Chris Weidman-Vitor Belfort Title Bout Confirmed for Memorial Day Weekend at UFC 173

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Chris Weidman will defend his UFC middleweight title for the second time on May 24, when the New Yorker squares off with Vitor Belfort at UFC 173.

Ultimate Fighting Championship officials announced the news Saturday evening during UFC 169. Weidman’s clash with Belfort takes place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and airs live on pay-per-view.

Weidman captured the middleweight title by knocking out Anderson Silva this past July at UFC 162 and then defended the belt successfully in December, breaking the former champion’s leg while checking a low kick at UFC 168. Undefeated through 11 pro outings, the 29-year-old owns seven Octagon wins to his credit and has stopped eight of his victims inside the distance.

Belfort has won five of his last six fights and rides a three-fight winning streak into his second middleweight title opportunity. “The Phenom” was perfect in 2013, posting violent knockouts of Michael Bisping, Luke Rockhold and Dan Henderson to earn his crack at Weidman’s belt.