Longo (center) is uncomfortable with the fight against Belfort. Photo: Josh Hedges/UFC
Chris Weidman will make his third defense of the UFC middleweight belt against Vitor belfort, at the beginning of December, which satisfies the desire of the champion of the category up to 84 kg. However, his coach, Ray Longo, expressed his discomfort with the fight, citing the Brazilian fighter's history with anti-doping tests as the reason.
A former user of TRT, testosterone replacement therapy, Belfort was caught in a test carried out in February, when he presented levels of the hormone above the permitted level. In 2006, also under the auspices of the Nevada Athletic Commission, Belfort fell foul of doping due to the use of steroids after his defeat to Dan Henderson.
Precisely for this reason, Belfort received a provisional license for the December fight, since, from now on, he will have to pass all the random anti-doping tests he will undergo.
In an interview with the North American website “MMA Junkie”, Longo expressed discomfort with the subject. “I'm definitely not comfortable. I just hope he passes the anti-doping tests. I hope he becomes a man and does what he has to do as a man, setting a good example for his children. Instead of saying he's going to do it, just do it. Take the anti-doping tests, pass them and confirm the fight”, declared the coach. “If you look at his history in the past, you can’t be comfortable with the guy passing a drug test. I hope he does the right thing, has an epiphany and does the right thing. Let's pass the test and fight. That’s what I want to happen.”
However, according to Longo, Weidman will be ready for any version of Belfort that appears in the Octagon. “We will prepare for the version of Vitor belfort with TRT. Let's prepare for the best Vitor belfort that exists. Weidman loves to test himself. He will defeat him with or without steroids, it doesn’t matter,” he promised.
Belfort's situation caused fighters, like Luke Rockhold, be ready to replace the Brazilian if it's necessary. Longo regretted the scenario, but says it would be prudent to have a plan B. “Thinking about his past actions, I can't get comfortable. We have to prepare for a contingency plan in case he fails the exam, which sucks,” he said.
Weidman and Belfort will be in the main fight of UFC 181, which will take place on December 6th in Las Vegas (USA). This will be the champion's fourth consecutive fight against Brazilians, as he comes from two victories over Anderson Silva and one about Lyoto Machida. Belfort, in turn, comes from three consecutive victories, all of them by knockout/technical knockout.
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