Vitor Belfort has pulled out of the UFC 173 main event and has been replaced by Lyoto Machida, who will challenge Chris Weidman for the middleweight title.
The announcement was made early Friday morning on FOX Sports 1 and confirmed by UFC officials.
The news comes less than a day after the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) unanimously passed a motion to ban therapeutic use exemptions for testosterone replacement therapy (TRT).
Belfort is a known TRT user and, according to the UFC, willingly withdrew from UFC 173, which takes place May 24 in Las Vegas.
“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. “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.”
Belfort (24-10) is one of the hottest fighters in MMA right now. The former light-heavyweight champion picked up three wins in 2013, stopping Dan Henderson, Luke Rockhold and Michael Bisping with head-kick knockouts.
The 36-year-old Brazilian hasn’t competed in the United States since a 2011 win over Yoshihiro Akiyama and has been criticized for being on TRT since many in the sport feel it’s a form of cheating. In December, Belfort told reporters following UFC 168 he was willing to fight Weidman in any country and that he was not concerned about his TRT use.
On Thursday, the UFC threw its support behind the NSAC’s decision to ban TRT exemptions.
“The Ultimate Fighting Championship fully supports the decision made today by the Nevada State Athletic Commission regarding the immediate termination of therapeutic use exemptions (TUE) for testosterone replacement therapy (TRT),” an official statement from the promotion read. “We believe our athletes should compete based on their natural abilities and on an even playing field. We also intend to honor this ruling in international markets where, due to a lack of governing bodies, the UFC oversees regulatory efforts for our live events. We encourage all athletic commissions to adopt this ruling.”
Machida (21-4) is a former light-heavyweight champion that is 2-0 since dropping to the middleweight division last year. The 35-year-old defeated Gegard Mousasi by unanimous decision on Feb. 15 in the main event of UFC Fight Night 36 and finishing Mark Munoz in October in his 185-pound debut.
Weidman (11-0) is a perfect 7-0 in the UFC and coming off two wins over Anderson Silva. The 29-year-old Baldwin, N.Y., native also has wins over notable UFC stars Demian Maia, Uriah Hall and Munoz since making his MMA debut in 2009.
“Machida was dominant in his last two fights, beating Gegard Mousasi and knocking out Mark Munoz,” UFC President Dana White said in a press release. “He’s earned this shot at Weidman, who’s coming off two straight wins over the greatest fighter of all time, Anderson Silva. Machida wants nothing more than to avenge the losses of his friend and training partner, and become just the third fighter in UFC history to win titles in two separate weight classes.”
UFC 173 takes place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
