The momentum behind the highly anticipated title-bout between UFC heavyweight champ Junior dos Santos and devastating Dutchman Alistair Overeem ran smack dab into a brick wall this afternoon when the NSAC revealed “The Demolition Man” had shown an elevated level of testosterone in his blood stream and would not be licensed as things currently stand. He will need to appear before the commission and have a “B” sample cleared before being permitted to compete, a decision likely indicating his dance with Dos Santos is officially done for.
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.”
