LAS VEGAS — Maybe it was just the weight cut, but Chris Weidman was not a happy guy Friday afternoon.
After nearly coming to blows with Vitor Belfort during the faceoff, the UFC middleweight champion ripped Belfort in an interview with Joe Rogan. Weidman, who defends the belt against Belfort at UFC 187 on Saturday night here at MGM Grand, referenced an ESPN report that stated Belfort had a 12 ng/ml testosterone level in a drug test taken in March.
“I left him alone with this whole drug-test thing,” Weidman said. “But then we just found out during camp he had a 1200 testosterone score. I’m 10 years younger than him and he’s got a way higher testosterone level. This guy is still cheating. I’m gonna make him pay for it tomorrow night.”
This will be Belfort’s first fight since coming off testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), which was banned by the Nevada Athletic Commission last year. Belfort, 38, also tested positive for steroids in 2006 and has been accused throughout his career of performance-enhancing drug use.
In a March 16 test taken by the NAC, ESPN reported that Belfort had a 12 ng/ml testosterone level. Two weeks later, Weidman was tested and he had a 3.7 ng/ml level. Belfort was tested again April 28 and his testosterone was 5 ng/ml. Weidman was exactly the same, 3.7, in April 27 test.
The numbers don’t prove anything, though, and were not a cause for the commission to take any kind of disciplinary action against Belfort. Both fighters came back clean in drug tests.
The staredown between the two men was extremely heated at weigh-ins Friday. Weidman started jawing at Belfort as soon as he got off the scale and UFC president Dana White had to hold the fighters apart.
“He’s a dangerous fighter, and he brings a lot to the table, but I don’t give a crap,” Weidman told Ariel Helwani on FOX Sports 1 on Friday.
“It’s going to be a competition tomorrow night, but it’s messed up what he’s doing.”
When asked by Helwani how he wins, Weidman, still fired up, was curt.
“Any way I want early,” he said.