Donald Cerrone is 4-0 since joining the UFC, and in those four fights, he has finished three of his opponents, earned three different fight night awards, and has worked himself into contender position in the lightweight division.At the beginning of 201…
Donald Cerrone is 4-0 since joining the UFC, and in those four fights, he has finished three of his opponents, earned three different fight night awards, and has worked himself into contender position in the lightweight division.
At the beginning of 2011, the division was incredibly crowded, and the draw and subsequent injuries to Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard tied up the division for months.
However, now on the precipice of 2012, the division has been significantly thinned out, leaving only three real contenders left.
The first is Benson Henderson, who will face Frankie Edgar at UFC 144. The second is Gilbert Melendez, who will likely be staying in Strikeforce and the third is Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone.
At UFC 141, I expect Donald Cerrone to defeat Nick Diaz. Then at UFC 144, I believe that Benson Henderson will defeat Frankie Edgar.
Then, Cerrone will likely fight someone, perhaps Gray Maynard, at around UFC 145.
When Cerrone wins that fight, it will set up a third fight with Benson Henderson, this time with the UFC lightweight title on the line.
The first time these two met, the WEC interim lightweight belt was on the line, and in a 48-47 decision, Henderson won.
Then, the second time, the true WEC lightweight belt was on the line, and Cerrone got caught in a trademark Benson Henderson-standing guillotine choke.
However, since that time, Cerrone has won six in a row, with four finishes, and has established himself as a top lightweight.
Cerrone has learned from past mistakes, and in a third matchup with Henderson, Cerrone would know what to do.
With his high-level kickboxing and outstanding ground game to back that up, nothing is going to stop Donald Cerrone in 2012.
He will be the lightweight champion, and he will prove that the WEC lightweights are the real deal.
Tim McTiernan is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. For the latest news on everything MMA, follow me on twitter @tmt2393.
On December 30, one of the biggest matches in UFC history will take place, as former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar will take on former Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem.This matchup has been talked about for quite some time, and…
On December 30, one of the biggest matches in UFC history will take place, as former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar will take on former Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem.
This matchup has been talked about for quite some time, and now, it’s finally set to happen, with a shot at the heavyweight title on the line.
Here are five reasons why Brock Lesnar will demolish the Demolition Man.
On December 30th, 2011 the Ultimate Fighting Championship will take part in what could possibly be one of the biggest nights in mixed martial arts history at UFC 141UFC 141 will take place in Las Vegas, Nevada at the MGM Grand Garden Arena and host arg…
On December 30th, 2011 the Ultimate Fighting Championship will take part in what could possibly be one of the biggest nights in mixed martial arts history at UFC 141
UFC 141 will take place in Las Vegas, Nevada at the MGM Grand Garden Arena and host arguably the most anticipated bout of 2011.
Brock Lesnar will make his return to the Octagon to take on UFC newcomer and highly dangerous striker, Alistair Overeem.
After making the transition from Strikeforce, Overeem is now set to make his UFC debut.
Or will he?
The once highly-talked about heavyweight showdown could fade away to nothing within the next 72 hours.
The complications and rumors leading up to the main event of the evening at UFC 141 are shadowed around Overeem’s drug test sanctification’s.
In recent news it has been stated that commission executive director Keith Kizer has had an extremely difficult time in receiving a mandatory drug test from Overeem.
Overeem was stated to have received a notice of the drug test on November 19th but no results were submitted within the usual 48 hour time frame.
And, now with less than three weeks remaining before one of the most hyped fights in UFC history, Overeem’s sample has yet to be seen.
However, Overeem has stated he had submitted a blood test which was acknowledged by the NSAC. But, the sample did not meet the requirements.
Therefore, Overeem claims to have submitted a second sample but he or the NSAC have yet to see the results.
Speculations later arose that Overeem may have been avoiding submitting his results for an unspecified reason.
“I did not make any efforts to avoid any testing, and furthermore, I have done exactly what I was told to do by my assistants who were being told what to do by Mr. Kizer.”
Overeem was later granted a conditional license but will have to submit another urine sample within 72 hours.
Whether or not Overeem will enter the Octagon on December 30th will depend on the results of this sample.
If Overeem’s drug test comes back clean, he will be cleared to take on Brock Lesnar at UFC 141.
For additional information on Alistair Overeem and UFC 141, follow Garrett Derr onTwitter.
The Nevada State Athletic Commission today granted Alistair Overeem a conditional license to face Brock Lesnar at this month’s UFC 141 pay-per-view.Overeem must take an additional test within 72 hours, an additional test in the United States when he la…
The Nevada State Athletic Commission today granted Alistair Overeem a conditional license to face Brock Lesnar at this month’s UFC 141 pay-per-view.
Overeem must take an additional test within 72 hours, an additional test in the United States when he lands, and two randoms post-fight.
