A huge decision was made today by the Nevada State Athletic Commission that could change UFC 173 in May and MMA as a sport.
The NSAC has unanimously voted to ban TRT, or Testosterone Replacement Treatment, in all athletic events. Before today is was up to individual leagues and promotions to regulate testosterone procedures and the UFC allowed it with a doctors permission.
It was the biggest PED loophole in sports and fighters used it to train harder, be bigger, and move faster. UFC 173 headliner Vitor Belfort is a well-known user of the procedure and will have to stop immediately if he hopes to pass the newly implemented drug test before his May fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, NV.
The UFC could move the fight to a different state to avoid losing its main event contender but then it’d look like they were promoting TRT and cheating. The shockwaves of this decisions will be felt for months, even years, to come.