Another piece of the puzzle has fallen into place for the heavyweight shuffle at UFC 146.UFC President Dana White has tweeted that Gabriel Gonzaga, who was originally scheduled to fight Shane del Rosario at UFC 146, will now be fighting Roy Nelson on M…
Another piece of the puzzle has fallen into place for the heavyweight shuffle at UFC 146.
UFC President Dana White has tweeted that Gabriel Gonzaga, who was originally scheduled to fight Shane del Rosario at UFC 146, will now be fighting Roy Nelson on May 26 at the MGM in Las Vegas.
This is the third change the UFC brass has been forced to make to the all-heavyweight card in a short period of time, with the changes set into motion by a failed drug test from Alistair Overeem, the man who was originally supposed to fight for the UFC Heavyweight Championship in the main event.
Although Overeem has not been officially suspended by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, White decided to pull Overeem from the fight. When asked why he pulled Alistair before the Dutch kickboxing specialist’s hearing, White cited that he had deadlines to make in order to promote the pay-per-view and he didn’t like Overeem’s chances of getting licensed.
With Overeem out, White was forced to move Frank Mir from the co-main event to the main event, where he will meet UFC heavyweight champ Junior dos Santos.
Of course, this left Mir’s original opponent, Cain Velasquez, without anyone to fight.
Enter Antonio Silva.
Silva was originally scheduled to meet Roy Nelson, but moved up the card and will now fight Velasquez.
It’s been quite a debacle getting this card sorted out, but the UFC is almost there. With Gonzaga fighting Nelson, the only problem left to solve is, “Who will fight Shane del Rosario?”
Stay tuned to Bleacher Report for more news as this story develops.
Andrew Barr is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and stand-up comedian. Check him out on Twitter @AndrewBarr8.
I am deeply saddened to announce that on Friday, April 20, I respectfully withdrew from the May 26 event so that I can request a continuance until my situation with the Nevada State Athletic Commission is resolved.
I cannot express how sorry I am to the Commission, Junior Dos Santos, the fans, the owners and employees of the UFC, my friends and family and anyone else who this has affected.
I absolutely do not believe in, nor do I use performance-enhancing drugs. I am a clean fighter and I will do whatever it takes to prove this to everyone.
I am deeply saddened to announce that on Friday, April 20, I respectfully withdrew from the May 26 event so that I can request a continuance until my situation with the Nevada State Athletic Commission is resolved.
I cannot express how sorry I am to the Commission, Junior Dos Santos, the fans, the owners and employees of the UFC, my friends and family and anyone else who this has affected.
I absolutely do not believe in, nor do I use performance-enhancing drugs. I am a clean fighter and I will do whatever it takes to prove this to everyone.
Prior to the UFC 146 press conference in March, I aggravated an old rib injury on my left side. My doctor prescribed, and I accepted, an anti-inflammatory medication that was mixed with testosterone. I was completely unaware that testosterone was one of the ingredients in the medication. Although I was unaware, I do realize it is my job to know what I am putting into my body.
I respect the Nevada Commissioners and Executive Director Keith Kizer and what they are doing to keep the sport of mixed martial arts regulated and safe for athletes. I look forward to working with them in the days and weeks ahead.
Friends and fans, I ask for your patience as I work through this matter. Please support me. I promise to return to the Octagon soon.”
Alistair Overeem joins a long line of MMA fighters who have claimed ignorance for ingesting banned substances (see also: Cris Cyborg). Do you buy his story? And will it earn him any sympathy with the NSAC?
Antonio Silva will be making his UFC debut against Velasquez, and hasn’t competed since his knockout loss to Daniel Cormier in the semi-finals of Strikeforce’s heavyweight tournament last September. As for Silva’s original opponent Roy Nelson, Big Country is still expected to remain on the card though a replacement opponent hasn’t been named yet. The current lineup for UFC 146 is after the jump…
(“So this ‘acromegaly‘ shit…do they carry it at GNC?”)
