UFC Middleweight champ Chris Weidman is hoping to defend the belt against Vitor Belfort in Las Vegas, Nevada where he believes they will keep a close eye on likely challenger Vitor Belfort. Here’s what he told Fox Sports:
“He’s failed a drug test before. He’s on TRT now. I don’t agree with TRT to begin with, so him failing a drug test and being on TRT, I don’t really like it,” he said. “So I appreciate there will be a commission making sure he’s doing things right. I don’t have high testosterone at all. I’m completely fine. I guarantee his testosterone on TRT is two or three times higher than mine. I wake up and I work hard two or three times a day. I don’t feel that there’s a need for it, and if it comes to point where you need it, then you retire, you don’t fight. Fighting is a sport where strength is important, and if you’re going to have extra testosterone, especially after you’ve been caught cheating, it’s unfair.”
Weidman’s coach Ray Longo chimed in with some comments of his own to ESPN:
“I know Chris is beating the guy but why give him an advantage?” Longo said. “Why does he deserve that? All he did was abuse his body with steroids so that now he needs the exemption. It’s bull—-.”
The 36-year-old Belfort failed a post-fight drug test for steroids following a 2006 loss to Dan Henderson at a Pride event in Las Vegas. Rather than serving out his full suspension, Belfort took fights in the UK and had to petition to be allowed to fight again in the U.S.
He has since been giving clearance to use testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) while fighting for the UFC, mostly in Brazil.
Weidman just defended his belt for the first time, defeating Anderson Silva, the man he took the title from in July, via TKO in the second round at UFC 168. The Belfort match has yet to be signed although it is hoped that it will be booked in May of this year.
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