Ever since news surfaced that Vitor Belfort had obtained a therapeutic use exemption (TUE) to inject himself with steroids before his fight against Michael Bisping at UFC on FX in January, the Brit has found it difficult to keep his mouth shut about the incident.
Bisping, who was poised to become a No. 1 contender in the middleweight division with a win, was knocked out by a vicious Belfort head kick in the second round.
When it was revealed that Belfort had obtained a TUE before the fight—given to fighters who can’t produce enough testosterone—Bisping’s attacks started.
Initially, he expressed his disappointment that a fighter “who was caught cheating with testosterone in the past” can now use testosterone legally (h/t MMA Fighting).
Belfort, who has been constantly harassed over his testosterone use, has responded to Bisping with snide comments of his own.
Yesterday, he posted a picture on Twitter of someone delivering a head kick to a dummy, with the words “Look Michael Bispin [sic] my kick on your head become a fever in Brasil.”
Bisping’s response:
@vitorbelfort you only fight where your allowed to cheat. Fight me in Vegas.. Oh..you can’t because your not allowed to use your steroids
— michael (@bisping) March 12, 2013
Bisping has been vocal in his opposition to fighters who obtain a TUE for testosterone replacement therapy (TRT).
TRT is extremely controversial, since many believe it allows fighters to cheat with steroids without detection. TRT is even more controversial when it comes to fighters who obtain a TUE after having already been caught as drugs cheats in their career, as is the case with Belfort. In 2006, while fighting for Pride, Belfort tested positive for anabolic steroids.
That test failure came in Las Vegas, and even though he was granted a TUE when he fought against Bisping in Brazil, it’s unlikely he’ll be granted one if he fought in Vegas.
Keith Kizer, the man in charge of the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC), already said last week that it would be “unlikely” to see Belfort given a TUE to fight in the state.
Belfort is currently the third ranked middleweight in the UFC after champion Anderson Silva and No. 1 contender Chris Weidman. He is currently slated to face Strikeforce’s last middleweight champion, Luke Rockhold, at UFC on FX 8 in May in Brazil.
That is, where he’s already received a TUE before and could receive one again should he apply.
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