Vitor Belfort was forced to shut down his testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) treatment after the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) and Brazilian MMA Athletic Commission (CABMMA) decided to ban in earlier this week.

Lyoto Machida will replace Belfort in UFC 173’s main event against middleweight champion Chris Weidman, and Belfort expects to fight the winner of this fight whenever he returns to the Octagon.

On Saturday morning, "The Phenom" posted a statement from his doctor in his Instagram page. Belfort, who didn’t reveal the doctor’s name, is expected to take three months to adapt to his "extremely hard training routine" without TRT.

"Vitor Belfort's TRT have always been a medical decision aimed to health improvement," read the statement. "The same treatment strategy is available and widely prescribed to every patient who makes the decision to live better and healthier life through their natural ageing process.

"Any performance advantage results not from the use of medication, but from the athlete's unshaken discipline and absolute dedication to an extremely demanding training routine, impeccable nutrition and resting. In the name of his passion for the sport and dedication to his fans, my patient made the decision to interrupt his health treatment.

"We are going to need 90 days to adapt Vitor's treatment and nutrition in order to support his extremely hard training routine – This is what makes Vitor one of the best fighters on UFC history and the most dedicated athlete I've ever had the honor to work with."