CABMMA: Vitor Belfort is cleared to fight in Brazil

There’s a light at the end of the tunnel for Vitor Belfort.

“The Phenom” has been out of action since the banning of testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) by Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) in February, but he would be cleared to compete in Brazil if the UFC wants him to fight there.

“He can fight here, no problem, but he can’t use TRT,” Brazilian MMA Athletic Commission (CABMMA) medical director Dr. Marcio Tannure told MMAFighting.com. “Since he doesn’t have a license to use TRT anymore, he would be tested like any other fighter.”

If he’s scheduled to fight in Brazil, Belfort wouldn’t be tested throughout his camp like in his three previous fights in his native country, when he stopped Michael Bisping, Luke Rockhold and Dan Henderson. He would even be cleared by the commission to headline The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 3 Finale card on May 31.

“As far as license with the (CABMMA), he would be able to fight no problem,” he said. “He would be tested like any other fighter. If he failed any test, he would be suspended like any other regular fighter.”

Belfort hopes to fight the winner of Chris Weidman vs. Lyoto Machida for the UFC middleweight title when he returns to the Octagon later this year, but he will probably will face issues with athletic commissions in the United States.

FOX Sports reported in March that the Brazilian will likely need to reveal the result of the “irrelevant” surprise drug test he was asked to take by the NSAC during the World MMA Awards in February. Belfort is the only one who could reveal the result of the test, but it’s unlikely that CABMMA would ask for it.

“Every commission has its standards,” Dr. Tannure said. “I don’t know which test he did and what was the result, so I can’t talk about it and which criteria they’re considering in (Belfort’s) case.”

“Every time a fighter that tested positive in the past applies for a license in Nevada is tested again, and we will adopt that here as well,” he continued. “This is an interesting criteria, and we will also do it, but (Belfort) never tested positive here.”

There’s a light at the end of the tunnel for Vitor Belfort.

“The Phenom” has been out of action since the banning of testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) by Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) in February, but he would be cleared to compete in Brazil if the UFC wants him to fight there.

“He can fight here, no problem, but he can’t use TRT,” Brazilian MMA Athletic Commission (CABMMA) medical director Dr. Marcio Tannure told MMAFighting.com. “Since he doesn’t have a license to use TRT anymore, he would be tested like any other fighter.”

If he’s scheduled to fight in Brazil, Belfort wouldn’t be tested throughout his camp like in his three previous fights in his native country, when he stopped Michael Bisping, Luke Rockhold and Dan Henderson. He would even be cleared by the commission to headline The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 3 Finale card on May 31.

“As far as license with the (CABMMA), he would be able to fight no problem,” he said. “He would be tested like any other fighter. If he failed any test, he would be suspended like any other regular fighter.”

Belfort hopes to fight the winner of Chris Weidman vs. Lyoto Machida for the UFC middleweight title when he returns to the Octagon later this year, but he will probably will face issues with athletic commissions in the United States.

FOX Sports reported in March that the Brazilian will likely need to reveal the result of the “irrelevant” surprise drug test he was asked to take by the NSAC during the World MMA Awards in February. Belfort is the only one who could reveal the result of the test, but it’s unlikely that CABMMA would ask for it.

“Every commission has its standards,” Dr. Tannure said. “I don’t know which test he did and what was the result, so I can’t talk about it and which criteria they’re considering in (Belfort’s) case.”

“Every time a fighter that tested positive in the past applies for a license in Nevada is tested again, and we will adopt that here as well,” he continued. “This is an interesting criteria, and we will also do it, but (Belfort) never tested positive here.”