Belfort playing waiting game

Ultimate Fighting Championship top middleweight contender Vitor Belfort has waited nearly a year for his opportunity to fight for the belt.

He’s willing to give it a few more months if he doesn’t get what he wants.

Belfort was next in line to fight Chris Weidman for the title and was slated to do so on the UFC’s annual Memorial Day Weekend card in Las Vegas in 2014, but Belfort was pulled from the bout after the Nevada Athletic Commission banned the use of testosterone replacement therapy three months before the fight.

Belfort and the UFC decided he needed time to adjust to training without the treatment.

The championship bout was rescheduled for December after Weidman instead defended the belt against Lyoto Machida. Weidman had to postpone the December fight because of a hand injury, so it was pushed back to UFC 184 in Los Angeles on Feb. 28.

Weidman suffered a rib injury last week and had to pull out of the fight again. He may be ready to return in May, leaving Belfort with a decision to make.

Belfort has not competed since November 2013, but he doesn’t want to compete in a fight without a belt on the line.

UFC president Dana White says Belfort and his wife Joana Prado, who serves as his manager, were insistent on creating an interim belt so that Belfort could still compete on Feb. 28.

But when the UFC offered Belfort that opportunity against the most logical challenger, Machida, Belfort declined the fight.

One of his coaches told media in Brazil the matchup didn’t make sense because of the drastic style difference between Weidman, for whom Belfort has been preparing for months, and Machida, was the reason.

Prado indicated on social media Belfort was willing to fight Yoel Romero instead.

Sources close to the organization indicated Belfort’s camp proposed at least one other matchup that was favorable stylistically, but made little sense in terms of divisional rankings or marketability.

White said he is still trying to work out a scenario for Belfort to remain on the UFC 184 card, which will now be headlined by a women’s bantamweight title fight between Cat Zingano and champion Ronda Rousey.

DIAZ REFLECTS — After a unanimous decision loss to Anderson Silva in the main event of UFC 183 on Saturday night at MGM Grand, Nick Diaz has now lost three fights in a row over a span of three years.

Yet he remains one of the biggest stars in the sport.

Diaz lost an interim title fight to Carlos Condit in February 2012 and waited more than a year to return to action in a loss to Georges St. Pierre for the welterweight belt.

He then decided to walk away from the sport only to come back for the main event bout against Silva on Saturday.

Diaz, perhaps the most enigmatic figure in the sport, continues to collect big paydays despite his lack of victories. After originally deciding to skip the post-fight news conference as he received medical attention for damage to his eye, he entered the media room at MGM Grand and took the stage about 10 minutes after White and the rest of the fighters had wrapped up for the evening.

Diaz, who felt he should have been awarded the fight by the judges, was contemplative at times and confusing at others. He remains unsure what his next step will be in the sport.

“I’m kind of tired of being a loser,” Diaz said. “I’m still here, but I’m losing all these fights. I’m doing well though, as far as this being a job, versus the other guys that are out there. So yeah, I’m happy, I guess, to put on a show for these fans. So I don’t know what to make of it right now.”

FEATHERWEIGHT BOUT SET — Rising superstar Conor McGregor earned his shot at featherweight champion Jose Aldo with a second-round knockout of Dennis Siver on Jan. 18.

Now the date for the title bout has been set.

McGregor announced while in Las Vegas this weekend he will challenge Aldo for the belt at UFC 189.

The news was delivered in typical McGregor fashion.

“We have the fight date for McGregor-Aldo, the biggest fight of the year. Saturday, July 11 at International Fight Week,” McGregor said. “I’m going to rip that Brazilian’s head off.”

BENDO TO WELTERWEIGHT — Former UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson will move up to 170 pounds to take on Brandon Thatch in the main event of UFC Fight Night 60 in Broomfield, Colo. on Feb. 14.

Thatch was in need of a replacement opponent after Stephen Thompson was injured and forced to pull out of the contest.

Henderson lost a unanimous decision to Donald Cerrone on Jan. 18, his second straight defeat.

Contact reporter Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5509. Follow him on Twitter: @adamhilllvrj.