Vitor Belfort on TRT: If a Question is Private, I Have the Choice to Answer or Not

Vitor Belfort

Belfort Mum about TRT

Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) has become a very controversial subject in MMA since several fighters have tested positive for its use. While it is technically legal for medical professionals to deem TRT appropriate or necessary for a specific competitor, the question of whether or not it can be considered  "cheating" is still being debated among UFC authority figures, athletes and trainers alike.

When Vitor Belfort took on Jon Jones at UFC 152 last September, the UFC revealed that one fighter on the card was given permission to use TRT for  "therapeutic" purposes. While the fighter's name was undisclosed due to legal limits, many suspected that the TRT user was Belfort himself, mostly because he had to move up a weight class to fight in the main event for the light heavyweight title.

That and the fact that it's easy to imagine the aging Belfort looking for any physical advantage he could get his hands on to even up the odds against one of the greatest fighters in the UFC today.

Vitor will be going up against another athletic powerhouse in Michael Bisping at UFC on FX 7. Bisping has publicly denounced the use of TRT, but skeptics are wondering if Belfort will use it to make up for the significant cardio advantage of his opponent.

In a recent interview with ESPN, Brett Okamoto asked "The Phenom" if he was currently using TRT. Belfort didn't give a clear answer, but his cagey response suggests that the aforementioned skeptics might be on the right track in terms of Vitor's game plan for victory January 19th.

"If a question is private, I have the choice to answer or not. If I make it public, it’s not private anymore. If I want to say something private I will say it, but I keep to myself and I respect the laws of the sport. Whatever the organization, whatever the law -- they know what to do. This is too controversial, why am I going to say something that doesn’t accomplish anything? If it’s legal, they know what to do. If it’s legal, there’s nothing to say about it. It’s legal... It’s hard. Like, you’re either a Republican or Democrat. Who is right? I think it’s this: The truth is always in the middle. Of course, some things are non-negotiable. I think in life, you just need to find a balance. That’s the problem with the rule, is that everyone is so radical. That’s my opinion. I’m very faithful to the things I believe in and I’m working on myself. I don’t like to judge. When you judge people, it sounds like you are God. We live in a freedom country. It is what it is."

Did Vitor Belfort basically just confirm that he will be using TRT for his fight against the most out-spoken advocate for its total removal from MMA? He tried to tell us nothing, but we can be sure that these words will provoke a major uproar from Michael Bisping, as he might be under the impression that his next fight won't be as fair as he imagined.

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