Ray Longo: Chris Weidman Will Beat Vitor Belfort On Or Off Steroids

Vitor Belfort won’t be receiving testosterone-replacement therapy (TRT) when he steps into the Octagon on December 6 to challenge Chris Weidman for his middleweight title, but the “All-American” and his camp are still preparing for the “TRT-Monster” who won all three of his fights last year in devastating fashion.

Echoing Weidman’s sentiment, Longo touched on his team’s preparation for “The Phenom”:

“We’re going to prepare for the TRT version of Vitor Belfort.” Weidman’s trainer Ray Longo told MMAJunkie.com. “We’re going to prepare for the best Vitor Belfort there is. Weidman loves to test himself. He’ll beat him on steroids, off steroids – it doesn’t matter. We want to make it fair and we want the best Belfort there is.”

Belfort was granted a conditional license by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSCA) to take on Weidman at UFC 181 under strict conditions requiring him to undergo random drug testing. Longo hopes Belfort will do the right thing and remain substance-free but he isn’t confident that’s going to happen.

The Brazilian striker’s drug misuse has shadowed him throughout his professional career. Back in 2006, following his loss to Dan Henderson at Pride 32, Belfort tested positive for 4-hydroxytestosterone. He then missed out on facing Weidman earlier this year when after withdrawing from their planned meeting at UFC 173. 

We later found out the 38-year old had failed a random drug test for elevated testosterone levels. Luke Rockhold recently hit the headlines when he said Belfort’s body wouldn’t make it to UFC 183 and he offered his services incase he pulled out. Longo doesn’t think having a backup plan is such a bad idea.

“I just thing on his past actions, as a logical person, I don’t think I can be that comfortable,” Longo said. “We have to be ready for a contingency plan in case the guy fails the test, which kind of stinks.

If you look at history in the past, you can’t be comfortable with the guy passing a drug test,” Longo said. “I’m just hoping the guy does the right thing and he had an epiphany somewhere and he’s going to do the right thing. Let’s pass the test and fight. So that’s what I want to happen.”

Hopefully, Belfort can stay clean and we’ll get to see the two go head-to-head at the end of the year. Do you believe that this fight will actually happen?

Photo courtesy of the New Jersey State Martial Arts Hall of Fame