UFC middleweight contender Vitor Belfort unquestionably has one of the best physiques out of all the fighters at 185 pounds, but is he all natural?
That was one of the topics of conversation in an interview with ESPN’s Brett Okamoto on Tuesday. Belfort was asked if he has used or would ever consider using testosterone replacement therapy.
The 35-year-old “Phenom” gave a very strange response to question, without giving a definitive yes or no answer:
If a question is private, I have the choice to answer or not. If I make it public, it’s not private anymore. If I want to say something private I will say it, but I keep to myself and I respect the laws of the sport. Whatever the organization, whatever the law — they know what to do. This is too controversial, why am I going to say something that doesn’t accomplish anything? If it’s legal, they know what to do. If it’s legal, there’s nothing to say about it. It’s legal.
When Okamoto followed up by asking if Belfort felt TRT was creating a bad image for MMA, Belfort again gave a less than straightforward answer.
It’s hard. Like, you’re either a Republican or Democrat. Who is right? I think it’s this: The truth is always in the middle. Of course, some things are non-negotiable. I think in life, you just need to find a balance. That’s the problem with the rule, is that everyone is so radical. That’s my opinion. I’m very faithful to the things I believe in and I’m working on myself. I don’t like to judge. When you judge people, it sounds like you are God. We live in a freedom country. It is what it is.
While it remains unclear if the former UFC light heavyweight champ has used TRT, one thing for certain is that he did test positive for the anabolic steroid 4-hydroxytestosterone after losing a Oct. 2006 PRIDE bout to Dan Henderson.
The Brazilian argued that he either ingested the performance-enhancing drug from either an over-the-counter supplement or from rehabilitative injections received from a doctor.
The Nevada State Athletic Commission didn’t buy it, though, suspending Belfort for nine months and fining him $10,000 for the positive test.
Belfort is set to take on Michael Bisping at UFC on FX 7, hoping to play spoiler to the title dreams of “The Count,” since he has been promised a shot at Anderson Silva if he can outlast Belfort.
What is your analysis of Belfort‘s cryptic comments about testosterone replacement therapy?
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