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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
When the UFC went to Brazil in January, Vitor Belfort received a therapeutic use exemption for testosterone replacement therapy into his bout with Michael Bisping. That event was overseen by CABMMA, a new regulatory body in Brazil that worked in tandem with the UFC to put on the event.
In a report from Brazil's Tatame.com, the CABMMA medical director claimed that Belfort's TRT approval was based off of medical tests done by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. It was their approval, he claimed, that allowed Belfort to use the controversial treatment for the event in Brazil.
However, NSAC executive director Keith Kizer says Belfort has not been approved for testosterone use in Nevada, and given his past steroid test failure, likely would not be approved in Nevada in the future.
"People in the media saying Vitor Belfort has a TUE from me, of course he doesn't," Kizer made clear in an interview with Damon Martin at BleacherReport.com.
"I don't see Vitor Belfort getting a TRT exemption from us. I really don't and I feel kind of bad for him in some ways because if he has learned from his mistakes and now he's trying to do it the right way and his levels are low with the treatment good for him and I hope he is doing that."
Penick's Analysis: Obviously there's something not kosher with the explanation from CABMMA and the UFC's allowance of Belfort's TRT use into the Bisping fight. Given he's fighting again in Brazil in May, we'll have to see whether or not Dana White is serious about the TRT issue. Belfort was not approved by the NSAC, meaning it was essentially the UFC allowing him to use it in January. Having been caught for steroids in the past, he should not be allowed to use TRT now, but it seems that's what's happening anyway, and Kizer's comments on Belfort here fly in the face of any arguments that have been made from the UFC, or this Brazilian commission, regarding Belfort.
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Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
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