Source: USA TODAY

JARAGUA Do Sul, Brazil — On Tuesday, UFC officials announced lightweight Pat Healy would lose $130,000 in fight-night bonus money after testing positive for marijuana metabolites. On Saturday night, Vitor Belfort enters the cage with full clearance despite synthetic testosterone, an anabolic steroid, in his body.

Are those facts a product of flawed performance-enhancing drug-testing procedures in mixed martial arts?

“Some people argue that (testosterone-replacement therapy) is legal, but I disagree,” UFC middleweight Chris Camozzi told USA TODAY Sports. “I don’t know that it necessarily should be legal. If you’re an athlete and it’s your time to hang ‘em up, hang ‘em up.”

Belfort (22-10, 11-6) meets former Strikeforce champion Luke Rockhold (10-1, 0-0) in the main event of Saturday night’s UFC on FX 8 event at Jaragua Arena here. The main card, including a Camozzi (19-5 MMA, 6-2 UFC) vs. Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza (17-3 MMA, 0-0 UFC) co-headliner, airs on FX (9 p.m. ET)

Belfort, 36, is enjoying one of the best runs of his career, but is doing so with the use of TRT, a controversial treatment that governing athletic commissions can approve if a fighter is granted a therapeutic-use exemption. Belfort has followed all the necessary steps to gain such clearance from the Comissao Atletica Brasileira de MMA, Brazil’s regulatory body.

Belfort declines to specifically discuss his treatment, preferring to focus on his adherence to policy.

“TRT doesn’t win fights,” Belfort said. “It’s hard work. People that know me know how hard I work in the gym. I’m just following the rules.”

Healy hasn’t spoken publicly about his punishment, which came after a career-defining UFC 159 win in April that has since been overturned to a no-contest. However, Healy issued a statement admitting to using marijuana and took full responsibility for what he deemed “poor life choices.”

Rockhold, an outspoken opponent of TRT use in MMA, said he was shocked by Healy’s decision to use marijuana prior to a fight, even if he doesn’t personally view it as any sort of performance-enhancing drug.

“I come from Santa Cruz, and there’s obviously a lot of that going on there,” the California resident said. “I’m no stranger to it, but I just can’t believe people would risk it. I don’t believe people should be penalized as strictly as steroids are, of course, but it’s just stupid. I believe it doesn’t help you in any way to fight, but for now it’s illegal.”

Earlier this year, UFC officials asked the Nevada State Athletic Commission to consider a softer stance on its enforcement of sanctions against positive marijuana tests. The commission has yet to address the topic, and until it does, Camozzi, a resident of Colorado, which recently legalized recreational marijuana use, believes fighters need to understand that moral arguments hold no weight.

“The commission lets us know it’s illegal,” Camozzi said. “You can’t do it no matter what he thinks or she thinks. Your opinion is your opinion, but the law is the law.”

Morgan also writes for MMAJunkie.com

Copyright © 2013 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.

Source: USA TODAY

NEWARK, N.J. — While longtime middleweight Chael Sonnen was a long shot in his bid for the UFC light heavyweight title, some believed that if he could get champ Jon Jones on his back, he might have a chance. Quite simply, though, he couldn’t.

Instead, Jones survived a gruesome toe injury and punched out the challenger in the first round.

The light heavyweight title bout headlined Saturday night’s UFC 159 event at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. It aired on pay-per-view following prelims on FX and Facebook.

As promised, Sonnen pushed forward quickly at the bell, though it was Jones who scored the first takedown. Sonnen, who recently coached opposite Jones on The Ultimate Fighter 17, scrambled up to his feet, and Jones surprisingly elected to fight inside the clinch rather than use his massive reach advantage.

Several takedowns followed as Jones seemed intent to prove he was the superior wrestler. A barrage of punches and elbows followed, and Sonnen was clearly in trouble as he lay on his side.

As Jones methodically picked apart the undersized challenger, he pulled Sonnen’s arm away and blasted him with vicious elbow strikes and a devastating knee to the body. The onslaught ripped apart Sonnen’s face, and referee Keith Peterson called a stop to the fight with 27 seconds left in the opening frame.

In a bizarre turn of events, as Jones celebrated his victory, he looked down to notice a gruesome break of his left big toe. It quite possibly could have threatened to end the fight in freak fashion had Jones not gotten the first-round stoppage.

Afterward, Jones said he didn’t immediately know when the injury occurred.

“I don’t know, but when my adrenaline calms down, I’m going to be in some pain tonight,” he said.

With the win, the 25-year-old Jones ties UFC Hall of Famer Tito Ortiz’s record for the most consecutive defenses of the UFC light heavyweight title at five. It also ends a months-long feud with Sonnen that began with this past September’s canceled UFC 151 event and continued through their stints as TUF 17 coaches.

“I was just so happy to get past Chael Sonnen,” said Jones (18-1 MMA, 12-1 UFC). “Chael Sonnen’s an awesome opponent. We went through a lot of drama that motivated me a lot.”

Meanwhile, Sonnen (27-13-1 MMA, 6-6 UFC) has now fallen short in three UFC title fights in his past five appearances, which included a pair of defeats to middleweight champ Anderson Silva. He remained gracious in defeat and hinted that his fighting days may be done.

“He’s an excellent fighter,” Sonnen said. “I have no problem with the decision or the stoppage. He’s very powerful. When he went for the kill, he never stopped. I thought I was alright, but I think he’s the better fighter. … I’m not going to be one of the guys to hang around. If there’s not a road to the title, then this sport isn’t for me. I believe that was probably my last opportunity.”

Complete UFC 159 results:

Champion Jon Jones def. Chael Sonnen via TKO (strikes) — Round 1, 4:33

Michael Bisping def. Alan Belcher via technical decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

Roy Nelson def. Cheick Kongo via knockout (punch) — Round 1, 2:03

Phil Davis def. Vinny Magalhaes via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

Pat Healy def. Jim Miller via submission (rear-naked choke) — Round 3, 4:02

Rustam Khabilov def. Yancy Medeiros via TKO (thumb injury) — Round 1, 2:32

Ovince St. Preux def. Gian Villante via majority technical decision (30-28, 30-29, 29-29) — Round 3, 0:33

Sara McMann def. Sheila Gaff via TKO (strikes) — Round 1, 4:06

Bryan Caraway def. Johnny Bedford via submission (guillotine choke) — Round 3, 4:44

Cody McKenzie def. Leonard Garcia via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)

Steven Siler def. Kurt Holobaugh via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Contributing: Matt Erickson. Morgan and Erickson write for MMAjunkie.com, part of the USA TODAY Sports Media Group.

Copyright © 2013 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.