As part of the licensing, Overeem must undergo the immediate test at a WADA-approve center, which will likely be in the UK or Germany.
When the 250-pound Overeem arrives in the United States for UFC 141, he’ll be administered the second test.
Lastly, the Octagon newcomer must participate in two random tests after his December 30 main-event fight.
All of this is a result of Overeem not submitting the appropriate test that the NSAC required in an timely manner.
NSAC head Keith Kizer informed the Overeem camp on November 17 that he must submit to random testing and Kizer stated that four days passed before he heard from the camp.
According to Overeem, he’s had complications due to his mother being ill and testing in Holland being different than in the States.
“When I got the request to test myself, I took the test straight away,” Overeem told the commission by phone during today’s hearing. “I went to the doctor, and he had me steroid tested. I went in for the results, which took 10 days. When I finally got the results, I submitted them, and I thought that, that should be sufficient for the commission.
“But after a couple of days, I received notice that is was not sufficient, and I needed to do more testing. So, I went back to the doctor straight away and I had my second test done with the full parameters that was provided by the NSAC, and that was taken last Wednesday, Dec. 7. The results of the test are due seven to 10 days from Dec. 7, so I’m expecting them this week.”
Overeem’s portion of the hearing lasted one hour and while the result is likely not what he was hoping, he’ll still receive the opportunity to make his UFC debut.
Lesnar, who was also notified of the random testing, had an issue finding an approved facility and relayed the problem to Kizer.
Once notified of the situation NSAC sent the former UFC heavyweight champion to a local hospital for an observed test.
With that being said, Overeem and Lesnar remain as UFC 140’s headlining bout for the year-end event.
Lastly, referee Mario Yamasaki has been selected to oversee Overeem and Lesnar inside the Octagon at MGM Grand Garden Arena is Las Vegas.
For additional information on UFC 141, follow Joshua Carey onTwitter.
(“Who nearly f*cked up our end-of-year show main event? This f*cking guy, that’s who.”)
During a scheduled Nevada State Athletic Commission meeting Monday, NSAC announced that Alistair Overeem failed to undergo a random drug test ahead of his UFC 141 heavyweight bout with Brock Lesnar and as a result he was granted a “conditional license” by the governing body.
According to commission records, Lesnar attended a hospital within one day of being told to do so on November 17, where blood and urine samples were taken and the results came back negative for both drugs of abuse and anabolic agents. Overeemdid not comply with its request to submit specimens on that date, but instead had one of the two requested samples taken one week later.
Prior to the agenda item, the announcement was foreshadowed as NSAC representatives spoke candidly about all of the issues that have arisen in the past when it comes to testing out of competition outside of North America for various reasons.
Props to @LayzietheSavage for the UStream feed of the proceedings.
Check out the timeline of what went down the past month after the jump.
(“Who nearly f*cked up our end-of-year show main event? This f*cking guy, that’s who.”)
During a scheduled Nevada State Athletic Commission meeting Monday, NSAC announced that Alistair Overeem failed to undergo a random drug test ahead of his UFC 141 heavyweight bout with Brock Lesnar and as a result he was granted a “conditional license” by the governing body.
According to commission records, Lesnar attended a hospital within one day of being told to do so on November 17, where blood and urine samples were taken and the results came back negative for both drugs of abuse and anabolic agents. Overeemdid not comply with its request to submit specimens on that date, but instead had one of the two requested samples taken one week later.
Prior to the agenda item, the announcement was foreshadowed as NSAC representatives spoke candidly about all of the issues that have arisen in the past when it comes to testing out of competition outside of North America for various reasons.
Props to @LayzietheSavage for the UStream feed of the proceedings.
Here is the timeline of what went down the past month.
• On the November 17 NSAC executive director Keith Kizer called and requested the testing of both fighters.
• Lesnar’s manager immediately called back and asked if it was okay to have the samples taken at a local hospital and was given the green light to do so.
• Overeem’s manager did not return Kizer’s call until the 21st and informed Kizer that Alistair had returned to Holland between the time of the original call and the call from his manager.
• By the time Alistair went to his physician and had a sample taken, it was the 23rd of November, but when the results came back one week later it was discovered that he failed to undergo a required urine test.
• By the timeline given NSAC, concluded that Alistair did not duck the test as he would have been on his way to the airport for his flight home when his manager was called about the test.
• Overeem failed to drop off a urine sample by the date requested (December 2) and finally gave one five days later.
• Alistair blamed the issue on his mother becoming ill and the difference of testing procedures used in the U.S.
• He admitted that the samples were taken by Overeem’s own “sports doctor.”
• Overeem decided to return to Holland after he filmed the UFC 141 Countdown show.
• He claims that he didn’t know about the drug testing request until two or three days after Kizer called his manager, which he clarified is actually his assistant, and that he was not told that he needed to do a urine sample.
