“I wasn’t very optimistic about his chances. I didn’t think that things were gonna turn out very well for him. As expected. Nine months? Nine months isn’t as bad as I thought it was gonna be. I thought he’d get a year. Easily a year,” began White while serving as a guest on The Jim Rome Show.

As has been well-documented, Overeem tested positive for a grossly elevated level of testosterone in his body at a random screening last month and was forced to withdraw from a headlining title-fight at UFC 146. His explanation for the result pertained to a doctor-prescribed medication he used without knowing it contained testosterone.

Though White was clearly upset about the situation it appeared the main issue he has with “The Demolition Man” doesn’t relate to the change in main event or even seeing Overeem out for the remainder of the year but rather a personal matter.

“I’m not a fan. I’m not a fan at all. You’re not gonna hear me today on your radio show defending Alistair Overeem, believe me,” stated an animated White.

“He sat down in a lunch with me and my partners, looked us in the face and said, ‘I’m the most tested athlete in all of sports. They can test me whenever they want to.’ He flew in for the press conference, they tested him and now he’s on a nine-month suspension. He claims that he was on anti-inflammatories, which he should have told them before he tested. I know he lied to me,” continued White, his anger building, even alluding to the possibility of even cutting professional ties with the polished striker. “I don’t like it. You know, you sit down and you have these guys that you do business with and you say, ‘Listen, be honest with me. What’s going on here? Let’s figure out how we can work together and how we can do business together.’ And if they’ll sit in front of you and lie to your face? I don’t know, not the kind of guys I want to do business with.”

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Overeem met with the NSAC on Tuesday to address the issue and explain his side of the story. The regulatory board initially rejected his team’s request for a continuance in hopes of strengthening their case before ultimately deciding to rule he would be ineligible for a license in the State for nine months from the date of his transgression (March 27-December 27).

As expected, Overeem stated he unknowingly injected the testosterone after his doctor prescribed an anti-inflammatory containing the substance to assist with a rib injury. The physician, Dr. Hector Molina, was also in attendance and corroborated the Dutchman’s story with one exception, saying he recalled revealing testosterone being in the mixture of drugs Overeem used.

Shortly after the hearing, startling news came to light regarding Dr. Molina’s past including multiple criminal charges related to theft/assault, documented cases of surgical malpractice, and prescribing drugs online, including anabolic steroids, for patients he’d never met. For the latter he was fined $25,000 and had restrictions placed on his practice for three years.

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According to an apologetic Overeem, who denied any willful wrongdoing, the level of testosterone in his system was not related to TRT as some had speculated but rather a different doctor-prescribed substance.

“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,” wrote Overeem in an official press release from his management team. “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,” revealed the “deeply saddened” Dutchman.

In closing Overeem asked for the public’s patience and support, stating he respected the NSAC and looked forward to working with them to resolve the issue.

—

The complete statement from Overeem can be found below:

“To my friends and fans,

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.”

PHOTO CREDIT – K-1/STRIKEFORCE

White first revealed Frank Mir will fight dos Santos at UFC 146 on Friday night, elaborating on the matter further during the post-event press conference last night after UFC 145 concluded.

“We were right up on deadlines for a lot of things we needed to do to promote a pay-per-view and I’m not very optimistic on Tuesday,” White said in a conversation with MMAWeekly, alluding to Overeem’s April 24 date with the NSAC. Overeem, who tested positive for elevated levels of testosterone during a pre-fight drug test, will go before the regulatory board in hopes of obtaining his fight license.

During Saturday’s PPV, the UFC promoted the Mir-Dos Santos bout pointing to the necessity of putting Mir in the bout with Overeem’s immediate future still up in the air. Some rumors have Overeem facing Cain Velasquez – the planned opponent for Mir – at the May 26 show if the Dutchman is able to gain his license on Tuesday.

Watch the full UFC 145 post-fight presser below:

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Overeem is currently scheduled to go before the Nevada State Athletic Commission next week in hopes of obtaining his fight license while explaining a drug test he failed for an extraordinarily high level of testosterone in his system.

