Following earlier news of the Nevada State Athletic Commission banning therapeutic use exemptions for TRT (Testosterone Replacement Therapy), Vitor Belfort has pulled himself from his championship fight at UFC 173 against UFC Middleweight champion Chris Weidman.
Replacing Belfort will be former UFC Light Heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida who recently made the move down to Middleweight and has been undefeated since; knocking out Mark Munoz in his Middleweight debut and defeating former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight champion Gegard Mousasi in his most recent outing.
As the news was released on “FOX Sports Live” a brief statement of Belfort’s was released:
“Given time constraints involved between now and my proposed next fight in May, I have determined not to apply for license in Nevada.” Belfort said.
Belfort has been criticized as of late for his use of TRT mostly due to his change in body composition as well as his recent success in competition, so his withdrawal from the fight shouldn’t come as a shock to many MMA fans.