Belfort says he 'was forced' to withdraw and says he will face the winner of Lyoto vs Weidman

V. Belfort (photo) postponed his chance for the middleweight belt. Photo: Josh Hedges/UFC

After the announcement that he would no longer be the opponent of Chris Weidman at UFC 173, due to new guidelines from the Nevada State Athletic Commission regarding licenses for the use of Testosterone Replacement Treatment (TRT), the Brazilian Vitor belfort He used social media to give his version of what happened. On your official profile on Facebook, Belfort stated that circumstances forced him to abandon the fight and that he already has a fight against the winner of the duel between Lyoto Machida, his replacement, and Chris Weidman guaranteed by UFC.

“I never gave up fighting at UFC 173 and I never said that. Therefore, all information published in any media outlet announcing this is not true. What I announced was that I will be ‘giving up on TRT’ and not ‘giving up the fight’ to continue my dream of fighting. The UFC decided to put another opponent in my place because I didn't have enough time to adapt to the new NSAC (Nevada Athletic Commission) rules. According to the UFC, I will face the winner of Weidman vs Lyoto within the new regulations of all Athletic Commissions. I'm sorry that this happened and I'm grateful for the strength and understanding of all the fans, sponsors, UFC and the athletic commissions themselves”, published the Rio native.

At 36, Vitor belfort He has a record of 24 wins and ten losses as a professional. In his last fights, Belfort used TRT and has since become the main exponent of the treatment in the UFC, a condition that has made him the center of enormous controversy. In 2013, Vitor won three knockout victories – against Michael Bisping, Luke Rockhold e Dan Henderson – and qualified for the middleweight title fight against the current champion Chris Weidman at UFC 173, on May 24th. Faced with the change in regulation by the Nevada Athletic Commission, which banned exemptions for the use of TRT, the “Phenomenon” ended up leaving the fight and giving way to his compatriot Lyoto Machida.