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Dana White: Mark Hunt Will Not Get Title Shot, Will Have to Fight a Contender

Those rallying for Mark Hunt to take on UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos at UFC 146 can stop, as UFC president Dana White announced Hunt will not get the title shot during the UFC on Fuel TV post-fight press conference.
“Mark Hunt w…

“Mark Hunt will not get title shot, will have to fight a contender,” White said. “They can keep rallying. It ain’t going to happen.”

When Dos Santos’ opponent Alistair Overeem failed a random drug test earlier this month, fans immediately looked to possible replacement opponents if the former Strikeforce champ was unable to get licensed to fight. A NSAC hearing has been set for April 24, where Overeem will go ahead and try to get a license.

If unsuccessful, changes will have to be made quickly to get a May 26 opponent for dos Santos.

Everyone from Dan Henderson to Jon Jones and Frank Mir were mentioned as possible replacements, but a lot of fans were behind the former kickboxer Hunt, who is currently riding a three-fight win-streak.

Hunt is currently scheduled to face Stefan Struve on the same card, which features five main card bouts, all between heavyweights. When the rally started following the Overeem news, many were against Hunt getting the shot, saying he didn’t deserve it just yet.

After a five-fight losing streak in Pride and Dream, the UFC offered to fulfill Hunt’s Pride contract not with a fight but with cash. Instead of taking it, he decided to fight and lost to Sean McCorkle in the first round at UFC 119.

Surprisingly, the UFC gave Hunt another fight against Chris Tuchscherer, who he knocked out in February 2011. That would be the first of three consecutive wins, including victories over Ben Rothwell and Cheick Kongo.

With those wins under his belt, he may not be in title contention just yet but still makes a case for being an emerging contender.

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Alistair Overeem Confident He’ll Still Fight JDS for UFC Title

The MMA world is already searching for a replacement contender, but Alistair Overeem remains confident that he’ll still be the guy challenging Junior Dos Santos for the UFC heavyweight title.After failing his pre-fight drug test for UFC 146, the former…

The MMA world is already searching for a replacement contender, but Alistair Overeem remains confident that he’ll still be the guy challenging Junior Dos Santos for the UFC heavyweight title.

After failing his pre-fight drug test for UFC 146, the former Strikeforce heavyweight champion finally broke his silence on Thursday and addressed the media regarding his bout with Dos Santos.

Overeem agreed to do the interview with Spike TV’s MMA Uncensored Live,but he refused to talk about performance-enhancing drugs and his pending case with the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

“I am bigger, I am stronger, I’m better in the standup, and I’m better on the ground. So for me, I’m not thinking about what he’s going to do to me,” Overeem said.

“I’m thinking about what I’m going to do to him, and I’m only thinking about what I’m going to do to him. I’m going to be ready wherever the fight takes me. I do prefer to strike. I do prefer a knockout over a submission win, but I’m going to be ready for anything. I’m strong, I’m fast, I feel good. I’m gonna get this guy.”

Overeem tested for an abnormally high T/E (testosterone to epitestosterone) ratio of 14:1 (whereas the average healthy male tests 1:1), and recently applied for a Nevada license. But before he can be granted license to fight, he must undergo a hearing before the commission, which is slated for April 24.

The most interesting part about Overeem’s recent interview is his composure. He seems incredibly confident he will be awarded license to fight Dos Santos on May 26.

In an interview with MMAWeekly, Nevada State Athletic Commission Executive Director Keith Kizer admitted Overeem’s chances of fighting are pretty dim.

Unless Overeem knows something we don’t, it’s highly unlikely he’ll get the green light from the commission.

If there is a trump card up his sleeve, it’ll have to be extraordinary to convince the commission otherwise.

There are always two sides to every story, and fans are certainly eager to hear Overeem’s side on April 24.

