Vitor Belfort har under lång tid undvikt frågor om sitt användande av testosteronbehandling innan matchen mot Jon Jones under UFC 152 under 2012. I oktober drog sig Belfort ur en intervju med ”The MMA Hour” efter att hans fru/manager inte ville att han skulle svara på några frågor om detta.
Nu har Belfort klivit fram för att ta upp just de här frågorna i en ny intervju med ”InsideMMA”, där han svarar på både det ena och det andra gällande testosteronbehandlingar och kritiken som han fått.
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You know, I was starting my treatment and I had approval of my doctor and with the UFC. They need someone to step into that fight. I offered myself. I share all my tests, all my exams with them. One went public I think; they share my privates, but everything got approval, you know? I never hide anything from anybody, you know, in the media. I always receive them in my house, I receive them very openly. I talk about it and I never try to hand them anything… I shared everything that I knew. So, that fight, I got approval by the UFC, by the commission, I had everything set. I came with no training for a fight [with] Jon Jones, I almost submit him in the fight.
To tell you the truth, I don’t know anything to say. This is the truth. And I think when you deal with that, you just gotta know that people will say things, some people will say different things, but the truth is the truth. I learn in the Bible that ’the truth sets you free,’ you know? And here I am, and I’m not running away from the media, everybody got invited. Ariel Helwani got invited, just like you guys, to do a private interview with me. He didn’t want to come. And he was invited for the press conference. We are open to talk to the media. I always receive them very open, but on this case I don’t know anything else to say anymore.
Belfort svarar även på kritiken från andra fighters, bland annat Luke Rockhold:
I think his head is still spinning from that kick. That’s the only thing I can say, you know? You know what is this? In Brazil we call ’elbow pain.’ When someone’s jealous, we call it elbow pain. I don’t expect anything coming from my opponents. Especially when they lose, they find the excuse. And if they want one, they have to deal with that, but not me.
Det här hade Belforts fru och manager Joana Prado att säga om incidenten med ”The MMA Hour”
First of all, everybody knows that Vitor never refused to answer any questions the press asked him. A good example involves the questions regarding his [testosterone replacement] therapy that was banned over a year ago, and he keeps answering all of them. I don’t know if the media or the fans know, but at the time Vitor was on TRT, 14 other fighters were on the treatment, as well, and 12 of them were Americans. However, Vitor is the only one who talks about it, and he has released his test results.
Regarding the reporter, he asked me to give him an exclusive interview. I thought the interview would be based on Vitor’s upcoming fight, but when I realized that was not the subject, I invited [Helwani] to join the press conference Vitor was going to do the following day; the reporter chose not to participate. Put yourself in my shoes for one minute. Vitor has a very important fight coming up. He is at the very end of his training camp, and he is completely focused on his upcoming fight. It makes no sense to stop his training sessions or even his recovery time to give an interview that would cause him to lose focus. As his manager, I have to take care of these things. I will always do what I think is best for my athlete; that’s my job. Once again, I made sure to invite the reporter to come to media day. Not coming was his choice.
Regarding the [Deadspin] article, we have nothing to say. All we know is that Vitor was starting his treatment under doctor’s supervision and with UFC approval. He fought Jon Jones at UFC 152, and, by the way, he was the only one willing to step up for that fight on such short notice; and he almost won in the very first round.
