Dana White won’t deal with Alistair Overeem when he returns but doesn’t think his suspension should affect his standing
UFC President, Dana White has been giving his thoughts on former Strikeforce heavyweight champion, Alistair Overeem following his nine months suspension for elevated levels of testosterone, explaining he won’t be dealing with him, although he expects the giant Dutchman to return to the status of contender.
Speaking via MMAWeekly.com, Dana said:
“He lied to me. He sat in front of us, he lied to us, I’m not interested. I don’t have to deal with people I don’t want to deal with and I don’t want to deal with him, Lorenzo will.”
But he won’t be released, and will likely be fighting again.
“He went before the athletic commission and he got his punishment. He’s going to serve his sentence now and when he comes back, he has to apply for a license again and then we’ll go from there.”
One thing that people were very curious about was whether Overeem would just be re-inserted into a title fight once his suspension was up. White stated that Overeem should have to work his way back up again.
“Yeah, I think he should (regain his standing in the division).”
Frank Mir took Overeem’s slot in the main event of UFC 146 Las Vegas, Nevada this past weekend and unsuccessfully challenged current heavyweight champion, Junior dos Santos for his title on the night. Can Overeem rebuild his career and more importantly reputation in the coming months as he attempts to prove he’s a clean fighter who was at the mercy of an incompetent doctor? Tell us what you think…
By Michael Pepper. (Follow me on Twitter)
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