All fighters screened at UFC on FX 8 passed their pre- and post-fight drug tests, UFC officials announced on Thursday.
UFC on FX 8 took place at the Arena Jaragua in Jaragua do Sul, Brazil on May 18, 2013. For the first time, all drug testing was overseen entirely by the Brazilian MMA Athletic Commission (CABMMA).
“The UFC has been informed by CABMMA that all fighters on the UFC on FX 8 card passed their pre and post-fight drug tests,” Thursday’s statement read. “The UFC fully supports the drug testing efforts of all regulatory agencies. All fighters are drug tested at every event and the organization maintains a strict, consistent policy against the use of any illegal and/or performance-enhancing drugs, stimulants or masking agents.”
In the night’s main event, middleweight veteran Vitor Belfort knocked out former Strikeforce champion Luke Rockhold with a spectacular spinning wheel kick midway through round one.
The CABMMA revealed Belfort to be a user of Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) earlier this year following his bout against Michael Bisping, an announcement met by widespread criticism throughout the mixed martial arts community.
In the past, Keith Kizer, Executive Director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC), for which the CABMMA was modeled after, stated that NSAC would not grant Belfort an exemption for TRT in Nevada due to his history of steroid abuse.
CABMMA medical director Marcio Tannure recently told Fighters Only that although the CABMMA was modeled after the NSAC, it is now fully autonomous to make its own decisions regarding Therapy Use Exemptions (TUE), the cause for Belfort’s condition, and any additional testing a fighter may undergo.
“I can’t say what was the cause of his hypogonadism, what happened and what didn’t, because we don’t know that. And there are several possible causes for this condition,” Tannure said.
“All fighters are tested before the fight, and six fighters are drawn to be tested again after the fight. Since Vitor is in treatment, he was also required to perform a blood test to check if his testosterone levels are normal. We can’t tell the lab’s name because of medical confidentiality.”