“Taking off to Atlanta!!!! May 26th is now Mir vs. JDS for the HW title in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand,” White wrote on his Twitter account.

It remains to be seen what will happen now with Overeem or Cain Velasquez. Velasquez was scheduled to face Mir in a #1 contender match on the same card. MMAFighting confirmed withVelasquez’s management that the former champ will remain on the card. However, no new opponent has been booked for the vacancy created by Mir.

Dos Santos posted on his Twitter account following the announcement, “Dana White just said I get a new opponent to fight on May 26th for the HW title. JDS vs. Mir. Let’s do it.”

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UFC

Overeem and Dos Santos are set to collide for the divisional title in the main event of UFC 146 in May. However, Overeem failed a pre-fight drug test and will need to receive clearance to compete from the Nevada State Athletic Commission later this month.

“I am bigger, I am stronger, I am better in the stand up and I’m better on the ground,” said Overeem of the bout with Dos Santos. “Nothing scares me about Junior dos Santos. Everything he’s doing, I’ve seen it before. I’m not worried about it, I’ve experienced it all.”

While he may not have discussed his licensing status or testosterone use, based on demeanor Overeem seemed very confident he will be cleared of wrongdoing when he meets with the NSAC on April 24 and locked into the title-fight against JDS.

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The 27-year old recently opened up on the situation where his waning interest in duking it out with the powerful Dutchman at UFC 146 was evident.

“If the athletic commission and the UFC want I’ll fight him. I am a fighter and will be there to fight, but it is sure to be a disrespect to MMA and how serious this sport is. This will also be unfair to me. I’ve never used these devices to gain strength,” explained Dos Santos in an interview with Globo. “We want to know who the best is, really. Not who’s the best liar. Being a world champion (using banned) drugs – that’s not being a champion. I can clearly say that I am the champion without ever having the use of any illegal substances in order to get there.”

Dos Santos added his desire to see the implementation of similar screenings like the random one he, Overeem, and four other heavyweights slated for the Memorial Day Weekend event were subjected to.

“I favor more rigorous tests to assess whether someone is doped,” said Dos Santos. “It has to be a clean sport and these surprise tests should occur more. If Overeem is more aggressive and stronger, the more he will resist blows and it will be difficult for me. If I lose, it will be unfair. He will not have fought better than I have if he fought doped.”

Though it originally appeared Overeem was destined to have his license denied based on the positive hit, more information has since come to light making it seem as though “The Demolition Man” could avoid punishment altogether. As Overeem is not currently licensed, he may not have been eligible to be tested by the commission and could argue they simply caught him spiking after having undergoing a session of testosterone replacement therapy.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC/STRIKEFORCE

According to Nevada State Athletic Commission chief executive Keith Kizer, Overeem will face the music on April 24 where he’ll not only need to offer a legitimate explanation regarding the amount of testosterone in his system but request his “B” sample is screened in hopes of having his name cleared.

The date came to light last week when Kizer stopped by The MMA Show. UFC President Dana White is expected to make a decision on Dos Santos’ title-defense shortly after the conclusion of Overeem’s meeting with the NSAC. If Overeem fails in his plea, as many pundits feel will be the case, the UFC is expected to replace him in the bout.

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The limit for T/E ratios is 6-to-1 and Overeem’s “A” sample exceeded 10-to-1, massively over that maximum. Of course, the former Strikeforce heavyweight champ will be granted the right to request the “B” sample be screened and if that comes up negative he will still be given a license to fight. However, chances are this epic heavyweight collision will not be taking place as planned.

Certainly the situation is an unfortunate and frustrating one, but given Overeem’s reputation it is astonishing how few people saw this coming. Listen, Overeem can talk about his horse meat diet all he wants, but unless he is devouring an entire stable of horses and a couple of small ponies on a daily basis, his Godzilla-esque physique is coming from something else he is putting into his body.