Antonio Silva will be making his UFC debut against Velasquez, and hasn’t competed since his knockout loss to Daniel Cormier in the semi-finals of Strikeforce’s heavyweight tournament last September. As for Silva’s original opponent Roy Nelson, Big Country is still expected to remain on the card though a replacement opponent hasn’t been named yet. The current lineup for UFC 146 is after the jump…
PPV Main Card
Junior dos Santos vs. Frank Mir (for UFC heavyweight championship)
Cain Velasquez vs. Antonio Silva (HW)
Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Shane del Rosario (HW)
Mark Hunt vs. Stefan Struve (HW)
Roy Nelson vs. TBA (HW)
Preliminary card (FX)
Diego Brandao vs. Darren Elkins (FW)
Evan Dunham vs. Edson Barboza (LW)
Jason Miller vs. C.B. Dollaway (MW)
Jacob Volkmann vs. Paul Sass (LW)
Preliminary Card (Facebook)
Dan Hardy vs. Duane Ludwig (WW)
Kyle Kingsbury vs. Glover Teixeira (LHW)
Mike Brown vs. Daniel Pineda (FW)
After weeks of speculation, the UFC finally took the inevitable decision to cut Alistair Overeem from UFC 146 ahead of his hearing before the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) tomorrow. Overeem enraged Dana White when he failed his drug test lead…
After weeks of speculation, the UFC finally took the inevitable decision to cut Alistair Overeem from UFC 146 ahead of his hearing before the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) tomorrow.
Overeem enraged Dana White when he failed his drug test leading up to his heavyweight championship fight against Junior Dos Santos, which now delays his title aspirations. However, White was reluctant to cut the Dutchman from the card until after his hearing.
According to White, circumstances forced him to play his hand.
“Anybody who knows anything about the pay-per-view business knows we’re way past the deadline,” he said during a press conference after UFC 145 during the weekend. “We’ve got to run with it, and I wasn’t feeling too optimistic.”
The rest of the card will be reshuffled as White confirmed Frank Mir will now fight for the title against Dos Santos while Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva is stepping in against Cain Velasquez.
White also confirmed that the match between Mark Hunt and Stefan Struve will also go ahead, dashing many fans’ hopes that Hunt would be promoted to an unlikely fight against Dos Santos.
As of now, Overeem is still a UFC fighter, although his career hangs on a thread. So far the fighter has been silent as to why his T/E ratio tested 14 times higher than the average person, a sure indication of synthetic testosterone use. However, it is believed he will release a statement tomorrow morning at 9 a.m. ET just before he is to face the commission.
In that time fans have been left scratching their heads as to what possible excuse the fallen star could have for failing the drug test.
The most common explanation fighters have used in this situation in the past is to claim that they injected testosterone as part of medically mandated testosterone replacement therapy (TRT). The odds of this excuse flying with the NSAC are thin, though.
For one, Overeem has never applied for a therapeutic use exemption, nor has he indicated he will do so in the month since his failed test. Also, his previous blood test ahead of his fight against Brock Lesnar last December indicated he has normal testosterone levels, which means he does not require TRT. In an interview recently, even his brother, Valentijn, said that he is unaware Alistair needs TRT and would be surprised if this were the case.
Taking all that into consideration, White said he is not optimistic of the outcome of Tuesday’s hearing, doubting whether the heavyweight will receive a license. So far, he has had terse words for Overeem, whom he says he has yet to speak to since he failed his test.
“I’m still angry,” White said. “I’m not angry with the commission. The commission’s doing their job. That’s what they do. I sat down in a room with Alistair and he said, ‘They can test me all they want. I’m the most tested athlete in all of sports.'”
White added that he still hasn’t made a decision whether he will cut the fighter, leaving Overeem’s future hanging in the balance. However, considering Overeem’s accomplishments and star pulling power in Europe and Japan, there is every reason for the organization to want to keep him on its roster.
Added to that, the UFC has been inconsistent with the way it deals with fighters who fail drugs test. Last year Nate Marquardt was cut from the organization for having elevated testosterone levels, but Chael Sonnen, who also failed a drug test and was suspended for a year, is now set to fight for the UFC middleweight championship in the summer.
And it isn’t inconceivable that White will keep his emotions in check and continue to work with Overeem. At the post-UFC 145 Q&A he hinted as much when he was asked whether he could still do business with the fighter. White replied, “I did business with Tito; I think I can do business with Alistair.”
That one statement offers a glimmer of hope for Overeem, but that all depends on what happens in Nevada tomorrow. At present he is unlicensed to fight in the state, so the NSAC has it in its power to refuse to license him at all. This is a significantly harsher punishment than receiving a suspension had he already been licensed when he failed his test.
Failing to win a license in Nevada will mean he’ll be locked out of competition throughout the US and the UFC will refuse to put him on its fight cards anywhere else in the world. White said there was “no way” he would allow Overeem to apply for a license in any other state if the NSAC doesn’t grant him a license:
If Nevada doesn’t license him, will he get licensed somewhere else? No way. I don’t think another state would do it either. When an athletic commission, whether it’s Nevada, New Jersey or whoever it is, suspends somebody or denies them a license we follow. We ran toward regulation, we want to be regulated.