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Frank Mir’s Manager Does Not Rule out a Title Shot at UFC 146

Frank Mir is expected to meet Cain Velasquez at UFC 146, but there is still a possibility that if Alistair Overeem cannot compete against UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos, Mir can still take his spot.Overeem is scheduled for a hearing with th…

Overeem is scheduled for a hearing with the Nevada Athletic State Commission later this month on whether or not he will be granted a license for his UFC 146 main event.

But since testing positive for elevated testosterone last week, there has been no announcement regarding a possible replacement for the Dutchman.

Mir’s manager, Malki Kawa, spoke to MMAWeekly Radio and said he believes a final decision should be made regarding the main event at UFC 146 after the NSAC hearing on April 24th.

“What I think is happening is they’re going to wait for the decision, if Overeem gets licensed, everything goes on as planned. If Overeem doesn’t get licensed, then you can bet your house there’s going to be a replacement,” Kawa said.

Fans have setup an online petition in an effort to support heavyweight contender Mark Hunt in receiving a title shot, despite being slated to face Stefan Struve on the main card, but the UFC have remained tight-lipped on making a decision.

Kawa said that if Overeem is unable to get licensed to fight dos Santos on May 26th, he believes Mir is a suitable replacement.

Mir is a former UFC heavyweight champion, as well as owning a current three-fight winning streak over the likes of Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Roy Nelson.

“I think it will be Frank Mir. I don’t know anyone else that can get it,” he said. “I think Frank Mir will end up getting the shot in the event that Overeem can’t get licensed.”

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UFC 146: Why It’s Time to Rally for Mark Hunt

What a long, strange, and most importantly, beautiful trip it’s been, fans and friends. I’m sure by now you’ve heard of the movement to give Mark Hunt a shot at the UFC Heavyweight Championship if Alistair Overeem is pulled out of his…

It’s taken some convincing and some debate, but in the end I can now say that I’ve placed myself in Mark Hunt’s camp. So, here’s my attempt to throw my own hat (or hand, or however the hell that quote goes) into the debate: here’s why I think you should rally for Mark Hunt.

To badly paraphrase an epic movie, and to prove once again just how big of a nerd I am, allow me to say this. Of all the stories I have read and discussed in my time as an MMA fan, Mark Hunt’s has been one of the most human.

What I mean by that is simple: Mark Hunt is not a fairy tale or an idol. So many of today’s top athletes are so good that they’ve reached near-mythic proportions. And there’s nothing wrong with that! In fact it’s awesome that there are so many amazing fighters out there nowadays.

But—this is a point I’ve raised on more than one occasion—can you really relate to those fighters?

To get even nerdier, let’s make a comparison to comic books. We have Superman, who’s had such a long track record because he’s so powerful and represents everything that is good about humanity. Certainly in MMA today there are fighters so good that sometimes you have no choice but to stand in awe of them.

Then you have Spider-Man, or in MMA’s case, Mark Hunt.

You have someone you can actually relate to, someone who’s no stranger to defeat, someone who’s been ridiculed and mocked and most would say reduced to nothing more than a joke, a “has been” or even a “coulda been” since Hunt showed so much promise at the start of his career.

And look where we’re at now.

It is very, very, very simple to understand why so many people are making Twitter posts, Facebook posts, and just posts on the Internet in general in support of Mark Hunt.

It’s because we empathize with Mark Hunt, and I truly believe that there is no stronger motivating factor for sports fans than when we can actually empathize with the people we spend so much of our day looking up to and staring in wonder at.

So, yes, it’s been a long and strange trip we’ve been on in the case of Mark Hunt. I don’t know if Hunt himself wishes things could have turned out differently, but at least Hunt can take solace in the fact that his epic losing streak would one day be put into context as the first chapter in what has been perhaps the greatest comeback in MMA history.

So, yes, I do want Mark Hunt to replace Alistair Overeem. I know the arguments against it. The kindest say he’s at least one or two fights away from legitimately deserving a title shot. The harshest say “once a joke, always a joke” and claim that Hunt will diminish the value of the belt even if he loses.