The positive drug test is unfortunate but it isn’t something that comes completely out of left field. Pundits have accused “The Reem” of utilizing PEDs for years. He may have gotten away with it up until this point but now that he foolishly got caught it is going to be very difficult for Overeem’s reputation to recover from this.

I’m not saying Overeem is a bad guy but a majority of the MMA audience is going to look at the man in a much more negative light. The ones who claimed Overeem was using performance enhancers all along now have more ammo to belittle him and the ones who clung to his bandwagon will quickly hop off.

Of course, like any fighter of his status he will always have a handful of dedicated followers that will ride with him no matter the circumstances but it seems even some of his most loyal fans are put off by this news.  Though it is going to be tough for Overeem to bounce back it’s not necessarily impossible either.

For starters, Overeem needs to be honest when discussing this incident in public. If he comes out and blames the positive test on tainted supplements, like almost every fighter that gets caught does these days, it is not going to help his reputation at all. At the end of the day, fans appreciate honesty so it is very crucial for Overeem to admit his mistake and give a sincere apology.

Think back to 2003 when former UFC heavyweight champ Tim Sylvia tested positive for steroids and publicly admitted he was using the banned substance to shed excess body fat. Sylvia recovered quite well and eventually reclaimed the heavyweight title three years later without being referred to as a “cheater”.

I also believe it would help Overeem’s public image if he admits that he does not deserve to fight for the championship in the midst of all of this. Sure, it sounds absurd, but if he says that he wants to earn his way back into the title picture and start from scratch the audience will be completely blown away and respect he may have lost will start coming back. Obviously, judging by Dana White’s recent comments on the issue he isn’t going to put Overeem back into a main event spot right off the bat anyway so the smart approach on Overeem’s part is to talk about building himself back to the top from the ground up. Realistically he may only need one more fight to earn another title shot, but if he convinces the audience that in light of his mistake he is going to fight his way through the gauntlet and earn the respect of the organization and fans back it will go a long way.

At the end of the day what Overeem did is inexcusable but there is no sense in beating a dead horse… because chances are Overeem already did and is about to throw it up on his grill. In all seriousness, everyone makes mistakes and we all get caught, but it’s what you do next that counts. Let’s see how “The Demolition Man” bounces back and if he can shake off the negative labels that now stick to him. He just has to be the one to take the first step towards that goal.

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“How f*cking stupid do you have to be? Seriously dumb. Anybody who’s using right now is an absolute f*cking moron. It’s beyond, what’s the word I’m looking for, it’s beyond belief. It’s beyond comprehension. You’re an absolute moron, a brain dead absolute f*cking dummy. It goes beyond a guy having any common sense whatsoever,” said an animated White after learning about Overeem’s situation during a conference call with Canadian media (props to The Star Phoenix for the transcription).

“I am beyond pissed about this. The worst part is that he sat in front of us and lied to us,” continued White, alluding to Overeem’s past promises pertaining to his suspected abuse of steroids. Overeem’s positive hit for drug use this week involved an elevated level of testosterone in his system.

“It doesn’t look good, does it? It doesn’t look good,” White concluded on Overeem’s future in the UFC.

Overeem still has an opportunity to clear his name by facing the NSAC with his “B” sample returning a negative result. No word has surfaced from the UFC relating to how the Dutchman’s UFC 146 fight with Junior dos Santos will be handled though Frank Mir has expressed his willingness to fill in on late notice if necessary.

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Overeem was subjected to random drug testing at a recent press conference promoting UFC 146 where he is/was scheduled to scrap with Dos Santos. All other fighters who submitted samples were cleared.

However, while Overeem’s status is up in the air, at least one heavyweight contender is willing to step in to face “Cigano” on short notice – Frank Mir. Mir is already booked to battle on the May 26 card and viewed as the closest thing to a #1 challenger after Overeem.

“I would be excited if given the opportunity to compete for the UFC’s heavyweight title at UFC 146,” said Mir in a press release from his management team. “I have been fortunate to be able to fight in the UFC for more than a decade, and it is a dream of mine to become the first three-time heavyweight champion in the UFC. Being able to fight Junior Dos Santos would put me one step closer to that dream.”

