Tag: UFC 146

Alistair Overeem Surprise Drug Test Comes Back Positive, UFC 146 Title Bout in Jeopardy


(It’s always the ones you least suspect. / Photo via MMAFighting)

By Elias Cepeda

As we reported nearly one week ago, six heavyweights on the UFC 146 card were surprise-tested for drugs in Nevada after a press conference in Las Vegas. Today, Nevada State Athletic Commission Director Keith Kizer told CagePotato through a written statement that while five of those fighters passed their tests, number one heavyweight title contender Alistair Overeem (who was slated to fight Junior Dos Santos on the May card) did not:

“The following athletes were tested on March 27:  Alistair Overeem, Junior dos Santos, Frank Mir, Cain Velasquez, Roy Nelson and Antonio Silva.  All test results were negative, except Mr. Overeem tested positive for an increased T/E ratio (> 10).  Mr. Overeem will need to appear before the Commission if he seeks licensure,” Kizer’s statement reads.

Overeem was granted a conditional license to compete in Nevada at the end of the year after missing deadlines for testing. As a part of that conditional license, he was subject to additional surprise drug screenings like the one administered last week.


(It’s always the ones you least suspect. / Photo via MMAFighting)

By Elias Cepeda

As we reported nearly one week ago, six heavyweights on the UFC 146 card were surprise-tested for drugs in Nevada after a press conference in Las Vegas. Today, Nevada State Athletic Commission Director Keith Kizer told CagePotato through a written statement that while five of those fighters passed their tests, number one heavyweight title contender Alistair Overeem (who was slated to fight Junior Dos Santos on the May card) did not:

“The following athletes were tested on March 27:  Alistair Overeem, Junior dos Santos, Frank Mir, Cain Velasquez, Roy Nelson and Antonio Silva.  All test results were negative, except Mr. Overeem tested positive for an increased T/E ratio (> 10).  Mr. Overeem will need to appear before the Commission if he seeks licensure,” Kizer’s statement reads.

Overeem was granted a conditional license to compete in Nevada at the end of the year after missing deadlines for testing. As a part of that conditional license, he was subject to additional surprise drug screenings like the one administered last week.

The NSAC is saying that Overeem tested for a higher than usual testosterone to epitestosterone rate than is commonly found in humans. Such high levels are considered evidence of doping by athletes by regulatory bodies like Nevada’s athletic commission.

Overeem does not get a suspended license because of the test result, per se, since his conditional license has expired. But, in order to be licensed in Nevada, he will have to appear before a NSAC hearing to make his case. Without being licensed in Nevada, Overeem will not be able to challenge Dos Santos for the UFC belt next month.

We asked Kizer that if Overeem does, in fact, apply for a license and request a hearing before the NSAC, would the state try to hold that hearing before his scheduled May 26th fight. Kizer replied, “of course.”

We will keep you updated on this story as developments occur.

Update #1: Dana White is “beyond pissed” about the situation, and Frank Mir is already lobbying to replace Overeem against Dos Santos.

UFC 146: With Alistair Overeem Likely Out, Who Should Face Junior dos Santos?

Sadly, the UFC’s heavyweight super card seems to have taken a major hit. The original UFC 146 headlining bout between UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos and No. 1 contender Alistair Overeem is in serious jeopardy due to Overeem failing a …

Sadly, the UFC’s heavyweight super card seems to have taken a major hit.

The original UFC 146 headlining bout between UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos and No. 1 contender Alistair Overeem is in serious jeopardy due to Overeem failing a pre-fight drug test for the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC), and unless Overeem’s “B” sample is clean, the heavyweight fight of the summer will be forced to be called off.

In what was either a lucky break or an extremely smart precaution, the UFC has already stacked the UFC 146 card with some of the best heavyweights in the promotion, giving them a ready replacement already on the card.

The co-main event between Cain Velasquez and Frank Mir is the logical place for the UFC to look for a replacement, and while both fighters can make a decent case for the shot, one clearly has an edge over the other.

Velasquez has been out of action since last November, where he lost his title to Dos Santos by knockout in just 64 seconds.

Now looking to rebound, a rematch for the belt would be a bit unconventional by UFC standards, but it would be a good opportunity to give one of the UFC’s stars to get back into the title picture.

On the other hand, Mir has done everything asked of him since losing an interim title fight to Shane Carwin back at UFC 111, taking out Mirko Cro Cop, Roy Nelson and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira over the last two years in order to climb back into title contention.

Mir’s victory over Nogueira, where he earned a lot of attention by locking on to a kimura and snapping “Minotauro’s” arm, has turned him back into a legitimate title threat and a very viable option to step in and fight Dos Santos.

