Vitor Belfort's shoulder is on the mend, and he will be able to fight for the middleweight title in the fall, according to his manager.
Fabiano Farah, Belfort's representative, told MMAjunkie that the fighter will not get a warm-up fight before he vies for the 185-pound belt.
"Vitor will be in (the best) absolute physical condition to return to the octagon and fight for the UFC title by November 2010," Farah wrote today in an email.
No UFC events are currently rumored for November.
Belfort (19-8 MMA, 8-4 UFC), a former UFC champion at light heavyweight, was due to face current middleweight kingpin Anderson Silva at UFC 112 before "The Phenom" withdrew due to a severe shoulder injury that required surgery. Silva instead fought (and defeated) Demian Maia.
According to multiple reports, Belfort saw a shoulder specialist at the behest of UFC co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta and was given a four-month window for a return to the gym.
In Belfort's absence, the UFC has slotted Chael Sonnen as Silva's next contender at UFC 117 in August. In several interviews, UFC president Dana White expressed confidence that Sonnen will erase the bad taste left at UFC 112, where the champion gave a widely panned performance against Maia.
If Silva wins at UFC 117, White recently told reporters, he will fight Belfort and then make a semi-permanent move to light heavyweight.
Belfort returned to the octagon at UFC 103 this past September after almost four years served in other promotions and quickly knocked out former middleweight champion Rich Franklin. The win put him squarely in the UFC's sights for a title shot at Silva. He was penciled in to face the champion at UFC 108, but an elbow injury forced Silva's withdrawal.
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