(L-R) Opponents Vitor Belfort and Michael Bisping face off before in their middleweight fight at the UFC on FX event on January 19, 2013 at Ibirapuera Gymnasium in Sao Paulo, Brazil. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
UFC middleweight Michael Bisping is a disappointed man.
The fighter released a statement through his website on Friday to address the recent news of UFC on FX 7 opponent Vitor Belfort’s exemption to undergo testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) for their fight from last month in Brazil.
Bisping expressed his frustration with how his opponent is openly allowed the exemption, pointing specifically at the fact that Belfort has prior run-ins that deal with performance enhancers.
“It is very disappointing that someone who was caught cheating with testosterone in the past now gets to use testosterone legally,” Bisping said in the statement. “A well known side effect of steroids is that it reduces testosterone, so I don’t understand how it would make sense to then grant someone an exemption to then increase testosterone.”
Bisping’s loss to Belfort marked the third time he’s been in a middleweight title eliminator, and been unable to capture the win. Notably, all three of those losses have been to fighters who have undergone TRT in the past — Dan Henderson, Chael Sonnen and now Belfort.
The British fighter went on to clarify that he’s not making excuses for the Jan. 19 defeat, and hopes to climb back up the middleweight ladder starting with his next fight.
“I am not here to make excuses or cry over spilled milk,” he said. “I … am very excited to work and earn a title fight the right way. That process starts by whooping Alan Belcher’s [expletive] at UFC 159.”
Bisping’s next fight will take place on April 27 in Newark, N.J. as part of a Pay-Per-View.
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