The fate of fights: How a Checked Kick & TRT Use Swayed the Middleweight Title Picture
The fate of fights: How a Checked Kick & TRT Use Swayed the Middleweight Title Picture
UFC 168
Anderson “The Spider” Silva and Chris “The All American” Weidman met in the octagon for a second time at UFC 168 at the tail-end of 2013. Silva, looking to earn back the middleweight crown which he once held on to for many years, delivered one of his legendary devastating leg kicks, but that is where the rollercoaster began its downward spiral.
When Weidman lifted his left leg to check Silva’s kick, the inside of Weidman’s knee met Silva’s tibia and fibula bones. This contact caused the former champion’s bones to break, and the damage would put the Spider’s career on hold.
Weidman was announced the winner by a TKO due to Silva’s injury in the second round at just one minute and sixteen seconds, thus retaining the title he won earlier in the year when he shocked the world, knocking Silva out in the second round.
TRT – Drug Use
After Weidman’s second victory against Silva, “The All American” was to fight Vitor “The Phenom” Belfort at the UFC 173, May 24, 2014, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev.
A wrench was thrown in these plans when the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) banned testosterone-replacement therapy (TRT), which meant Belfort, a known-user of the treatment, would be removed from the card for UFC 173 to allow for his body to readjust to the new standards.
TRT is known as a synthetic testosterone injected into the body to make up for abnormally low levels of natural testosterone. It is believed that supporters of TRT deem its use as necessary to be held on a level par with the rest of the fighters. On the other hand, testosterone is known to be a performance enhancing drug (PED) and is thought to provide users with an advantage over other fighters.
Dana White, President of UFC is on board with the decision to ban TRT from the sport.
However, White had hoped the fight against Weidman at UFC 173 would go on, but Belfort decided not to apply for a license to fight in Nevada, a personal decision he made after the new regulations were passed.
Belfort said, “The Nevada State Athletic Commission recently altered its policy and no longer will permit testosterone use exemptions, and will not permit a TRT program,” Belfort said in a statement to FOX Sports Live. “As other jurisdictions may follow suit, I am going to drop my TRT program and compete in MMA without it. Given the time constraints involved between now and my proposed next bout in May, I have determined not to apply for a license to fight in Nevada at this time.”
UFC 173 to 175
Belfort backed out of the UFC 173 main event against Weidman, so his body has time to adjust before his next fight, so he is in compliance with the implemented rules.
Within 24 hours after the NSAC placed a ban on TRT, Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida was then brought in to replace Belfort for the UFC 173 fight against Weidman.
Weidman recently went under the knife for minor surgery due to a knee injury and the bout against Machina was postponed.
The UFC 175 bout between Machida and Weidman is now set for July 5, 2014, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, NV.
Follow My MMA News on Facebook
Visit us on the web at MyMMANews.com
