Chael Sonnen and 5 Fights Vitor Belfort Could Take at UFC 141

Since entering the UFC in February of 1997, Vitor Belfort has been one of the best fighters the organization has seen.

But, it hasn't always been smooth sailin' for Belfort, as he's had his fair share of bumps and bruises along the way.

In 2007, Belfort put on a historical run to the top of the division winning five consecutive fights on way to earning a Middleweight title shot against the world's greatest fighter, Anderson Silva.

Unfortunately for the "The Phenom" he was knocked out in the very first round and his run came to an end.

Belfort went on to defeat Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 133 but now awaits his next opponent.

The following slides display five fights Vitor Belfort could take next.

Lets take a look.

Alan Belcher

After being off for more than a year, Alan Belcher made his return to the UFC at a Fight Night in September, to take of Jason MacDonald.

Belcher proved to the world he was back and better than ever when he defeated MacDonald, via submission, in the very first round.

Belcher has now won three consecutive fights and could very well be the man to square off with Vitor Belfort next.

Brian Stann

While Brian Stann may have come up short against Chael Sonnen at UFC 136, he remains one of the better fighters in the Middleweight division.

Since dropping to the 185 pound weight class, Stann has posted a 3-1 record and appears to be one of the strongest fighters in the division.

Stann is also one of the more well rounded fighters in the UFC and could be a serious threat to Vitor Belfort.

Chris Leben or Mark Munoz

Depending on who wins at UFC 138, we could see either Chris Leben or Mark Munoz stepping foot inside the Octagon to battle Vitor Belfort at UFC 141.

Both Leben and Munoz are on the best stretch of their careers, and the winner of their bout could be in the talks of a title fight.

While we'll have to wait until after UFC 138 to determine who could fight Belfort, both fighters oppose styles that could cause "The Phenom" some trouble.

Chael Sonnen

While many UFC fans will be disturbed by the talks of the potential Chael Sonnen vs. Vitor Belfort fight, it's slowly becoming a possibility.

And, while Anderson Silva hasn't shown an interest in fighting Sonnen, there's a good chance UFC President Dana White will make it happen.

But if for some reason this fight falls through the cracks in the next few weeks, we could see a Sonnen vs. Belfort match at UFC 141.

Demian Maia

While Maia will probably have to do a bit more to earn a fight with Vitor Belfort, there's still an outside chance it could happen.

Despite losing to Mark Munoz at UFC 131, Maia has won three of his last four fights all via unanimous decision.

Maia and Belfort's fighting styles could clash, as Belfort's fights hardly ever make it to the judge's scorecards. Maia's fights on the other hand almost always end in a decision.