MMA legend Vitor Belfort first got into Jiu-Jitsu through Carlson Gracie. Initially, he was training with one of his students, who told him that he “needed to train with Carlson,” because he “was too tough for the other guys in the gym.” Belfort moved to the United States with Gracie, eventually receiving his black belt in BJJ under him at the age of 17 (you have to be 18 to receive a black belt) before they had a falling out.

Vitor then fought in the UFC and he became the youngest ever UFC champion at age 19.

In a recent interview, Vitor Belfort revisited his earlier remarks about not idolizing certain figures during the early phase of his mixed martial arts journey. He had been heavily criticised for his earlier comments which were deemed disrespectful towards the Gracie family.

Belfort had previously commented, “When I come up. You only had the Rickson, Royce and Frank Shamrock and I… Look, all these guys, Man, these guys are not good.”

He clarified that his statement wasn’t meant to undermine MMA icons like Rickson Gracie and Royce Gracie. Instead, he was emphasizing his approach to not mimic any specific fighter’s style.

“I wasn’t pretending not to be a fan of Rickson and Royce Gracie,” Belfort said. “I have a ton of respect for those pioneers of the sport.”

Belfort elaborated that during his formative years in MMA, he focused on crafting a unique fighting style rather than replicating others. “I didn’t look at one guy and say ‘I want to fight exactly like him.’ I tried to develop my own well-rounded style by learning from many different martial artists.”

He acknowledged that his earlier remarks might have seemed dismissive, particularly towards specialists in grappling or striking. “What I meant was that I wanted to be a complete mixed martial artist, not just excel in one discipline,” he clarified. “Guys like Rickson and Royce were revolutionizing the sport by showing the effectiveness of Brazilian jiu-jitsu against other martial arts. But my goal was to incorporate multiple skills.”

Belfort concluded by expressing his deep respect for the Gracie family and their monumental contribution to MMA. “Those guys are the reason this sport exists today. I’m not trying to disrespect their legacy at all – I’m just saying my approach was to create my own style,” he explained.