of 19.

Akiyama went into the fight with a 1-2 UFC record but had three Fight of the Night performances. He showcased a rock-solid chin in all of his fights, but it was no match for the speed and power of Belfort, who picks up his 14th knockout.

Belfort went into the bout coming off his loss versus Anderson Silva from earlier this year. The win puts him back into the best of the division, and there will be many challenges ahead for the 34-year-old.

The top middleweights are tied up with fights, but these are five opponents he could face next.

No. 5: Winner of Rousimar Palhares vs. Dan Miller

Middleweights Dan Miller and Rousimar Palhares will fight at UFC 134, which goes down in Rio later this month.

Miller has a had a tough road in the UFC and has gone 2-4 in his last six fights. His losses include Michael Bisping, Nate Marquardt, Chael Sonnen and Demian Maia.

Palhares is 5-2 in the UFC, with three wins by kneebar and heelhook. His only losses in the UFC were to Nate Marquardt and Dan Henderson.

Belfort may take on the winner if he doesn't feel like waiting for challengers to emerge from later fights. This is the closest one, and it's an interesting matchup either way.

No. 4: Loser of Chael Sonnen vs. Brian Stann

Chael Sonnen and Brian Stann will be fighting at UFC 136, but there is a good chance the winner will get a shot at the UFC middleweight title.

Sonnen hasn't fought since his defeat to Anderson Silva, while Stann has gone 2-0 this year with wins over Chris Leben and Jorge Santiago.

This fight would be interesting for Sonnen, who has been quite vocal about Brazil in the past few weeks. Belfort would like to get his fists on Sonnen, and it would be a matchup any MMA fan would tune in for.

No. 3: Winner of Demian Maia vs. Jorge Santiago

If Demian Maia defeats Jorge Santiago at UFC 136, he could provide the classic grappler vs. striker matchup that fans always love to see.

Maia is a jiu-jitsu ace and has submitted eight of his 17 opponents. His first five fights in the UFC were won by submission. Many regard him as the best submission artist in the game today.

Santiago hasn't had the best UFC career and has gone 1-3 in his bouts. All three of his losses were by knockout so this might not be the best matchup stylistically. Still, he is a top fighter if he makes it past Maia, who is a top 10 middleweight and former title challenger.

No. 2: Winner of Alan Belcher vs. Jason MacDonald

There aren't many matchups for Belfort at middleweight, and he's going to have to rely on opponents like Alan Belcher and other mid-tier fighters to keep himself busy while he waits for the big-name opponents to come around.

Belcher takes on MacDonald at UFC Live in September.

MacDonald is crafty on the ground, but it's in the versatile striking of Belcher that the real excitement is drawn. He always brings it in his fights and is currently on a two-fight win streak to back it up. He defeated and stopped both Patrick Cote and Wilson Gouveia.

This is guaranteed to not go the distance.

No. 1: Winner of Chris Leben vs. Mark Munoz

A fight versus Chris Leben may be one of the more exciting matchups the UFC can make in the future.

Leben is known for his rock-solid chin, and he proves it in almost every one of his fights. He most recently knocked out Wanderlei Silva in the first 30 seconds of their UFC 132 bout. The speed of Belfort may make for his toughest fight yet, and it's one he would welcome.

Leben is scheduled to take on standout wrestler Mark Munoz at UFC 138. Munoz comes into the bout on a three-fight win streak with wins over Demian Maia, Aaron Simpson and C.B. Dollaway. He possesses vicious ground and pound and could make for a dangerous opponent against Belfort.