• He says he was confused about what the requirements were and that his doctor needed to call around to find a place to have the tests done.
• He bought his plane ticket two days prior to the day he left to go home.
• Alistair said he has given a urine test before when randomly tested and tested after past bouts.
• Assistant Jacob Lamb says they did nothing deceitful and that they thought they were submitting the proper testing protocols.
When all was said and done, NSAC officials after deliberating briefly, granted Overeem’s special “conditional license,” as they collectively felt it was “inappropriate” to deny his license request because of the incident. The main condition, besides that his outstanding urine sample come back clean, are that he submit two random drug tests within the next six months as requested by the commission.
Alistair and the UFC dodged a bullet with this one. Hopefully he doesn’t screw up one of his conditions.
Filed under: UFC, NewsAlistair Overeem’s long-awaited UFC debut as well as a UFC 141 match with pay-per-view powerhouse Brock Lesnar was threatened after Overeem’s request for a Nevada fighter’s license was debated during the state’s athletic commissio…
Alistair Overeem‘s long-awaited UFC debut as well as a UFC 141 match with pay-per-view powerhouse Brock Lesnar was threatened after Overeem’s request for a Nevada fighter’s license was debated during the state’s athletic commission in a Monday hearing.
In a meeting at the Grant Sawyer State Office Building in Las Vegas, commission executive director Keith Kizer told the governing body that he had difficulty in setting up a random drug test with Overeem after informing him of his intentions on November 17. Random tests are generally completed within 48 hours of notice.
And now, almost a month later and with less than three weeks to go until the fight, they have yet to receive test results from him.
Overeem, who was sworn in and gave his side of the story over the phone, explained that he provided a blood test which the NSAC acknowledged receiving. While that blood test — taken on Nov. 23, six days after his original notice — came back clean, it was not the proper NSAC mandated urine test, known as a “basic steroid panel.”
Overeem said that after being notified of that, he took a urine test on Dec. 7, but neither he nor the NSAC have yet to receive the results. In addition, Overeem admitted that he took the second test at his personal doctor’s office and sent it off to a lab in Germany.
As a result, NSAC was faced with a decision of whether or not to license him.
The Overeem debate took about one hour and forty minutes before coming to a conclusion. During it, Overeem was asked to detail the timeline from the moment he received notice of the test to the most recent Dec. 7 test. A commissioner explained that Overeem was given notice on November 17 and coincidentally returned to Holland from the U.S. on the same day. But he said he had not yet received word of the test, and had previously planned to return to Holland to help care for his ailing mother.
In one of the most pointed back and forths of the hearing, Overeem was asked if he made any efforts to delay the test, which would have offered him time to clear his body of any illegal substance he could have taken.
“I did not make any efforts to avoid any testing, and furthermore, I have done exactly what I was told to do by my assistants who were being told what to do by Mr. Kizer,” he said.
Commission members later said they believed Overeem’s version of events, but one commissioner noted that “the public wants to feel comfortable with this.”
After a motion to grant him a conditional license based mostly upon the result of that Dec. 7 test failed, a compromise was offered where he would offer an observed urine test at an independent lab within 72 hours, the standard pre-fight test before the event, and then he would be subject to two random drug tests in the next six months at his own expense.
Overeem accepted the terms, which were approved by the commissioners in a subsequent vote.
As a result, Overeem has a conditional license, but will not be fully cleared to fight Lesnar unless the test comes back clean.
Nevada only recently began to ramp up random, out-of-competition testing after Gov. Brian Sandoval signed a bill into law that would increase funds for drug screenings. The change went into effect on July 1. The state has had the power to conduct random screenings since 2008 but often lacked the funds to employ it.
Kizer confirmed that Lesnar took and passed a pre-fight drug screening.
Overeem’s difficulty in getting licensed for UFC 141 continues a rough stretch for the Dutch star, who recently filed a lawsuit against his former Golden Glory management team for their alleged refusal to fork over more than $150,000 he says he’s owed. In addition, after beginning his training camp in the U.S., he recently returned home to help tend to his mother, who is recovering from cancer.
Overeem had been the Strikeforce heavyweight champion and participated in the organization’s World Grand Prix, winning his quarterfinal fight against Fabricio Werdum in June. Shortly afterward, he was cut due to a dispute between his management team and Strikeforce parent company Zuffa. When he was brought back, he was signed on to the UFC brand and thrust into the midst of the heavyweight title picture, but after Monday’s hearing, he still has some work to do to get licensed and ensure his participation on the Dec. 30 date.
Donald Cerrone is 4-0 since joining the UFC, and in those four fights, he has finished three of his opponents, earned three different fight night awards, and has worked himself into contender position in the lightweight division.
Alistair Overeem