Brazilian commission bans TRT, UFC headliner Dan Henderson gets final exemption
Dan Henderson was the first MMA fighter to receive a therapeutic-use exemption for testosterone-replacement therapy in Nevada, and he may be the last in Brazil.
The Comissao Atletica Brasileira de MMA (CABMMA) is mirroring the Nevada State Athletic Commission’s recent decision to nix TUEs for TRT, though the ban won’t immediately affect the former PRIDE champion and UFC title challenger.
An exemption Henderson (29-11 MMA, 6-5 UFC) recently requested from the commission will be honored for his headlining rematch with Mauricio Rua (22-8 MMA, 6-6 UFC) on March 23 at UFC Fight Night 38, according to CABMMA Medical Director Marcio Tannure, who announced the ban to Brazilian outlet SporTV.
The effects of the NSAC’s ban have quickly spread since the commission decided on Thursday to shutter its exemption process, effective immediately. The UFC already has praised the move, as have several active and retired UFC fighters.
The ban will affect another public TRT user, Chael Sonnen, who is expected to headline an event in Brazil opposite Wanderlei Silva on May 31. Sonnen already as voiced support for the regulatory change, telling FOX Sports, “The rules are the rules – that’s it. Yesterday, it was legal, so quit complaining. Today, it’s illegal. That’s it. Quit complaining. End of conversation. Testosterone’s out.â€
Tannure initially hedged on whether the CABMMA would follow suit with Nevada, telling MMAFighting.com the UFC-backed commission would debate the issue. Following the NSAC’s ban, the UFC immediately expressed support for the ban.
This past December, Tannure came under scrutiny for his role in monitoring the UFC-approved testosterone use of Antonio “Bigfoot†Silva, who tested positive for elevated levels of the hormone following his fight-of-the-year candidate with Mark Hunt at UFC Fight Night 33. Tannure told MMAjunkie he merely relayed the instructions of Silva’s doctor to increase his dosage in advance of the fight and specified the cut-off date for treatment.
So far, Henderson and Vitor Belfort are the only known applicants for TUEs for TRT in Brazil. Belfort said the UFC scratched him from a middleweight title fight with Chris Weidman at UFC 173 because he “didn’t have time to fit the new rules of the NSAC.†Lyoto Machida is now set to meet Weidman, and Belfort claims he will meet the fight’s winner.
