What's going on with Overeem?

Regarding the Brock Lesnar vs. Alistair Overeem fight, there are a lot of rumors around. Here is what we know. This will likely be cleared up on Monday as Overeem is scheduled to apply for his license before the Nevada State Athletic Commission. Usually fighters licenses are rubber stamped unless there is an extenuating circumstance. People have noted Overeem, Keith Jardine and Vladimir Matyushenko all have license hearings on Monday, but in the case of the latter two, it is standard procedure for fighters over 35 to take more extensive medical tests and the process for granting the license isn’t rubber stamped. Overeem’s name on the list means there is a reason he needs to be there that is not specified, and Overeem is not over 35 years old.

Brock Lesnar as of last night was not told Overeem is out of the fight, nor as of last night had he been called about a potential fight with Frank Mir. Dana White denied Overeem was injured when asked and also that anything has changed regarding the fight. There is nothing going around about an injury that we’ve heard to begin with. Overeem left Las Vegas, where he had been training, to return to Holland. He said in his yahoo.com blog that it was because his mother had cancer. Regarding a steroid test, we’ve been able to confirm that Lesnar was asked to take a test a few weeks back and did. It is usual practice in Nevada if they are going to do a random unannounced pre-fight test of a major main event, they will test both fighters.

Several major MMA reporters including Kevin Iole and Josh Gross have hinted something is amiss and there were strong rumors last night that Mir would face Lesnar, even though White denied them. If it regards a pending hearing that hasn’t happened, while behind the scenes White would no doubt be preparing for any outcome, he has to publicly say the fight is on, because right now, the fight is on. Mir said he was willing to take the fight. Mir was rocked in the fight, even though he won, and we’re only three weeks away. Gross really didn’t say anything more than what we wrote, that Overeem’s license will be discussed at Monday’s hearing which is factual as it is listed on the minutes of the meeting.