The UFC has yet to comment on the matter.

PHOTO CREDIT – K-1/STRIKEFORCE

Included in the sextet of scrappers were headliners Junior dos Santos and Alistair Overeem, as well as Frank Mir, Cain Velasquez, Roy Nelson, and Antonio Silva.

Inside MMA’s Ron Kruck was the first person to report the testing had taken place.

Unrelated to his peers, the screening was the first of two Overeem will undergo prior to the May 26 main event as a condition he agreed to in order to fight Brock Lesnar in late December. The 31-year old missed a required deadline leading up to the contendership-sealing bout, thus leading to the special arrangement.

None of the fighters except Silva have ever been popped for illegal drugs. The Brazilian’s transgression came in 2008 stemming from a testosterone booster used to treat his acromegaly. As a result he was suspended for a year though still chose to fight in Japan during the period.

No word has surfaced on when the results from this week’s test will be made available to the public.

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Overeem was forced to face the music yesterday in a Las Vegas courtroom and, fortunately, avoided incarceration despite the risk of facing up to six months behind bars. However, the “Demolition Man” could still end up in jail if he does not complete fifty hours of community service and an anger management course by mid-September, as Overeem was handed a 90-day suspended sentence with the aforementioned requirements in place outlining a way to avoid serving it.

The news was not only undoubtedly a relief for Overeem but the UFC as well who have invested a lot of resources in promoting the polished Dutchman. Overeem is currently scheduled to face Junior dos Santos for the heavyweight strap in late May, a bout no longer in jeopardy thanks to yesterday’s ruling.

PHOTO CREDIT – K1/STRIKEFORCE

Dos Santos understands how important beating Overeem would be for his career. However, that doesn’t mean he’ll approach him any differently than he would any other opponent including a willingness to exchange despite the Dutchman’s powerful, polished stand-up.

“I think it’s the ultimate test for my striking,” said Dos Santos in an interview with Sherdog. “He was a K-1 champion, which is the greatest striking event in the world. He’s a very strong guy, good, but I trust in myself a lot and I try for the knockout in all of my fights. Regardless of him being a striker or not, I’m going for the knockout.”

JDS has notched ten of his fourteen total wins by way of TKO. Comparably, Overeem has fifteen in 36 victories though owns nineteen submission stoppages as well.

“Jiu-jitsu can be Plan B,” continued Dos Santos of his stylistic approach to Overeem. “I’m an MMA fighter, training in everything. I’m well prepared to fight, whether standing or on the ground, and if I find it necessary to take it to the ground, it will happen.”

The 27-year old concluded the conversation on his May 26 clash explaining he was feeling healthy and going at it 100% in the gym, indicating he has recovered from minor knee surgery.

Dos Santos-Overeem will serve as the main event at UFC 146 with the remainder of the PPV card featuring an all-heavyweight lineup with Frank Mir-Cain Velasquez, Antonio Silva-Roy Nelson, Stefan Struve-Mark Hunt, and Gabriel Gonzaga-Shane Del Rosario.

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Dos Santos-Overeem will be the main event of UFC 146 on May 26 from Las Vegas. The first episode of Primetime will air May 11 with following segments on May 18 and May 25. Replays are scheduled for Fuel TV.

“Cigano” will be making his first title-defense after earning the championship from Cain Velasquez last year. Dos Santos (14-1) was forced to undergo knee surgery following ligament damage suffered in training for the Velasquez fight but has since recovered fully. The affable Brazilian was also featured in a similar light for his bout with Velasquez, highlighting his humility and hard-work throughout.

Meanwhile, Overeem (36-11) made his UFC debut a successful one, knocking out ex-champion Brock Lesnar to secure the position of #1 contender. “The Reem” has worn gold in Strikeforce, K-1, and DREAM before and has won 34 of his total fights by way of a stoppage.

UFC 146 will also feature a bout to determine the next challenger to the title with Frank Mir and Velasquez fighting over the matter.

