“I was starting my treatment and I had an approval of my doctor and with the UFC, so, they need someone to step into the fight [at UFC 152]. I offered myself. I shared all my tests, my exams with them, and one went public, I think they shared my privates, but everything got approval… I never hide anything from anybody. You know the media. I’ve always received them in my house, I receive them very open, I talk about it and I never try to handle anything. I shared everything I knew, so, in that fight I got approval from the UFC, the commission, you know? I had everything set. I came with no training for a fight with Jon Jones, I almost submitted him in the fight. To tell you the truth, I don’t know anything to say. This is the truth. And I think when you deal with that, you just gotta know that people will say things, some people will say different things, but the truth is the truth. I learned in the Bible that the truth sets you free, you know, and here I am.”
-Vitor Belfort says the UFC approved all of the test results he provided them prior to UFC 152 during an interview with AXS TV’s Inside MMA program (transcribed by MMAFighting.com).
Penick’s Analysis: Belfort still hasn’t addressed why, throughout his entire tenure of using TRT, he was testing at the high end or over on the allowable testosterone in his system. As it was intended and under the exemptions given, he was supposed to be bringing his levels to the mid-range of normal under the treatment, but instead was either using as much as possible intentionally, or was given wrong counsel as far as how to proceed. Regarding UFC 152 specifically, the UFC are the ones who need to be questioned further, because he’s right that they ultimately approved him after the tests despite the flagged result. That’s the significant issue and the one that speaks to them not keeping the best interests of their fighters in mind when they had Jon Jones fight someone whom they knew had been flagged on a drug test. Still, Belfort’s use of testosterone will continue to be scrutinized no matter how much he wants to brush it off, because even if it was an allowable treatment it seems clear he was abusing the system.
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