While an immediate rematch between Dos Santos and Velasquez is interesting, and would certainly be a good fight, there’s no way the UFC can pass over Mir without it looking like they’re playing favorites.

Mir’s gone out and earned his shot at the belt since he last lost, something that Velasquez hasn’t had the time to do, and he deserves a chance at becoming a three-time UFC champion.

In the meantime the UFC could make sure to get Velasquez a new opponent in the co-main event, possibly sending in another rising contender like Fabricio Werdum to step in on short notice, and if Velasquez can pull of the victory they would have no problem booking him against the winner of Dos Santos and Mir.

In a perfect world, the UFC would be able to keep Overeem on the card and make a ton of money by showcasing a stand up war for the ages, but this failed test seems to have made that impossible and a matchup between Dos Santos and Mir is the next best thing the company can give its fans.

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Alistair Overeem Tests Positive: What This Says About MMA as a Whole

Alistair Overeem’s failing of his pre-fight drug test is abhorrent. Not because he failed, but because now fans won’t get to see the greatest heavyweight fight in recent memory between him and UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos.Fans were robbed…

Alistair Overeem‘s failing of his pre-fight drug test is abhorrent. Not because he failed, but because now fans won’t get to see the greatest heavyweight fight in recent memory between him and UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos.

Fans were robbed of a great fight, of a chance to see the lineal heavyweight championship merge with the UFC heavyweight championship. And why, because of some increased testosterone? Laughable! Absurd!

This whole debacle shows one of the biggest flaws in MMA and in sports as a whole: There are banned substances. 

No substance should be banned in any sport, period. 

The purpose of sports is competition and entertainment. Performance enhancers increase both of these. They make athletes more competitive and, therefore, make the sports they partake in more entertaining to the viewer. 

What would be the downside of legalizing all steroids and other forms of performance enhancers?

There’d be more home runs, more touchdowns and, in MMA’s case, more knockouts and less canceled title fights. 

Think about it: Having banned substances cost us Condit vs. Diaz II and Overeem vs. dos Santos. Was it worth it? Was it worth losing great fights to have purportedly clean athletes?

The crusade against performance enhancers is a clever farce, a dog and pony show that lets the sports organizations pretend that their athletes are more amazing than they really are. It’s an illusion that only those with a gross amount of naivety believe. 

Of course, here is where critics of performance enhancers make a pathetic attempt at moralizing and say that the health of the athletes is paramount. If you don’t like performance enhancers, don’t watch any sports; “it’s hard to find the moral high ground when we’re all standing in the mud.”

Such a stance ignores the stark realities of the sports world. The health and well-being of the athletes is the least important thing in the sports world—the NFL’s recent concern over devastating hits and concussions notwithstanding.

Professional athletes are employed for two purposes: To entertain the fans and to generate revenue. The legalization of performance enhancing drugs would increase their capacity to do both.

It’s true that there’d be health repercussions down the road; however, if the athletes are worried about their health, they’re in the wrong business. Professional sports is a brutal world and the athletes were aware of the risks when they made their choice. 

They risk their bodies for everlasting fame and, in the cases of the more fortunate, are made wealthy in return. And, “if you’re going to be a cripple, it’s better to be a rich cripple.”

Athletes will always find ways around tests, anyone who denies this is naive. Nothing on earth can stop performance enhancers, not Congress, not internet writers, nothing. So why not then level the playing field for all athletes in the world and let them achieve new peaks of chemically-enhanced excellence?

Yes, the glory of professional sports never fails to exact its toll in broken bones, dementia, shredded tendons and other physiological calamities. However, the body is only temporary—even to the healthy—while the glory one achieves in the cage or on the gridiron lasts for all eternity.

 

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Cain Velasquez Thinks Junior Dos Santos Will Beat Alistair Overeem at UFC 146

Former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez has a chance to jump right back into title contention when he faces fellow former champion Frank Mir at UFC 146 in late May. Despite his status as the heavy betting favorite, Velasquez has a tough fig…

Former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez has a chance to jump right back into title contention when he faces fellow former champion Frank Mir at UFC 146 in late May. 

Despite his status as the heavy betting favorite, Velasquez has a tough fight on his hands. Mir is a crafty veteran and a very good all-around fighter. He has the ability to make you pay dearly if you make a mistake, so Velasquez will need to be on top of his game to come out with a win.

