Kenny Florian: Regardless of TRT, UFC on FX 8 headliner comes down to skill

Kenny Florian‘s opposition to testosterone-replacement therapy is well-known, and he’s often spoken out against it in the past. And though TRT has become a central topic of this weekend’s UFC on FX 8 headliner, he said the bout ultimately will come down to skill.

In Saturday’s FX-televised headliner in Brazil, final Strikeforce champion Luke Rockhold (10-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) makes his promotional debut and meets fellow middleweight Vitor Belfort (22-10 MMA, 11-6 UFC). However, Belfort’s use of TRT, as well as his lack of recent fights in the U.S. (where TRT exemptions face more scrutiny), have become a focus of the bout.

Florian, a longtime UFC contender who retired to the broadcast booth a year ago, said there’s no other way to say it: TRT gives fighters an unfair advantage.

“Myself, I’ve been against it for a little while,” he today told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio). “If you’re not able to produce the testosterone … or you have low testosterone, then perhaps you should retire. Simple as that.

“If you can’t compete at a certain level, that’s what your body does. Eventually as you get older, you don’t produce as much testosterone. There comes a time when you need to retire. For those who are using, I think it’s a huge advantage. Of course it’s an advantage.”

Florian, a three-time UFC title challenger, went 8-1 from 2007-2010, and the lone loss came to then-champ B.J. Penn. However, the former Boston College soccer player and longtime jiu-jitsu enthusiast said injuries, including nagging ailments with his back, ultimately forced him to call it quits this past year.

The 36-year-old said that’s precisely where TRT can give fighters an edge.

“It’s something that’s beneficial as far as your recovery goes and your ability to get reps in every single day,” he said. “Every hour is crucial and beneficial. So for me, I’m not a big fan of it. I’ve spoken about that in the past. But it’s part of the sport, and it still comes down to the technics level of the fighters.”

Florian doesn’t know if the stigma will be enough to affect the legacy of fighters such as Belfort, though he contends it’s certainly a possibility. But again, he said, TRT isn’t magic, and fighters still have to rely on their fighting ability at the end of the day. That’s why he’s still looking forward to calling the action for Saturday’s main event.

“We have fighters who are on TRT, but it really does come down to the technical level of the fighters,” he said. “We have two very experienced and dangerous guys going at it with Luke Rockhold and Vitor Belfort. I think that’s a great fight no matter what.”

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