...OH, ONE MORE THING - PLEASE BOOKMARK US & VISIT DAILY!
By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
UFC on FX 7 headliner Vitor Belfort was asked about testosterone replacement therapy this week in an interview with Brett Okamoto at ESPN.com, and he gave quite the head-scratcher in response. Here's the exchange below:
"ESPN: Some fighters in their 30s have been diagnosed with low testosterone levels and received exemptions to use testosterone replacement therapy [TRT]. Have you ever applied for TRT or would you consider it?
Belfort: If a question is private, I have the choice to answer or not. If I make it public, it's not private anymore. If I want to say something private I will say it, but I keep to myself and I respect the laws of the sport. Whatever the organization, whatever the law -- they know what to do. This is too controversial, why am I going to say something that doesn't accomplish anything? If it's legal, they know what to do. If it's legal, there's nothing to say about it. It's legal.
ESPN: As you mention, TRT is legal for fighters who qualify for it. Do you believe it's getting a bad image in the sport? Fans are too quick to judge fighters who use it?
Belfort: It's hard. Like, you're either a Republican or Democrat. Who is right? I think it's this: The truth is always in the middle. Of course, some things are non-negotiable. I think in life, you just need to find a balance. That's the problem with the rule, is that everyone is so radical. That's my opinion. I'm very faithful to the things I believe in and I'm working on myself. I don't like to judge. When you judge people, it sounds like you are God. We live in a freedom country. It is what it is."
Penick's Analysis: This is such a wordy, nonsensical, not-really-a-response response. This isn't a yes, this isn't a no, but it's absolutely a strange dodging of a very simple question. Then again, Belfort has tested positive for elevated testosterone levels in the past, blaming an over-the-counter supplement when he failed a drug test after a bout with Dan Henderson at Pride 32 in Las Vegas in 2006. This type of dodgy response does more to make people think perhaps he's got something to hide than a simple "no, I'm not interested in TRT," or even "no, I haven't ever applied for TRT." Then again, if he has, and doesn't want to say it publicly, this is a response that could suggest that. That's not to accuse him of anything, because there's no real way to discern that answer from these comments. But it certainly doesn't give the best impression.
(Attention MMATorch app users: Make sure to upgrade to the latest edition of the MMATorch app on your iPhone, iPad, or Android device!)
Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
STAFF COLUMNISTS: Shawn Ennis - Jason Amadi
Frank Hyden - Rich Hansen
Chris Park - Matt Pelkey
Interested in joining MMATorch's writing team? Send idea for a theme to your column (for Specialist section) or area of interest (i.e. TV Reporter) along with a sample of writing to mmatorch@gmail.com.
