Dana White Says The Media Wanted Vitor Belfort Out Of UFC 173

The media storm surrounding the recent ban on TRT has been unlike any we’ve seen in recent times. The NSAC and UFC put their collective foot down on the controversial issue, and the Brazilian athletic commission soon towed the line. Rather predictably, the ban has taken it’s toll on a few big names.

Probably the most noteworthy is the case of Vitor Belfort and Chris Weidman’s UFC 173 title fight getting scrapped. Lyoto Machida stepped in for ‘The Phenom’, who needed time to ‘cycle off’ the therapy. UFC president Dana White had some finger pointing to do about the issue at the press conference for tonight’s event:

“TRT is the monkey that is off my back now. You guys need something to talk about. TRT was fun wasn’t it? Oh that was fun,” White said. “You could write six – seven page stories about it, and Vitor (Belfort), and now it’s gone. What is next guys?”

It would seem a little strange for White to point his fingers at the media who reported the whole affair, especially since he was happy to keep Belort on the treatment whilst it was still legal in South America. ‘The Phenom’ fought on TRT for his entire run to the MW title shot, White continued:

“At the end of the day the media got what they wanted. The media got what they wanted,” said White. “He’s banned. He’s not fighting Chris Weidman, and the media got what they wanted. They wanted no Chris Weidman fight with Vitor.”

I’m not sure what DW means by ‘banned’, perhaps he got his words muddled? I’ve seen my fair share of scathing reports on testosterone therapy, but mostly even the heaviest critics still wanted Weidman vs. Belfort. I find it hard to believe the athletic commissions based their decision to ban TRT on an opinion that they saw on a sports site or publication.

Belfort, as far as we know, is still in with the shout for a title shot. Machida gets Weidman on May 24, but ‘The Phenom’ has been told he will face the winner. As far as Dana’s comments are concerned, don’t cry over spilt milk; your organization allowed it’s athletes to receive injections of a performance enhancing drug.

If you want to have a ‘T-Rex’ as your king of the jungle, you better be ready for people to talk about it.