3. The TRT Scandal Reached Critical Mass
Andre Penner/AP/Press Association ImagesTRT, testosterone replacement therapy. Used by fighters like Dan Henderson, Chael Sonnen, Ben Rothwell, and Vitor Belfort to boost flagging testosterone levels, either due to age or past steroid abuse. Sanctioned by athletic commissions, TRT was seen as legal cheating by many. Dana White flip-flopped on the issue. He claimed it was the athletic commission's issue, not the UFC's. Although from time to time, UFC doctors would seem to be involved in the treatment. In any case, the treatment caused a storm of controversy that reached critical mass in 2014. Vitor Belfort, poster boy for the evils of TRT due to his unparalleled success on it, failed an out-of-competition drug test while on it, with his testosterone levels being out of whack. Of course, we didn't find out about that until June 2014, when it was time for Belfort to apply for a fight license. Still, the failed test in February 2014 caused the NSAC to ban TRT fully, and other athletic commissions followed, including Brazil's, leaving a lot of UFC fighters hanging, and making Belfort's status as a title contender questionable. All of this could have been avoided had Dana White moved faster and blocked the practice on its own. The UFC, after all, can set rules above and beyond what the NSAC dictates.