If the NSAC does refuse to license him, the commission mandates a fighter to wait a year before being allowed to apply again.
UFC 146 has dramatically changed since Alistair Overeem’s flagged drug test, which saw his testosterone levels fly off the charts. Now, Frank Mir will step up and fight Junior dos Santos for the heavyweight title, leaving Cain Velasquez without an oppo…
UFC 146 has dramatically changed since Alistair Overeem’s flagged drug test, which saw his testosterone levels fly off the charts. Now, Frank Mir will step up and fight Junior dos Santos for the heavyweight title, leaving Cain Velasquez without an opponent.
The Velasquez-Mir fight was supposed to be a No.1 contender fight for the winner of dos Santos-Overeem. Now, Velasquez finds himself unopposed on a card touted as an all-heavyweight main card.
Many speculate that if Overeem is allowed to fight on the card after this whole debacle, he will fill the void for left by Mir. I believe that the right move is to not allow Overeem to fight on the card, but to allow another guy on the brink of a title shot to step up.
Fabricio Werdum made his return in his latest fight against Roy Nelson, dominating the big-bellied heavyweight to a decision victory. That win has immediately put him into talks of title contention.
The UFC cannot wait on Overeem, as there is a very good chance he will not be allowed to fight at UFC 146. Werdum, who is slated to fight Mike Russow at UFC 147, would be an excellent choice to step up, as the fight could still serve as a No. 1 contender fight.
Fabricio Werdum presents an interesting challenge to Cain Velasquez. While Velasquez is clearly the better striker, Werdum showed great improvement in his latest outing, utilizing brutal knees and kicks to route Roy Nelson.
In addition to the striking difference, Velasquez is a powerhouse wrestler, who utilizes a ground-and-pound attack to win his fights. Werdum is a polar opposite, as he is one of the best submission artists in mixed martial arts. If Velasquez or Werdum were to take this fight to the ground, it would be an excellent display of technique and power for all who spectated.
Werdum is the correct man to step up and take the fight with Velasquez at UFC 146. Overeem blew his chance when he blew up his drug test with elevated testosterone levels. The bout would be an excellent chess match and bring us a new top contender.
The speculation has officially ended. After ruling out Frank Mir, Cain Velasquez and Mark Hunt as potential replacements for Alistair Overeem to fight heavyweight champion Junior Dos Santos at UFC 146, Dana White has officially announced his pick. Late last night, Dana White sent out a tweet confirming that Overeem’s replacement will be none other than…Frank Mir.
Huh. How about that?
While we’re all sure that there’s a reasonable explanation for Alistair Overeem’s suspiciously high 14:1 testosterone-to-epitestosterone ratio, the UFC aren’t taking any chances. Rather than waiting for Overeem to meet with the Nevada State Athletic Commission on Tuesday, “The Demolition Man” has been removed from the card entirely. Draw your own conclusions.
The speculation has officially ended. After ruling out Frank Mir, Cain Velasquez and Mark Hunt as potential replacements for Alistair Overeem to fight heavyweight champion Junior Dos Santos at UFC 146, Dana White has officially announced his pick. Late last night, Dana White sent out a tweet confirming that Overeem’s replacement will be none other than…Frank Mir.
Huh. How about that?
While we’re all sure that there’s a reasonable explanation for Alistair Overeem’s suspiciously high 14:1 testosterone-to-epitestosterone ratio, the UFC aren’t taking any chances. Rather than waiting for Overeem to meet with the Nevada State Athletic Commission on Tuesday, “The Demolition Man” has been removed from the card entirely. Draw your own conclusions.
As for Frank Mir’s original opponent? Josh Gross is reporting Fabricio Werdum and Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva are potential opponents for Cain Velasquez. For what it’s worth, Ariel Helwani is reporting that Fabricio Werdum has been ruled out as a potential opponent, and Velasquez will more than likely fight someone who already has a fight on the card. Basically, your guess is as good as ours at this point.
So what say you, Potato Nation? Will Mir vs. Dos Santos make for a compelling fight? What does this mean for Alistair Overeem? And for Cain Velasquez? Conspiracy theories, ad hominems and recklessly wild speculation to begin in three…two…one…
Another piece of the puzzle has fallen into place for the heavyweight shuffle at UFC 146.
