Former UFC light heavyweight champion Vitor Belfort has had a bumpy 2025. ‘The Phenom’ was supposed to meet career rival Wanderlei Silva in a long-awaited rematch in the main event of Spaten Fight Night 2 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. However, the bout scheduled for September 27 quickly fell apart after the 48-year-old suffered a concussion in training.

This was, of course, the second time Belfort had to pull out of a rematch against ‘The Axe Murderer,’ having previously scheduled to face off at UFC 147 in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, in June 2012. Regardless, while Silva went on to face former two-division boxing champion Acelino Freitas, which ended in Silva’s own gruesome injury, Belfort has now provided a health update. 

Vitor Belfort had a medical procedure

The Brazilian fighter took to Instagram earlier today, sharing a video of himself and revealing that he had undergone a hair transplant procedure. “What’s up, guys? I know you must be thinking that Vitor is back in the UFC, right? But hold on. The opponent this time was another one. It was a hair implant,” he said in the video, per translation. Vitor Belfort humorously added that his post-surgery look made him resemble an iconic boxing legend from the movies. 

“The doctor only said that my hair was going to look great. New hair, new look, but he forgot to tell me that I was going to look like Rocky Balboa after the rematch,” he joked. Notably, Belfort’s eyes appeared swollen shut in the clip. It’s a common side effect of hair transplant surgery caused by temporary inflammation and fluid buildup. It typically resolves within a few days, per Heva.

The 48-year-old captioned the post, “I went back to the Octagon… but this time, my opponent was a hair transplant,” as per translation. “Result: 1,400 grafts vs. 2 swollen eyes. Victory by divine restoration!” In the meantime, ‘The Axe Murderer’ has also shared a health update after suffering a scary knockout during a post-fight brawl with his opponent. 

Wanderlei Silva shares his health update

The 49-year-old was taken to a hospital after being knocked out cold by Acelino Freitas’ son, Rafael, during the melee that erupted after Silva’s disqualification loss to Freitas. According to Globo, the MMA legend spent four hours undergoing physical exams before being released. Later, Wanderlei Silva revealed a concerning health update following the chaotic post-fight brawl at Spaten Fight Night 2 in Brazil. 

Revealing he wasn’t feeling well, Wanderlei Silva said, “I’ve had a lot of dizziness and a headache that just won’t go away.” With his right eye swollen shut, Silva claimed that he is supposed to undergo “more detailed exams” to check for possible head trauma. This was Silva’s boxing debut, and last year, he revealed in a statement to the UFC antitrust settlement that he had suffered severe health issues during his fighting career. 

Having said that, it appears that despite not fighting Wanderlei Silva, Vitor Belfort had to take a trip to the hospital. Although Belfort appears to be doing just fine as he recovers from his hair transplant surgery. Do you think he looks like Rocky Balboa?