UFC 146 was set to be the biggest heavyweight card in UFC history. With a PPV card comprised of only heavyweight fights, it was the UFC’s chance to showcase their vastly improved and deep heavyweight division. The logic is obvious really; fight fans love heavyweights. And in the case of fights there is no such thing as “less is more.”
But then the Nevada State Athletic Commission decides to be sneaky. At the UFC 146 pre-fight press conference the commission tested the fighters in attendance. Among those tested were Junior Dos Santos, Frank Mir, Cain Velasquez and Alistair Overeem.
Of the six fighters tested, five came back totally clean. Unfortunately the one positive test was from Alistair Overeem who’s scheduled to face Junior Dos Santos for the heavyweight title in the main event.
Overeem has previously held titles in Strikeforce, Dream, and was the last winner of the K-1 Grand Prix. Unfortunately, since joining the UFC roster he’s had nothing but issues with the NSAC regarding drug tests.
UFC 141 was supposed to be his coming out party for the UFC audience. At the top of the biggest card of the year, Overeem was set to face Brock Lesnar in the main event of the evening. However, issues with his pre-fight drug test put the fight in jeopardy. Alistair left the United States to look after his sick mother and made several mistakes with choosing a lab to conduct his blood work.
After much confusion the blood was taken, and the fight went off without a hitch. Overeem defeated Lesnar with a vicious combination of knees and punches, retiring the former champion in the process. The win also earned Alistair a shot at the heavyweight strap.
However, the failed drug test now means that the proposed bout may never happen. There have always been doubts about Overeem from a vocal minority who always questioned the means used to attain his superhero-like physique. Now they have even more reason to believe that Alistair has taken shortcuts in his career.
Which brings us back to the original question: Can the UFC actually trust Alistair Overeem to hold the UFC heavyweight title?
It seems like a simple question. He’s extremely marketable and represents himself well at media appearances, so of course they should trust him with a title. However, it’s far more complicated than it seems.
A UFC champion will always be viewed as the face of the promotion. They represent the UFC inside and outside of the cage, and everything they do will be scrutinized. They also have to defend their title whenever Joe Silva comes calling, save for a serious injury.
At this point the UFC is still going forward with the proposed bout between Dos Santos and Overeem, and in my opinion, they are making a huge mistake.
With both of his fights in the UFC already surrounded with controversy from pre-fight drug tests, Alistair Overeem is a liability. Even if his B sample comes back negative for elevated levels of testosterone, there isn’t any reason to believe that in the future there won’t be more controversy.
There’s the other issue that should Overeem win and test positive in his post-fight drug test, the UFC would have to strip their champion of a title and return it to previous champion. But that’s not the only issue. If Dos Santos loses in devastating fashion, will the UFC be able to rebuild the brand of their monster heavyweight champion?
Zuffa has had to deal with this exact situation in the past when Josh Barnett defeated Randy Couture for the heavyweight belt back in 2002 at UFC 33. Barnett had already tested positive in Nevade during a “fact finding” mission by the commission regarding PEDs. The UFC knew about the positive test and went ahead with the proposed fight anyway.
Barnett became the youngest heavyweight champion in history and then was stripped of the title when his tests came back positive for banned substances. It would also be the last time Josh Barnett would fight in the UFC.
Until Alistair Overeem can prove that he can take and pass drug tests without issue, the UFC would be best served at keeping him as far away from the title as possible. Their branding and reputation depends on it.
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