The Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) intends to discuss the use of Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) before UFC middleweight Vitor Belfort submits his application for a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) for his forthcoming championship bout against Chris Weidman.
In comments made to ESPN’s Brett Okamato, the new NSAC chairman Francisco Aguilar said the issue will be on the table during a scheduled meeting on Feb. 27.
Belfort is one of the more controversial users of TRT and since his use came to light early last year, questions of whether he’ll ever be given a TUE to fight in Las Vegas have constantly haunted him.
The situation is more complex for the Brazilian fighter since he failed a drug test in the state in 2006, and the outgoing former NSAC chairman Keith Keizer previously said that Belfort is unlikely to receive an exemption if he chose to apply in Nevada.
However, since his use of TRT came to light, Belfort has been able to avoid having to face the NSAC board by fighting exclusively in Brazil where there is no athletics commission to prevent his supplementation of testosterone.
In fact, he hasn’t fought in the US since 2011 during UFC 133, which happened in Philadelphia, south of New York City.
Of course UFC president Dana White has said that there is nothing controversial about Belfort fighting exclusively in his South American homeland, which is mainly due to his popularity in the country and his ability to sell tickets.
But he is now scheduled to face Weidman for the 185-pound title in Las Vegas in May, and he’s already said that he will apply for a TUE.
Aguilar said he’d rather have the NSAC discuss the issue before that happens:
“It’s the commission’s need and desire to get clarity on the issue before we go into a situation where we have to make a decision immediately. It’s not fair to have that discussion while someone is in front of you. It’s important to have a basis of where you find yourself as a commissioner prior to that—having all the information you need from the experts.”
That could mean the commission bans the use of TRT altogether, although that is an unlikely eventuality.
For better or worse, TRT is a widespread medical intervention for those with low testosterone and is sanctioned by the World Anti-Doping Agency.
Nevertheless, its use is controversial among fighters, particularly among those who have failed drug tests in the past, like Vitor Belfort, and especially since it could mask actual cheating due to the paucity of the commission’s tests.
Belfort is set to face Weidman at UFC 173 on May 24 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com