If Velasquez scores the win, he’ll face the winner of the main event between Junior dos Santos and Alistair Overeem. Dos Santos, if you’ll recall, beat Velasquez last November to capture the belt. So it should come as no surprise that Velasquez picked Dos Santos to beat Overeem when he joined Ariel Helwani on the MMA Hour today:

“I’m hoping dos Santos wins, because I definitely would love a rematch with him,” Velasquez said, adding, “I think he will. He’s an athletic guy. His boxing is really good.”

Velasquez went on to detail why he thinks Dos Santos will retain his title:

“I think in the clinch and in the distance — obviously the kicking range — Overeem will have a better shot. But in the punching range, dos Santos can win the fight whenever.”

I agree with Velasquez. If Overeem is able to stay out of the pocket and use his range effectively, there’s a very good chance he’ll be able to win the fight. But none of Dos Santos’ opponents have been able to do that thus far.

Overeem’s world-class kickboxing skills will give him a better chance than most at staying away from Dos Santos and his lethal hands, but I’m not sure he can do it long enough to last five rounds—or even stay conscious for more than two rounds.

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UFC 146: Frank Mir Says He Is Worried Over Cain Velasquez’s Wrestling Skills

Frank Mir is never shy on giving his opinion.So when he was asked about his upcoming opponent, Cain Velasquez, and how his skills fare to that of the former UFC heavyweight champion, Mir admitted that Velasquez’s wrestling is his biggest strength.And M…

Frank Mir is never shy on giving his opinion.

So when he was asked about his upcoming opponent, Cain Velasquez, and how his skills fare to that of the former UFC heavyweight champion, Mir admitted that Velasquez’s wrestling is his biggest strength.

And Mir said he has no intention of grappling with the former Arizona State wrestling standout.

“(Velasquez’s wrestling) concerns me greatly,”Mir told Fightline.com following a UFC press conference to promote UFC 146. “Typically, the guy that’s the better wrestler can decide where the fight goes, whether it’s standing, whether it’s on the ground. I just hope to make it to where both of those are nonviable choices.”

Mir has certainly improved by leaps and bounds as a striker in the last few years, throwing technical combinations with fluidity and poise, knocking out some of the heavyweight division’s most accomplished fighters like Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Mirko Cro Cop.

That being said, Mir’s skills are demonstrated best when he is on the mat, as he is widely considered to be one of the greatest submission specialists in the history of the sport.

It is no secret where he will hope to keep the fight, while at the same time he must be wary of Velasquez’s excellent top control and relentless ground-and-pound.

It’s an aspect of his opponent’s which he intends to neutralize, but he knows it will always be an area of his that is exceptional at best, in comparison to some of the UFC’s premier wrestlers. 

“I think wrestling is one of the hardest things, stylistically, I have a hard time with,” he said. “It’s always gonna be an issue and it’s something for me to constantly improve on and work on in the gym.”

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Dana White: Junior Dos Santos Emulates Same Style as Chuck Liddell

Junior dos Santos is credited for possessing arguably the best boxing in mixed martial arts, but seldom do we see other aspects of his arsenal utilized during a fight.That’s not to say he isn’t a premier fighter, as his list of victories over some of t…

Junior dos Santos is credited for possessing arguably the best boxing in mixed martial arts, but seldom do we see other aspects of his arsenal utilized during a fight.

That’s not to say he isn’t a premier fighter, as his list of victories over some of the sport’s top contenders and respected veterans is quite an accomplishment.

But after battling through his fair share of competition thus far, the UFC heavyweight champion will look to meet another formidable opponent in Alistair Overeem at UFC 146. 

The match-up is very appealing, and it has UFC President Dana White intrigued at the thought of seeing how the Brazilian fares against a fighter of Overeem’s caliber.

It has led the UFC boss to draw comparisons to another knockout artist, former UFC light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell.

“For me, the question is how is Dos Santos going to deal with the kicks and the knees and the elbows?,” White told MMAWeekly.com. 

“He’s fought a pretty one-dimensional fight, he’s fought very Chuck Liddell-like in that he’s great at defending the takedown, he drops bombs, he throws heavy punches, but he’s never dealt with anybody who’s going to throw kicks and knees and work in the clinch the way that Alistair Overeem does.”

The Dutchman is certainly a credible fighter, winning multiple championships and accolades prior to entering the UFC; and he is a strong, technical kickboxer, tipping the scales at 6’5″ and weighing 255 pounds.

However, dos Santos has seemingly made every one of his opponents wilt at the technique and power of his strikes, and has looked every bit as dominant as his counter-part. Whoever is to walk away from their main event will have reached the pinnacle of the sport and the right to be called UFC heavyweight champion.

UFC 146 is scheduled for May 26th, live from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

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