Vitor Belfort on split with trainer: "It was a very easy decision"

By Thomas Casale January 27, 2011Middleweight contender Vitor Belfort (19-8) said on Thursday that a conflict between Shawn Tompkins and Xtreme Couture is the main reason why he parted ways with the much respected trainer. "Every fighter has his own mind and represents himself, of course, but you have people around you who help to make decisions," Belfort said. "I've been training four years, I think, at Xtreme Couture, and I feel good over there. "When Tompkins was last there, we tried to work together. But he's doing his thing. He was doing his team, and he wants to do it the way he wants. And I felt like I still wanted to work over there, but I just thought it wouldn't have worked out. They had, like, personal issues and stuff, and I don't take things personal. I take things professional, and I met with him and ... I really talked to him, and I said, 'You're going to this direction. I think for me what is better is that direction,'...