UFC 187 results recap: Chris Weidman vs Vitor Belfort fight review and analysis

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) middleweights Chris Weidman and Vitor Belfort finally collided last night (May 23, 2015) at UFC 187 inside the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

One of the top pound-for-pound fighters on the planet, Weidman was more than motivated to defeat "The Phenom." Following some heated words at the weigh-ins, Weidman looked to prove he was the best middleweight on Earth, "supplements" or no.

Meanwhile, Belfort has been patiently waiting for his shot at Weidman. Despite injuries and controversy, Belfort finally made it to the the cage and did his best to dethrone Weidman last night.

But it only lasted about a minute.

After a slow opening, a failed takedown attempt by Weidman left him open to a knee. Weidman failed to regain his stance, and Belfort flurried on him in classic "Phenom" fashion. Scoring with a nasty series of punches and elbows, Belfort definitely rocked the champion.

However, throwing a few dozen punches clearly gassed Belfort out. Weidman recovered quickly and then scored an easy takedown into half guard.

Once Weidman was on top, the fight was over.

Weidman postured up and landed some nasty elbows before moving into mount. Belfort was clearly exhausted, as he failed to do anything technical to resist Weidman's advance. Before long, the referee called the bout, as Weidman finished with a brutal flurry.

Watch the violent finish here.his was a very strong performance for Weidman. While he got caught by Belfort's quick punches early -- which can happen to anyone -- he showed excellent composure by staying tight and deflecting a good portion of his opponent's punches.

Weidman's top game is incredibly impressive. He utilized excellent shoulder pressure to hold the Brazilian down, but once Weidman postured up, he dropped brutal ground strikes. It was nasty, and a message to the rest of the division not to allow Weidman on top.

After this win, Weidman needs to take on Luke Rockhold. In this writer's opinion, Rockhold represents the biggest challenge to Weidman's title reign, and it will surely be an incredible fight.

From this performance, it's clear that Belfort is nowhere nearly as dangerous without TRT. Not only was he significantly slower and less powerful, but he clearly gassed out after less than two minutes of combat.

That's what a fighter 20 years into his career looks like, not the enhanced head kicking killer of 2013.

Following this loss, Belfort should face off with Lyoto Machida. Too bad the former light heavyweight champ takes on Yoel Romero at UFC Fight Night 70.

Anyone have any idea what's next for "The Phenom?"

At UFC 187, Chris Weidman rallied after a tough opening to violently dispatch Vitor Belfort. How long will Weidman hold onto his title?

For complete UFC 187 "Cormier vs Johnson" results and play-by-play, click HERE!