There was a period in UFC history where fighters were able to get away with taking an infamous drug, which helped boost their performance.
Although some fans may not believe it to be the case, the UFC has come a long way in terms of drug use in the sport since its early days.
For years, there was constant controversy surrounding Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT), which was legal in the sport for ages, and fighters used loopholes to be able to indulge in the process.
And although UFC boss Dana White was totally against it, it ran rampant in the sport amongst some of the older fighters in the promotion.
The UFC’s TRT problem that consistently caused controversy
It was in 2010 when a TRT ‘loophole’ seemed to form after the California State Athletic Commission announced that Chael Sonnen had tested positive for elevated testosterone levels following his loss to Anderson Silva at UFC 117.
‘The American Gangster’ then admitted to using synthetic testosterone but demanded that it was only on doctor’s orders as part of a medical treatment for hypogonadism, a condition which affects the body’s ability to naturally produce testosterone.
Although he was handed a suspension, Sonnen was later granted permission by the Nevada State Athletic Commission to use testosterone via a therapeutic-use exemption.
This then opened the door for other fighters to follow suit. According to a 2014 report, at least 15 fighters were provided with exemptions during their time in the UFC, one of which was Vitor Belfort.
Belfort’s story was slightly more complex and there was a period when he exclusively fought outside of the U.S., likely to avoid any issues with his elevated TRT use.
Dana White sent a message to UFC fighters using TRT ‘loophole’
“Vitor’s on TRT, everybody knows it, I dislike TRT and we are testing guys that are on TRT to make sure they’re within the limits and they’re not cheating,” White said during the UFC 160 post-fight press conference, a week after Belfort knocked out Luke Rockhold.
“I said it to everybody that’s on TRT, maybe if you have to take TRT, you’re too old to be fighting still, that’s what I said. I didn’t say that (just) to Vitor, I said it to everybody that is on TRT.
“What I don’t like is guys using this TRT exemption as a loophole to get all jacked up during training and then come back to normal levels before the fight, that’s what I don’t like and that’s what I don’t want,” White continued.
Fortunately for the sport, TRT was banned in 2014, stopping fighters from using loopholes to be able to increase their testosterone levels and the sport changed overnight.