UFC President Dana White issued the following statement on the commission’s ruling:
“The Ultimate Fighting Championship fully supports the decision made today by the Nevada State Athletic Commission regarding the immediate termination of therapeutic use exemptions (TUE) for testosterone replacement therapy (TRT). We believe our athletes should compete based on their natural abilities and on an even playing field. We also intend to honor this ruling in international markets where, due to a lack of governing bodies, the UFC oversees regulatory efforts for our live events. We encourage all athletic commissions to adopt this ruling.”
According to MMAJunkie.com, NSAC commissioner Raymond “Skip” Avansino proposed the ban and said the commission does not have the resources to effectively monitor exemptions. He also said the NSAC is under no obligation to honor exemptions issued by other states. Chairman Francisco Aguilar stated the commission’s previous exemption process took up too many resources for too little payoff.
Number one middleweight contender Vitor Belfort was expected to apply for TRT exemption in Nevada for his upcoming title fight against champion Chris Weidman in May. The 36-year-old Brazilian tested positive for elevated testosterone levels in the state way back in 2006. Having knocked out his last three opponents while on TRT, how do you think he’ll fare au naturel against Weidman?
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