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JDS scheduled to face unnamed opponent on December 29th - Overeem?

2K views 17 replies 13 participants last post by  funkasaurus 
#1 ·
Junior dos Santos' next opponent has been Cain Velasquez ever since Velasquez demolished Antonio Silva, for all we'd ever been told. But tonight, a bit of a shift in the plan seems to be taking place with some suggestion that JDS might be fighting Alistair Overeem instead.

First, this started floating around:

@ArielHelwani
JDS told Dana yesterday he has respect for Cain but he doesn't wanna fight him, wants to KO Overeem because he has been acting like a "punk"
And that was later expanded on by Brett Okomoto of ESPN:

@bokamotoESPN
ESPN confirms with @lorenzofertitta JDS is scheduled for Dec. 29 in Las Vegas but opponent TBD.
So, it looks like they're leaving the door open to book Overeem into the title shot despite currently without a fight license and unable to apply until mid to late December...the month of the JDS fight. That would be a very risky move, but the Nevada State Athletic Commission's pathetic behavior at Overeem's license hearing certainly suggests they wouldn't make too big of a deal of it.
Source: BloodyElbow.com

If this has already been posted, please let me know - couldn't find it anywhere :p
 
#5 ·
Overeem said last night on MMA Uncensored Live that he's gonna meet with the commission this month and might get a conditional license.
 
#12 ·
Turns out that was a false statement. It will also be almost impossible for him to get a license in time for December 29th:

Aug 10, 2012 - Speaking optimistically about his future, Alistair Overeem said on Thursday night's MMA Uncensored Live on Spike TV that he and his team would soon go in front of the Nevada state athletic commission (NSAC) with hopes of receiving a conditional license for a possible Dec. 29 heavyweight title fight against champion Junior dos Santos. He even went so far as to say that a date for the meeting had been tentatively set, but not confirmed.

This came as news to the commission's executive director, Keith Kizer, on Friday morning, who told MMA Fighting that while NSAC will hold its regular monthly meeting on August 24, Overeem is not among the scheduled topics of discussion. In fact, he said, he hasn't even heard from anyone in Overeem's camp about putting him on the docket.

"That must be wishful thinking," he said. "He will not be on the agenda."

Furthermore, Kizer said under existing state statutes, Overeem would not be able to apply for a license until December 27, making his eligibility for a fight two days later a near-impossibility. In effect, Kizer said, there is no legal way to grant him an early hearing.

"I see no way to do that. I know of none," he said. "But even if the commission had some discretion to grant some waiver of time, I personally don't see this as the case. I'd be against that. There is some discretion at the commission level, but I don't think this is the case to use that discretion. This is not just a guy who engaged in cheating, but a guy who ran out the front door when the testing was being done."

The last comment is in reference to Overeem's March 27 drug screening that eventually tested positive for an increased T/E ratio. During an April NSAC hearing about the matter, Kizer testified that Overeem sped out of the MGM Grand after being told he would be subject to a test before returning after prodding from UFC management.

Kizer said that Overeem would be able to take some goodwill steps towards the future licensing process including getting his medicals done and having them prepared to file on the first day of eligibility, but that his licensing was unlikely to be moved up.

That goes against the hope of Overeem, who said on Thursday, "I think we will get it sooner. Maybe a conditional license that I have to appear and do some random tests"

"We have a set date," he went on to say when asked if he was set to see the commission. "This month."

While Overeem will not be going in front of NSAC in August, Kizer did note that through the UFC, he has received results of drug testing that Overeem self-initiated.

"I can't speak for the commissioners, but I give him a little credit for it," he said. "I appreciate the effort. I'm not sure how relevant it is though. I guess any negative test has some merit. It definitely beats any positive result."

In the meantime, Kizer said the commission can still request a random sample of Overeem, with the results affecting his future standing in Nevada.

"If he fails or if he refuses to test, that would be a factor [in the licensing process]," he said. "Or if he passed, that would be a factor, too. There's always the ability to ask."

While Overeem and even UFC co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta recently voiced a hope that the former Strikeforce champion could be licensed early, paving the way for a long-awaited matchup with dos Santos in December, if Kizer's interpretation of the state's rules are correct, it won't happen on their time frame. Instead, Overeem will have to wait things out and re-apply on December 29. And if that's the case, with promotion critical to an event's success and no certainty to Overeem's situation until two days before fight night, Cain Velasquez is likely to rematch with the man that beat him for the gold.
Source: MMAFighting.com

So - Will it be Cain after all? And if yes, why wait so long?
 
#6 ·
Really wish JDS is booked to face the clown "Overeem" who needs someone to remind him that he is no #1 contender, especially inside the UFC.

Sorry Cain, you got your ass kicked and KO'ed out, so wait for another chance later not now. Now we want to see this clown get shutdown once and for all.
 
#7 ·
Pathetic. What is this suspension going to teach Overeem? He's clearly treating it like some sort of ******* joke, and it really is.

His entire HW career is a god damn farce. Dude gets exposed for having gorilla levels of testosterone, gets banned for a little bit and then comes back to an immediate title shot. A complete farce.

This fraud should come back and be back at the bottom of the ladder, having to fight 2 or 3 more people to earn his shot.

I hate cheating.
 
#8 ·
This has JDS sitting out way too long, but at least if it's Reem then his opponent will have been out for even longer.

It's very lax giving Reem a shot after all this, but he was scheduled for JDS originally and giving the shot to Cain is less justfiable IMO.

Past that though, who is there? Mir was the last guy they could promote well and no one else has moved up the ranks since. They'll all be victims on JDS' record anyway, the order doesn't really matter.
 
#10 ·
Overeem getting a shot right after his suspension would be a joke. I do honestly think once JDS hits Overeem that he'll turn into a little kitty kat like he usually does when he gets hit hard. Part of me wants to see that but for the most part I think its just wrong to give Overeem treatment like that. How bout Cormier? Probably too close to his fight with Mir but he is someone new that has game.
 
#13 ·
Hopefully there's just a big scheme with the UFC and the NSAC involved to teach Overeem a lesson. They get JDS and Cain signed, but keep it quiet, then lead Overeem to believe he will be able to get a license 2 days before the fight, then deny him the license and laugh at him.
 
#18 ·
My next 3 for Dos Santos:-

Cain Velasquez: Okay, JDS KOed him pretty easily, but there are still so many questions that didnt get the chance to be asked. I still think Velasquez is the best opponent, and until when Vitor lost to Silva, Velasquez was actually the champ at the time so it wouldn't be unfair to give him the quick rematch.

Daniel Cormier: If he beats Mir, it gives us one more step towards finally having Strikeforce call it a day and merge the two together.

Alistar Overeem: Give him Roy Nelson while JDS fights Cormier. That will force him to have to earn his way back into the lime light and not just reward him after breaking the rules (but also gives the fans the fight they want to see).
 
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