NSAC: Belfort TRT will be an issue
“Giving Vitor Belfort a license is not going to be a problem,” said NSAC chair Francisco Aguilar. “The issue is going to come from a TRT exemption.”
Vitor Belfort, 36, has won three fights in a row via head kick, a first for the UFC. He is schedule to fight Chris Weidman this Summer in Las Vegas. Belfort said recently that he intends to apply for a Therapeutic Use Exemption for Testosterone Replacement Treatment, as he has for his past several fights.
While receiving a license to fight from the Nevada State Athletic Commission will not be an issue, getting a TUE will. No fighter has ever neen granted a TUE following a failed test for PED abuse.
I think TRT is something new, and [an exemption] hasn’t been used very frequently, NSAC chairperson Francisco Aguilar told MMAjunkie. To have it regulated in regards to Mr. Belfort, it’s new territory for us. But I don’t think that sways the decision one way or the other.
Aguilar said that while the regulatory body has some concerns about his past, and will want to hear testimony from the parties involved, he added, giving him a license is not going to be a problem… The issue is going to come from a TRT exemption.”
Belfort will have to provide extensive documentation of his medical history, as well as submit to blood tests in order to prove he needs hormone replacement. He is likely to utilize blood tests in connection with exemptions he’s received from the Brazilian athletic commission overseeing his past three UFC fights, all of which he’s finished by highlight-reel knockout.
Significantly, Belfort will need to sign an affidavit that certifies he has never used performance-enhancing drugs, which, according to an NSAC judgement, he has.
I don’t want to speculate on [whether Belfort will get an exemption] until I hear the full story, said Aguilar said. I think we’ve dealt with some pretty unique issues with different fighters, and we’ve got to take each issue individually.
