UFC 133 results: Vitor Belfort knocks out Yoshihiro Akiyama

The co-main event of UFC 133: "Evans vs. Ortiz 2" featured two of the top middleweights in the world today, as Vitor Belfort made his return to the cage for the first time since his crushing knockout loss to Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva back in February. Meeting him was Yoshihiro Akiyama, a fighter with an Octagon record that betrays his natural abilities.

The booking process was an easy one. Two powerful men that love to stand and trade punches until one of the two can no longer continue. Where could that possibly go wrong?

Once the two middleweight title hopefuls met in the center of the cage, the bout delivered fireworks as promised. "The Phenom" proved his speedy hands are just as fast and powerful as ever, knocking out "Sexyama" in the first round with a swarm of punches that put the Japanese judo player out completely cold.

And I mean completely. The "old" Vitor just might be back after all.

Once Belfort was pulled off his beaten foe by referee Mario Yamasaki, Belfort quickly told the crowd that he loved them and that he is, indeed, back.

It would appear that as long as he's not up against "The Spider" Silva, he's as good as gold once he gets to letting his hands go. That was a fear UFC President Dana White had for one of his superstars, that he had become a little too patient and entirely too reluctant to engage.

Guess not.

Is Belfort ready, once again, to challenge for the middleweight title? Maniacs, what do you think?