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Dos Santos (14-1) is a perfect 8-0 in his UFC career including a first round knockout of Cain Velasquez for the title last year. Dos Santos has been on the sideline recovering from knee surgery stemming from an injury he sustained while training for Velasquez. He also holds wins inside the Octagon against Roy Nelson and Fabricio Werdum.

Comparably, Overeem (36-11) secured his shot at the championship by knocking out Brock Lesnar in late December. “The Reem” has already won heavyweight titles in Strikeforce, DREAM, and K-1.

UFC 146 takes place on May 26 from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Several other bouts have been slated for the card including Jason “Mayhem” Miller vs. C.B. Dollaway, Edson Barboza vs. Evan Dunham, and Dan Hardy vs. Duane Ludwig.

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Overeem, the #1 contender to the UFC heavyweight title, is expected to face champion Junior dos Santos later this year. “The Reem” defeated Brock Lesnar in December to secure his shot at the belt.

“(The rumors) are all (expletive),” said Robinson, in an interview with MMAWeekly. “There are some evil people in this business that are real dirty and they spread rumor(s).”

The rumors Robinson is talking about are those that claimed Overeem was paid half-million dollars to sign with ASM and help bring the team to the front of the MMA world. Allegations have also surfaced stating Valentijn Overeem received a sponsorship deal as a result of his brother’s signing with ASM.

Robinson added that, “It’s not a publicity stunt. Our deal is (very) fair to (all parties).”

Overeem will be joined by fellow UFC fighters Rashad Evans and Melvin Guillard at the front of the Blackzilians if he does decide to train there going forward.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

The 31-year old “Demolition Man” recently addressed the upcoming bout in an interview with MMAFightCorner where he gave Dos Santos credit but only up to a certain point, saying, “I believe he’s a great fighter. I believe he’s got great hands, great boxing. He’s a clever fighter and has a great team around him,” before adding, “Every fight style has holes. Dos Santos has them too. I don’t want to give away the surprise, but you’re going to see it.”

“The game plan is good to go. I already know how to beat him,” Overeem continued on the subject of Dos Santos. “It’s just a matter of training and getting my body and mind in the 100% condition that it needs to be in and it’s going to turn out perfectly-just fine.”

As far as who he might face later in the year once he presumably gets by Dos Santos, Overeem was asked if he was partial to a potential pairing against top contender Frank Mir as opposed to Cain Velasquez (rumored to be fighting this summer).

“I don’t have a preference,” replied Overeem. “I’ll fight anybody they put in front of me. I’m a fighter, I want to fight a lot. That being said, I’m also ready to beat anybody.”

UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta was quoted last week on Twitter as saying the organization was attempting to have Dos Santos defend his belt at the annual Memorial Day Weekend event in Las Vegas, this year’s being UFC 146 on May 26.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

While talking with fans on his Twitter account, Fertitta said that the UFC was looking at JDS-Overeem for UFC 146 on May 26 from Las Vegas, Nevada. The Memorial Day Weekend tag would make sense considering the show’s annual standing as one of the organization’s biggest.

Dos Santos (14-1) won the heavyweight title by defeating Cain Velasquez late in 2011, scoring a first round knockout of the former undefeated champion. He has been on the sidelines since recovering from knee surgery.

Overeem (36-11) made an impact in his UFC debut, knocking out ex-champ Brock Lesnar at UFC 141 to secure the #1 position in the division. “The Reem” is a former Strikeforce heavyweight champ, along with holding titles in several other organizations, and has finished 34 of the 36 opponents he’s beaten.

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According to a police report, Overeem is alleged to have shoved a woman in her face at approximately 3:00 AM on January 2, 2012, sending her stumbling backwards. He was not arrested at the time and instead issued a citation.

Overeem will face the music in court on February 21 answer to the charges. If found guilty “The Demolition Man” could face up to a $1,000 fine and six months behind bars.

“There are two sides to this story and we intend on vigorously defending this. Alistair maintains his innocence,” said Overeem’s defense attorney in a statement to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

No official comment on the matter has issued by the UFC or Overeem himself.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC