(Come on guys, I promise never to let you down again…pinky swear! / Photo courtesy of CombatLifestyle)
By Josh Hutchinson
Alistair Overeem — former Strikeforce and Dream heavyweight champion, K-1 Grand Prix champion, two-time World MMA Awards International Fighter of the Year recipient, horse-meat enthusiast, music video superstar, and the #1 contender in the UFC’s heavyweight division. By now we all know the drama surrounding him and his scheduled championship fight at UFC 146. We’ve seen various replacement opponents for Junior Dos Santos get shot down, and have come to a general consensus that the Reem is most likely a cheating bastard. Fans and pundits alike have collectively called bullshit on the idea that NSAC would still consider letting the fight occur. If you take things like science, logic, and common sense into account, it’s pretty obvious what should happen here — but if we don’t play devil’s advocate, who will? Instead, let’s look at three reasons why Overeem vs. Dos Santos must happen. For example…
1) Why let all this publicity go to waste? Of the major MMA news stories that have popped up over the last few weeks, which one has dominated the headlines? If you said “Overeem’s urine analysis results,” then congratulations — you’ve not only been reading this site, but you have a much better vocabulary than me, because I would have said “Reem’s hot piss test.” For better or worse, Overeem’s dodgy test results have consumed the MMA world like the plagues of Egypt, and his name is on everyone’s lips. Maybe it’s not exactly the publicity that the UFC was hoping for, but they’d be fools not to take advantage of it. Dos Santos is such a likeable, soft-spoken character, and it would be very easy to spin the Reem as the villain in their match. And suddenly, what was simply a great heavyweight matchup just got a compelling storyline.
Besides, the UFC needs all the marquee fights it can get right now. The promotion’s relentless expansion has given us 14 seasons of The Ultimate Fighter (with two versions currently airing in two different countries), a monster broadcasting deal with FOX, and the ground-work for Zuffa’s eventual global domination. What we’ve also seen is dropping viewership for the reality show, unspectacular numbers for the FOX broadcasts, and the loss of one of their biggest pay-per-view draws of all time in the form of a questionably tattooed professional wrestler named Brock Lesnar. If the UFC wants to keep the wrestling fans that Lesnar brought over with him, who better than The Reem? Christ, the man already looks like a pro wrestler, and he was the fighter responsible for ushering Brock back to his natural “sport” in the first place. For those crossover viewers, Overeem is the perfect heir apparent for Lesnar’s proverbial passing of the larger-than-life heavyweight torch. Not only did he send Lesnar packing, but he did in such a dominant fashion that even WWE fanboys wanted to see an encore performance.
2) Overeem sure as hell isn’t the only main event fighter to fail a test for PEDs/testosterone/etc. Take Chael Sonnen, for instance. He came in with a T:E ratio even higher than Overeem’s, charmed the CSAC until his suspension was cut in half, and will be fighting for the middleweight title again this summer. It’s not like a funky test is a career-killer, as long as you can still put asses in seats. Just ask Josh Barnett and Tim Sylvia, who both had to relinquish UFC heavyweight titles because of steroid busts, before resuming their careers like nothing happened. Or Vitor Belfort, Stephen Bonnar, Sean Sherk, and Chris Leben, who are still under contract with the UFC. Or Royce Gracie and Ken Shamrock, both original members of the UFC Hall of Fame. Does a past suspension for PED use take away from their accomplishments? Maybe. As I said in the introduction, I’m not here to throw around facts like some asshole in a parade throws out candy — I’m only here to make unsupportable claims. As I’m sure you’ve all watched these fighters at some point (big stretch right?), you know that they’re some of the most exciting fighters in the game, and we fans, above all else, like a good scrap. Which brings me to my final point…
3) Who the hell in their right mind doesn’t want to see this fight? Has there been a better UFC heavyweight matchup since Randy Couture vs. Tim Sylvia? (Note: feel free to argue for Mir vs. Lesnar 2, but don’t waste my time by mentioning Velazquez vs. Dos Santos.) The build-up alone has been phenomenal. In all honesty, the Dutchman and the Brazilian will produce as great a stand-up battle as we could ever hope for in this sport, and deep down, we all know this is the match that everyone wants to see, including the guys who call the shots at Zuffa. Therefore, Mr. Keith Kizer, if you are reading this, and the NSAC decides to let Overeem fight, it would be much appreciated if you could let “them” know that we supported this decision all along. Lord knows we could use some good credit in regards to certain UFC brass.
Well Nation, you have heard my arguments, which should passionately appeal to the alcoholics, drug addicts, and assorted nutjobs out there. (You know who you are.) Until we all find out the outcome of this tawdry little soap opera, feel free to argue about it in the comments section…
-Hutch-