Vitor Belfort calls for interim title, says 'everybody loses' because Chris Weidman keeps getting injured

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) middleweight No. 1 contender Vitor Belfort has his manties in a bunch over Chris Weidman's hand injury. Not necessarily because he got hurt, but rather because the "All American" has now postponed two championship title fights during his 2014 fight campaign.

And as Belfort explains to MMA Fighting, the belt must always be made available:

"Dana White confirmed that my opponent will have to wear a cast for four weeks, and will be cleared (to train) in six. I have to respect the decision that was made. Unfortunately, injuries are part of the routine of professional athletes. In this type of situation, everybody loses - the fans, who want to see an incredible fight, the other athlete, who trains hard for a fight, the promoters and sponsors, who want to make it all happen. The belt must be available to be conquered by the best fighter. I'm in favor of creating an interim title for cases like this, when the champion gets injured more than once, especially in back-to-back injuries, preventing title fights to happen."

That happens a lot these days.

Belfort was scheduled to compete at the UFC 181 pay-per-view (PPV) event on Dec. 6, 2014 in Las Vegas, Nevada, but Weidman's fractured hand (details) pushed it to early 2015. In their place, Johny Hendricks and Robbie Lawler will slug it out for the 170-pound title.

Which comes after (you guessed it) a championship injury.