Bargaining for Belfort?

UFC President Dana White threw a curveball to home plate Saturday when he announced the promotion is eying Brazilian Vitor Belfort to return to the fold to face middleweight champion Anderson Silva in the future.

A 19-year-old Belfort became one of the promotion’s first bona fide stars under Semaphore Entertainment Group’s reign between 1997-1998. Belfort (18-8) was also the UFC’s light heavyweight champion for a short spell in 2004, but has since jumped between Pride Fighting Championships, Cage Rage, and Affliction in recent years.

In one big way, the announcement is not a surprise. The UFC needs capable opponents to match against Silva, who has steamrolled through the entire 185-pound division in the last two years. Actually, capable isn’t good enough anymore. It has to be an adversary the promotion can really get behind, one the fans will honestly believe can overcome the pinpoint striker, and someone that will inspire -- or even force -- Silva to deliver an aggressive performance.

Since his drop to middleweight, Belfort’s last two performances –- both brutal knockouts --- have renewed hope that he could legitimately fill this mantle. Belfort’s accurate hands might be the only ones to shadow Silva’s, and there is ample power behind them to send most who cross their path to sleep.

The Brazilian’s mental state –- Belfort has a tendency to lose himself in mind games –- has also seemed to balance out since former rival Randy Couture joined Belfort’s side as a coach and training partner.

White commented that when Belfort “has his head screwed on right,” he’s a formidable specimen.

Affliction Vice President Tom Atencio confirmed to Sherdog.com Saturday that Belfort will fulfill the last fight on his contract with the promotion when he faces Strikeforce tournament champion Jorge Santiago on Aug. 1 in Anaheim, Calif.

Affliction contracts include a combined 90-day non-compete and matching period in which the promotion can counter any offers made by an outside organization, according to one document reviewed by Sherdog.com.

Atencio intonated that the promotion would engage in renegotiations with Belfort, but would not necessarily offer the Brazilian what he might be asking for –- an obvious effort to curtail the extravagant purses it doled out in a taxing first year of operations.

Belfort, 32, now married and a father of two, earned $140,000 for his second-round knockout of Terry Martin at Affliction’s debut event in July 2008. He banked another $200,000 for his first-round annihilation of Olympic wrestling silver medalist Matt Lindland at Affliction 2 last January.

Will the UFC’s check book open wider than Affliction’s or will the Brazilian price himself out of the free market altogether?

One thing is certain. Belfort, a former soap opera and “Big Brother” star in his native land, will not come at a bargain basement price.

Correction: This item was updated at 3:05 p.m. ET to correct Belfort's result against Terry Martin, who he knocked out in the second round.