Overeem hearing date set; UFC will await outcome to decide on UFC 146 title fight
Posted on April 8, 2012, 02:41 PM by Joey Santosus
For those anxiously awaiting news of a replacement opponent for Heavyweight Champion Junior dos Santos at UFC 146, you may be waiting a little longer than expected.
Originally set to challenge the Brazilian, Alistair Overeem's participation in the match-up came under doubt when the Dutchman's testosterone levels tested above what is permitted by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
While there has yet to any news regarding Overeem's immediate future, the nature of the surprise testing, which was conducted out of competition, will afford him the opportunity to explain away the results at an upcoming hearing. That hearing, according to the commission Executive Director Keith Kizer, will take place on April 24th, giving Overeem ample time to be licensed for the event if so decided by the NSAC.
What explanation the former Strikeforce Champion could offer to explain away his testosterone levels reaching more than twice the allowed limit remains unclear, but that now appears to be exactly what the UFC is hinging their hopes on. According to Dave Meltzer, UFC President Dana White has stated that no decision will be made on the UFC 146 main event prior to Overeem's hearing.
Should the current number-one contender fail to obtain a license, White has assured in recent days that dos Santos will, in fact, defend the Heavyweight title, while also excluding such possible replacement opponents as Frank Mir, Cain Velasquez, and Dan Henderson.
With the hearing now more than two weeks out, and no apparent challenger for dos Santos readily available, it should be interesting to see what sort of back-up plan the UFC has in store for this one. Keep it locked on LowKick.com for more information on the matter as it becomes available.
Outer Photo: Heavy.com
Comments
I think a very distinct possibility is Travis Browne, good power striking and undefeated, there are worse choices.
His name holds nothing for anyone but the hardcore fans.
Dana White will not put Travis Browne to fight JDS. 100% guarantee you that wont happen.
The list of suspects was Mir>Hunt>Werdum>Velasquez>Hendo. (Mir Velasquez confirmed to fight each other) so now its Hunt>Werdum>Hendo
\Dana should ask Hendo. Hendo wants a title ,I would enjoy to see the much bigger JDS punching hard the smaller Hendo in the nose.
Then I will be in front of my TV screen cheering : "Bam ! This one is for Fedor ! Bam ! This one also ! And This one !..." as Hendo would get punched in the mouth
I would much rather watch a good fight, then one that is just marketable.
Werdum would actually be a credible and sellable option, though by no means the optimal one. His striking skills have improved a lot since his last defeat to the current champ and he also has some excellent tools to challenge JDS...The very idea of a rematch to settle an old score is intriguing...Mark Hunt would also pose a different challenge to the champion, but the guy is still low in the rankings despite his impressive wins...Whose left? Fedor, maybe...But that's a very remote possibility...I still hope, though, that the Reem will somehow provide some reasonable explanation to his high testosterone levels and manage to be in the card...I doubt the UFC would wait for the outcome of his hearing, if there weren't some hope that he would get his license...
Rumor is that Dana already said it will NOT be Mir...
Mir is fighting Cain....
I dont think Hunt should get it either...Fans dont care right now about Hunt...
Hendo will get his ass handed to him big time....Just because Hendo has won a few fights doesnt put him to the front of any line...
If anyone should get chance it should be Daniel "DC" Cormier... He has been kicking everyone ass he is up against..
he isn't saying he'd rather watch a more marketable fight, he's just pointing out that there is no way Travis Browne will get the title shot.
I understand that, but what I am saying is that Dana has mentioned all the fighter that are tied up and won't be fighting JDS, I am saying that its a good fight, I doubt that it will happen too. It is just my opinion of the best fight barring the names Dana mentioned.
JDS would destroy Travis Browne, Browne has shown nothing to have anyone be saying that he has a chance at winning. I get that you want to be different DKM but Browne does not belong in the cage with JDS. But you must be a relative of Browne or something....
Let Browne win 2 more impressively then he will get a No.1 Contender spot/fight
Maybe it is all just a big misunderstanding - the guy eats about half a horse a week, he probably had one lately that was on roids - so the NSAC
should cut him some slack.
I'm not sure that is likely unless he is eating race horses. Even then, would steroids be metabolized that way if eaten and digested?
ever hear of a joke?
Joke or not this question has come up before.
Testosterone has to be methylated to be absorbed through the intestine wall. A product called Testosterone Undecanoate (available in Canada but not in the US) bypasses this method of absorption by riding piggy back on fatty food and getting into the lymphatic channels. A novel method of absorption. Normal Testosterone in food will not be absorbed via the gut.
it wouldn't really be short notice for Cain, since he's training for Mir.
I guess it would be short notice to form a gameplan but theres still time and it will be short notice on both ends so it wouldn't really matter as long as replacement comes from the same card.
I believe Cain and any HW who is fighting in this card would take a shot at the current champ in a heart beat. If Mir and Mark Hunt are campaigning to replace Overeem, I doubt a real warrior like Cain would turn an offer down...
I would like to see that Dana sign Sergei Kharitonov, on short notice and put him against the JDS. I would bet Sergei Kharitonov has very good chance not only winning but knocking out JDS. This is my humble opinion.
I have a feeling somehow the cheater will prevail and be able to fight Dos Santos. Pretty sure Dana White is banking on this before he would name a fighter to replace Overeem.
bring on the champion vs champion, let rashad wait or fight hendo for the true #1 lhw contender being that hendo beat shogun who beat machida who beat rashad. And if jones beat jds ( which i highly doubt), he'll be the only multi-champ in ufc history.After that, he can go back to lhw to defend against winner of rashad vs hendo. Then Dana get set up a HW GRAND PRIX TOURNEY for the vacant hw title, of course with add ons like cormier, barnett and fedor in the mix...the winner would fight jon jones for undisputed champion...oh yes im wet all over just thinking bout it....
I think it'll come down to this: Mir and Cain were fighting for #1 contender, making them the most likely two replacements, but their fight is continuing as planned. So ask yourself, if Mir or Cain got injured, who'd step in to replace them?
My money's on Werdum. Controversial loss against the scheduled Overeem, marketable revenge fight against JDS, and coming off a win very much like one of JDS' own: a bloody 15 minute beatdown of Roy Nelson where he couldn't finish. They could easily sell the fight as a grappler vs striker matchup, although neither is unskilled in the other's speciality. Additionally, Werdum matches up stylistically well with either Cain or Mir, so he could fight the winner or loser of that fight depending on the outcome of the title shot, and that fight would be strong enough to carry a card regardless of whether it was a title fight. Werdum is by far the best business decision in my opinion.
I dont care if his explanation is a huge bribe I just want to see them fight.
Come on isn't there anyone that thinks this is turning out to be the perfect time for Fedor to enter the UFC? :)