Vitor Belfort calls on countrymen to address kidnapping issue

by Steven Marrocco | source: mmajunkie.com

Most fighters use the post-fight victory speech to thanks sponsors and God. After UFC 142 on Saturday, Vitor Belfort used the moment to address the problem of kidnapping in his native Brazil. With a reported 23 Million watching on Brazilian TV, the UFC provides a remarkable platform from which to advocate for positive change.

The issue has particular resonance for Belfort. On January 9, 2004 his sister Priscila disappeared. In August 2007, a woman confessed to participated in her murder, and four suspects were arrested. Priscila was aparently kidnapped for ransom in order to cover a $4,000 debt owed by one of the kidnappers to drug dealers. Vitor's sister was held in multiple locations for several months, until June when she was reportedly shot by the gang, as she could visually identify each of them.

Her body was never found.

"I think the platform that we have is such that I didn't see a better moment in time to really make people aware that it's important for us to fight for the causes we believe in," Belfort said.

"This is a daily death for people who go through this. There is no such pain as when a mother or father loses a kid. When a kid loses his or her parents, he becomes an orphan. But there's not a word to describe the pain that parents face when they lose kids."

"I think we need to have solidarity, to be able to spread information. There are more than 250 people disappeared. There are so many people that are missing. Sometimes people are afraid of making phone calls and denouncing the kidnappings. I think people need to have solidarity, and the UFC has extreme solidarity."

"They could favor any country, but Lorenzo (Fertitta) believed in Brazil; they invested in the Brazilian people. I think the platform that we have is such that I didn't see a better moment in time to really make people aware that it's important for us to fight for the causes we believe in."

"I believe in the Brazilian people, that through the sport, men and women of character – men like 'Toquinho' (Rousimar Palhares) who went hungry and Jose Aldo, who used to sleep on the floor of his gym – will help change this country. So this world is going to bring us possibilities to really fight for causes that are priceless. So may all of you please take a look at your conscience and check what you can do with your platform and what you can really do.

"To every family that has a missing person and has faith, never give up. God is faithful."

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1/17/12 8:47 PM by Ifapouttotortillas

I thought that Vitors sisters body was found in a dumpster..

1/17/12 8:39 PM by Dedicated1

God Bless America.

1/17/12 7:10 PM by chaplinshouse

Yeah my pets too. Nice feature. I think with most shelters these days its mandatory when you adopt. Which is great if they're turned into a pound and can be scanned. But a GPS live trackable implanted microchip isn't available just yet and a kidnap victim would need something like that

1/17/12 7:04 PM by Attdude

My idol

1/17/12 6:39 PM by Gnarls Gnarlington

has to feel horrible.

1/17/12 5:46 PM by jhendo79

Turkish kidnappings happen when guys get suckered into clubs by hot chicks @ the door and everyone insists on you drinking then throwing a huge ass bar tab in your face for your troubles and if you can't pay? It's true even in Canada here has been a rise in adult kidnappings over the years.

1/17/12 5:44 PM by Tru

both of my dogs have chips in them. i think it mightbe required as minimun to be be chipped in my city..not the gps chip, but the barcode scan kind. IE..if the pound or city find your dog..they run a barcode like scanner over the dog and it comes up with the owner info. One of my dogs we had it put in when she got spayed and the boy dog we have i am pretty sure came with his alreayd implanted. i feel horrible for vitor about this. he really loves his sister and this is shame.

1/17/12 5:36 PM by JDjitsu

I feel a lot of empathy for Vitor. I remember this from a while back. Sad story for sure. I hope this will lead to some awareness for the uninformed ppl out there that don't know the insane statistics of kidnapping today. Last I remember the US was #6-7 in the world! But places like Turkey, Kuwait, Canada and quite a few African countries it's at epidemic proportions. A lot of it is for sex/slave trade. Especially in Kuwait and Turkey. Mexico doesn't like to (or at least that used to be the case)give out the numbers because it's probably in the top 3. <br /><br />And the having micro-chips in your head to track you're movements sounds like giving up a huge right to me, and would probably be used for nefarious reasons eventually by the ones supposedly looking out for our best interests. I can see our govt telling the sheeple it's to fight kidnapping. I'd never go for that myself. I'd rather carry a gun. There's other ways to combat kidnapping than that. It's bad enough the govt can record and listen to my calls legally(Patriot Act), makes me wear a seatbelt(i wear one anyways but wtf), makes me wear a helmet on a motorcyle(not when I'm in Maine), says I can't buy alcohol till like noon I think on Sundays. For religious reasons(I'm an Atheist)I like to think for myself. Sorry for last rant, both are touchy subjects for me. Not saying that's what you'd like to see at all chaplinshouse...

1/17/12 4:52 PM by chaplinshouse

That is so sad. Soon people will be able to opt for a voluntary implant chip and be tracked with gps in case of emergencies like this. If this happened to me and I found the people before the police, shooting in the head wouldn't be enough. There would have to be some pulp fiction type torture going on (pliers and a blow torch)

1/17/12 4:43 PM by jhendo79

This is true, I was so happy to see him come to terms a few years ago with the loss and even happier when I saw his sister's face on his banner to raise awareness.

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