To them I say: the heart wants what it wants. And Hunt’s fans are united in their desire to see if Hunt has it in him to complete this long journey and live happily ever after.

And can you really blame us for wanting that? I don’t think you should.

Now, I won’t pretend like this one little article amongst what must be hundreds of articles by now will end the debate. That’s not my intention. My intention has been to do what I always do: to give my opinion and see if anyone’s crazy enough to read it.

So that’s that, fans and friends. I’m joining the cause, and putting both of my feet firmly in the bandwagon. Let’s rally for Mark Hunt.

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UFC 146 Fight Card: What’s with the Obsession with Heavyweights?

The PPV portion of the UFC 146 fight card is comprised entirely of heavyweights—obsessive much?But the unhealthy obsession with big men didn’t start with UFC 146, heavyweight has long been the premier weight class in boxing. For obvious reasons, …

The PPV portion of the UFC 146 fight card is comprised entirely of heavyweights—obsessive much?

But the unhealthy obsession with big men didn’t start with UFC 146, heavyweight has long been the premier weight class in boxing. For obvious reasons, heavyweights are preferred over lighter weight classes because they’re bigger.

The heavyweight champion is the true champion because he can, theoretically, beat up the champions of all the other weight classes because he’s bigger. So, on a basic level, the obsession comes from there.

But, in the UFC, the obsession with heavyweights hasn’t always been there; its history is a bit different.

Heavyweight was paid attention to once weight classes were placed, but light heavyweight would become the organization’s most touted and talked about weight class. This was in large part due to the fact that the most outspoken fighters and entertaining storylines were at 205.

Heavyweight was a thin division in the UFC during this time—the heyday of Chuck Liddell and the height of the Ortiz-Shamrock feud—the division was the UFC’s red-headed stepchild. It was the least talented and the least exciting.

While Pride had the likes of Fedor Emelianenko, Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic and Antionio Rodrigo Nogueira, the UFC had Wesley “Cabbage” Correira, Tank Abbott and Tim Sylvia.

Randy Couture would eventually come out of retirement and take Tim Sylvia’s heavyweight championship in a thrilling upset and then go on to defeat Gabriel Gonzaga in another upset.

It seemed like heavyweight had finally arrived, but then the dark side of “Captain America” (the money-above-all-else side) reared its ugly head.

Couture got into a dispute with the UFC that put him on the shelf for over a year.

But, ironically, the heavyweight division would be saved by two things: Zuffa’s acquisition of Pride and the UFC’s signing of Brock Lesnar.

The division was bolstered by the Pride fighters and was finally the subject of record levels of hype thanks to Brock Lesnar.

Lesnar’s arrival gave the heavyweight division a shot in the arm. He was a massive draw and made heavyweight mean something. All of the cards Lesnar headlined outsold every other post-TUF card headlined by other heavyweights combined.

Even though Lesnar wouldn’t be the dominant force some expected him to be due to bouts with diverticulitis, he set off the spark at heavyweight. People cared about the division again.

There was the re-invigorated Frank Mir, a Noguiera seeking revenge and past glory, young guns by the names of Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos who would go on to capture heavyweight title belts of their own.

A thin division was fleshed out, a mocked division was now exciting and people talked about it—especially when Dutch kickboxer Alistair Overeem was added (despite his recent testing debacle, he’s still a figure who generates press, be it good or bad).

This brings us to UFC 146. The UFC can now afford to be obsessed with heavyweights because it finally has some of the world’s best.

Instead of maligning the love handles of Tim Sylvia or the glass jaw of Andrei Arlovski, the fans can obsess over and enjoy the grace of Junior Dos Santos’ boxing, the Rocky-esque story of Mark Hunt or the bone-breaking facilities of Frank Mir.

Thus, the recent obsession with heavyweights in the UFC is born of starvation; the UFC and its fans have been craving a true, deep heavyweight division for so long, and now they finally have one.

Follow @MattSaccaro

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Alistair Overeem: Can the UFC Trust Him with the Heavyweight Title?

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 lo…

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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