Mike Chiappetta • E-mail

Affliction recently added former UFC light-heavyweight champion Vitor Belfort to their July 19 pay-per-view, but the Brazilian is ineligible to fight in the U.S. until he pays an outstanding fine to the Nevada State Athletic commission, NBCSports.com has learned.

The $10,000 fine stems from a positive steroid test following Belfort's October 2006 loss to Dan Henderson at PRIDE 32.

At the time, Belfort appealed the fine, arguing that he had purchased a supplement that unknowingly contained the banned steroid 4-hydroxytestosterone. Later, he contended that during a knee rehabilitation period, he was injected with steroids by a doctor who didn't inform him of the shot's contents.

Despite his pleas, the NSAC ruled that it was still a violation of the banned substances policy, suspending him for nine months and fining him.

While suspended fighters are unable to fight in any U.S. state with an athletic commission, it is quite difficult to enforce the period overseas, though most licensed promoters respect such rulings.

Belfort sat out only six months before appearing at a Cage Rage card in the UK, defeating Ivan Serati by KO. In addition, he never paid his fine.

The July 19 Affliction card will take place in Anaheim, Calif., and California State Athletic Commission official William Douglas told NBCSports.com that Belfort must be removed from the suspension list by the same governing body that placed him there, meaning he must settle his debt with Nevada before he can square off with his scheduled opponent, Terry Martin.

According to NSAC executive director Keith Kizer, Belfort will be able to participate in Affliction's Banned card as long as he pays his $10,000 fine.

"As far as Cage Rage goes, that had nothing to do with his discipline here," Kizer said. "Now, if he does come back and wants to fight here, we'll ask him about Cage Rage and why it took him so long to pay his fine, but it has nothing to do with the Affliction card.

"It should be no impediment if he pays the fine," Kizer said.

Belfort (16-8) was at one time considered an MMA prodigy, making his pro debut at just 19, but never became the dominant fighter some thought he would be. Still, he holds career wins over Wanderlei Silva and Randy Couture, the latter of which made him the UFC light-heavyweight champ in 2004. Couture later defeated him in a title rematch.

Affliction: Banned features many well-known fighters, and is headlined by a heavyweight matchup between former UFC champ Tim Sylvia and ex-PRIDE champ Fedor Emelianenko. Andrei Arlovski, Josh Barnett, Pedro Rizzo and Renato "Babalu" Sobral are also on the card.

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