Vitor Belfort Parts Ways with Trainer Shawn Tompkins Ahead of UFC 126

Quote :

Vitor Belfort has worked with striking coach Shawn Tompkins since mid-2008, when Belfort first walked into the gym of longtime rival Randy Couture in hopes of training with him.

The union between coach and fighter has been productive. Belfort earned three knockouts in three fights while under Tompkins' watch. But with Belfort in the midst of preparation for the biggest match of his career -- a UFC 126 title shot against champ Anderson Silva -- the partnership is apparently over.

On the Tuesday edition of The Fight Show with Mauro Ranallo, Tompkins briefly addressed the situation, as well as the recent story that Belfort was training with former boxing great Mike Tyson.

"Well, you know, Vitor's done this before. Vitor sometimes, he gets a little clouded in his head," Tompkins said. It's not that he brought in Mike Tyson or anything like that. Vitor just wanders, you know, and he goes where what's happening, what's famous, what's popular and he'll go over there. Mike Tyson isn't teaching him anything. Neither is the other eight gyms that he's training at. Just because he's over at Couture's and not with me doesn't mean he's with Couture. Vitor isn't loyal to anybody. We've seen it before."

The middleweight star hasn't fought since a Sept. 2009 knockout over Rich Franklin at UFC 103.

Since then, two dates with divisional champion Silva have been postponed by injuries. Belfort and Tompkins were still working together in the fall of 2010, but now, Belfort's gone in another direction, much to the chagrin of his former trainer.

"I hope for the best for him, but you know, for a guy who told me about respect, loyalty, and God and all this stuff for so many years, he sure did prove the opposite," Tompkins said. "So, we'll see. Best of luck to him. Best of luck to Anderson, as well."

Belfort is reportedly training his striking under Xtreme Couture coach Gil Martinez, a well-respected trainer who most recently prepared Gray Maynard for his title shot against Frankie Edgar.

http://www.mmafighting.com/2011/01/19/vitor-belfort-parts-ways-with-trainer-shawn-tompkins-ahead-of-uf/

does this worry anyone else but me? with belforts past this kinda scares me a lil

Well what scares me more than switching camps is the fact he hasnt fought since September of 09!!!!! Damn I hadnt realized it had been that long.

Makes me wonder as much about Tompkins as anyone else.

tompkins is just being a pussy, so what people dont have a right to change camps now?

Hasn't Tompkins said things like this before about other fighters? His name seems to pop up in these type of things a lot

he might just be a sour puss

killerofchicken wrote:

he might just be a sour puss

I would be to if I got dumped 3 weeks before a Mega fight lol.

timthebim wrote:

killerofchicken wrote:

he might just be a sour puss

I would be to if I got dumped 3 weeks before a Mega fight lol.

damn, i didnt know he JUST dumped him lol

so is it a dumping, or was Belfort working with other camps anyway so this really isn't a big change?

Cause if it's the former, and Vitor was working a majority of his camp with Tompkins, then that is an unwise decision by Belfort.

timthebim wrote:

Well what scares me more than switching camps is the fact he hasnt fought since September of 09!!!!! Damn I hadnt realized it had been that long.

Yeah, unless the last couple fights really shown that Silva's age is becoming a factor, I think he beats down Vitor. Way too long a layoff(and now a coach switch?) to go into a mega fight.

Yeah I really think Vitor is a live dog but I still believe Spider wins in devastating fashion.

Randy and Tompkins didn't have a clean divorce either. I really wonder about Shawn these days.

Not a big deal, Shawn is mostly a striking coach, training with Randy is better for a fight with Anderson, the blueprint for beating him is with wrestling and control.

LA wrote:

Not a big deal, Shawn is mostly a striking coach, training with Randy is better for a fight with Anderson, the blueprint for beating him is with wrestling and control.

Well the blueprint for Vitor to beat Anderson is knock him out. He is one of the rare guys that can hang with Anderson standing up.

Not what I'd be telling him

LA wrote:

Not what I'd be telling him

Why? You don't think Vitor can knock him out?

Possible, but I think that gameplan would end the other way around.

LA wrote:

Possible, but I think that gameplan would end the other way around.

As a fan, I'm sure you are HOPING that is the case lol

I like Vitor too, just me saying I would have a different gameplan then telling him to stand and try and KO Anderson.

The game plan wouldn't be to "stand and KO" simply. I don't think Vitor has ever shown the ability to exploit what Sonnen did. He needs to fight his fight. Matrix Dance around those punches Spidey, I dare ya.

Wolfgangsta wrote:

The game plan wouldn't be to "stand and KO" simply. I don't think Vitor has ever shown the ability to exploit what Sonnen did. He needs to fight his fight. Matrix Dance around those punches Spidey, I dare ya.

agree, Vitor is not Sonnen, striking is Vitor's game, wrestling is not.

Yeah but lets not act like Anderson has BJ Penn takedown defense, Vitor could get him down easily, that is Anderson's weakness, but I hope Vitor does stand with Anderson