Michael Bisping is mystified.
"The Count" is trying to understand how his fellow headliner at UFC on FX 7, Vitor Belfort, has gotten away with hitting opponents in the back of the head. So much so, that "The Count" is hoping for a referee "with balls" to make sure it doesn't happen on Jan. 19 in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
From his official blog (via Yahoo! Sports):
"I was disappointed Vitor Belfort started talking in tongues when asked about TRT recently. He had a little more to say on Monday when he was asked directly about my concerns that all his recent UFC fights were won by illegal punches to the back of the head. In between lengthy references to the New Testament, Belfort basically said he doesn't care if he hits opponents behind the head. How he's gotten away with this in his career is a mystery to me, and I hope we have a strong referee who has the balls to do something about it - if it happens - with thousands of Belfort supporters screaming in the stands. And of course it is down to me to make sure I'm not put in a position where he can unload these kinds of shots. Vitor has one or two rounds to beat me - or try to hit me behind the head - and then his gas tank will be empty and the fight will look like that Rocky vs. that dead cow."
Belfort came under fire after demolishing Yoshihiro Akiyama at the UFC 133 pay-per-view (PPV) event in late 2011, when a few of his fight-ending fists appeared to crack the back of the melon. The aloof Brazilian claimed only one strike landed illegally and hey, "things like this happen sometimes."
That's exactly what Bisping is afraid of.