Vitor Belfort receives conditional license to fight Chris Weidman at UFC 181
A sometimes-emotional Vitor Belfort today asked for a license to fight in a championship bout on Dec. 6 at UFC 181, and barring a few requirements, the veteran fighter will get his wish.
Belfort (24-10 MMA, 13-6 UFC) and lawyer Michael Alonso today made their request in person at a Nevada State Athletic Commission in Las Vegas, which the UFC streamed live on its UFC Fight Pass digital network.
The commission voted unanimously to give a conditional license to Belfort, who’s been on the sidelines since a failed drug test in February.
Alonso told the commission that Belfort met with UFC officials on Tuesday and was told he’ll fight UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman (12-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) at UFC 181, which airs on pay-per-view from Las Vegas’ Mandalay Bay Events Center. Following Belfort’s hearing, the UFC confirmed plans for the title fight and officially announced the bout.
As part of the licensing, Belfort can’t fight anywhere before December, and he can be forced to undergo any form of drug test – at his own expense – by any commissioner at any time before the title fight.
“I know like the UFC is my authority, you’re my authority,†Belfort said. †… I’ll fully collaborate with you.â€
Belfort, a former user of testosterone-replacement therapy, underwent an NSAC drug test on Feb. 7 while in Las Vegas for the World MMA Awards. The test results were never released, but Belfort was scratched from a planned UFC 173 title fight with Weidman shortly afterward, citing a need for more time to ween off TRT, which the NSAC banned a few weeks after Belfort’s test.
Belfort later admitted he failed the test due to a spike in his testosterone levels. Despite the failure, he was then tapped to replace Wanderlei Silva at UFC 175, contingent on his ability to get a license for the July 3 event. However, when would-be opponent Chael Sonnen also failed a pair of tests, Belfort, was scratched from the card, and his meeting with the NSAC was put off until today.
The 37-year-old said he received a doctor-administered injection as part of his TRT treatment a day before the failed test on Feb. 7. Belfort said he usually received two injections per week as part of his treatment, but with the trip to Las Vegas, he took one larger dose, his lawyer said.
“I take responsibility for that,†Belfort said.
Although the NSAC’s line of questions was polite, multiple commissioners voiced their concern about Belfort’s past.
“I don’t want to be embarrassed, and I know the commission doesn’t either,†commissioner Anthony Marnell III said.
Perhaps surprisingly, Belfort and the commission didn’t discuss his failed drug test (anabolic steroid) at a 2006 PRIDE event. That event took place in Las Vegas. They also didn’t ask him about how he’s managed his post-TRT transition.
With the Weidman vs. Belfort announcement, it’s not clear if a planned UFC 181 title fight between lightweight champion Anthony Pettis (17-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC) and challenger Gilbert Melendez (22-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC) will be shifted to a different card.
