Despite recent statements that Vitor Belfort would go off TRT for a chance at a UFC title (something he already hasn’t been required to do) Belfort will once again be given an exemption for his highly necessary testosterone replacement therapy. MMAjunkie reports that both fighters have received the go ahead on their exemptions for their bout at UFC Fight Night 32, perhaps making it the first UFC headliner between licensed steroid users.
It’s a strange look considering the hoops that Josh Barnett and Robert Drysdale currently find themselves jumping through; a reminder that depending on where you do it and how well you manage it there’s no real ban on performance enhancing drugs. To drive the point home this will, in fact, be Henderson’s first fight back on TRT after he went off the drug for his bout in Winnipeg against Rashad Evans, his most recent fight. It was a move spurred by Winnipeg’s high standards for TUE exemptions, most specifically that an athlete should actually have some kind of illness that prevents testosterone production if he is going to be granted a TUE.
So, perhaps there’s a certain amount of poetic justice in Belfort vs. Henderson with both men pumped up on their cocktail of choice. They can pit their necessary (but not really) drug regimines against one another. Maybe, after the fight, they can compare notes and see which of them was getting that extra edge. It would be worthwhile research for young up-and-comers who find themselves getting achy after workouts, or picking up colds at the gym. Finally fans will know who is the better pharmacist fighter (not that that wasn’t already decided seven years ago).
UFC Fight Night 32 takes place on this Saturday, November 9 in Goiania, Brazil. The Card will be headlined by Middleweight no. 1 contender Vitor Belfort facing off against Dan Henderson as well as the long awaited TUF Brazil 1 finale of Cezar Ferreira vs. Daniel Sarafian.
Here’s a look at the complete card:
Main Card
Vitor Belfort vs. Dan Henderson
Cezar Ferreira vs. Daniel Sarafian
Rafael Cavalcante vs. Igor Pokrajac
Paulo Thiago vs. Brandon Thatch
Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Ryan LaFlare
Rony Jason vs. Jeremy Stephens
Prelim Card
Godofredo Pepey vs. Sam Sicilia
Thiago Perpétuo vs. Omari Akhmedov
Thiago Tavares vs. Justin Salas
Adriano Martins vs. Daron Cruickshank
Jose Maria vs. Dustin Ortiz