UFC Says Mir Was On Standby If Overeem Was Denied UFC 141 License

[No More Sorrow]

LAS VEGAS – So UFC 141's main event hung in the balance, after all.

Frank Mir (16-5 MMA, 14-5 UFC) was on deck in the event that the Nevada State Athletic Commission declined to license Alistair Overeem (35-11 MMA, 0-0 UFC) to fight Brock Lesnar (5-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC), UFC president Dana White today told MMAjunkie.com (UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps | MMAjunkie.com).

"I promise I didn't lie in Toronto about Alistair," White said. "I really had no idea."

Questions hung thick in the air when Overeem was placed on the agenda for an NSAC meeting this month and faced "possible action." As the world later found out at said meeting, he had missed a pre-fight drug test after flying to Holland to care for his ailing mother and then sent the wrong type of test (blood instead of urine) back to the commission when alerted of the problem. In the end, he was granted a fight license on the condition that he submit to additional drug testing.

White scoffed at the idea that the former Strikeforce, K-1 and DREAM champion was off the card when pressed on rumors about his withdrawal at the post-event press conference for UFC 140, which took place in Toronto. But he admitted today that he was covering his promotion's rear in more ways than one.

"Mir was our backup plan," he said. "And sometimes, yeah, I have to lie to you."

Mir, who broke Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira's arm in a submission win at UFC 140, quickly volunteered to fill Overeem's spot at Friday's event should any change materialize.

Overeem, however, complied with the NSAC's initial demands and will fight Lesnar, as scheduled, on the pay-per-view main card of UFC 141 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. There was no mention of his travails with the commission today at a pre-event press conference. (He will be required to submit to two random drug tests six months following the event.)

It's not the first time White has admitted to being less than honest about the goings-on within the UFC. He shot down several confirmed reports that Tito Ortiz had been replaced by Rich Franklin on "The Ultimate Fighter 11" after an injury. Franklin, in fact, did replace him.

Later, White said it was just the cost of doing business.

"Lie is a big word," White said. "You never know. You know how I am. You ask me questions, and I'll tell you the answers. But there are some times that I have to do what I have to do."

With a tremendous amount at stake in Friday's blockbuster PPV card – Lesnar is the UFC's biggest PPV draw and the promotion has already invested a great deal into the fight – White clearly felt the same way.

So Mir is definitely in the mix somewhere, perhaps after whomever wins this weekend fights Dos Santos, Mir will get the next shot after.

 

[Dale]

I reckon it could go something like

Loser of Brock/Overeem gets Mir, winner gets JDS.
Mir beats Brock/Overeem and gets JDS/Brock/Overeem

Worst booker ever

 

[No More Sorrow]

I'm thinking that Cain Velasquez and Mir fight when Cain returns, and the winner of that fight matches up with whomever is champion at the time.

 

[No More Sorrow]

Although, none of this is going to happen for a while as Dos Santos is out until May-June.

 

[Ben]

Think Lesnar wins on Friday and then we get Lesnar/JDS obviously.

Plus keep in mind that SF guys will be coming up in the summer which will def help the division out, and I could see big foot coming up even sooner.

I'd like to see:
Mir/Cain
Nelson/Big Foot
Overeem/Barnett
Carwin/Kongo

 

[No More Sorrow]

Forgot all about Strikeforce guys, Carwin/Kongo would be an interesting fight.I'd also love to see big foot fighting for the UFC this upcoming year.

 

[Ben]

Gonna happen as once they finish the Tourney the HW division is done in SF, so figure prob start seeing anyone worth a damn minus Barnet and Cormier up in the UFC next year. Hopefully they give Barnett a shot as he honestly still is a top 10 HW imo, just a matter of him staying clean and passing drug tests.

 

[No More Sorrow]

Agreed about Barnett.

Are you going to be on here Friday for UFC?

 

[Ben]

Don't know yet, not going to try to stream cause on a Brock card there all laggy as shit. Either going to order it or just check it out at Buffalo Wild Wings.

 

[No More Sorrow]

I wanted to go to BWW but, idk i think i might just stay home and order it.

 

[Deuce]

Think Lesnar wins on Friday and then we get Lesnar/JDS obviously.

Plus keep in mind that SF guys will be coming up in the summer which will def help the division out, and I could see big foot coming up even sooner.

I'd like to see:
Mir/Cain
Nelson/Big Foot
Overeem/Barnett
Carwin/Kongo

Couldn't agree with you more, those would be pretty epic fights.

 

[Troy]

If Mir had replaced Overeem I don't think that he would have been able to beat Lesnar. It wouldn't have been enough time between fights for him and even though he has improved since the last Lesnar fight I think that Lesnar would have been able to deal with him.

Whoever wins this gets JDS and then I like the idea of Mir vs. Cain to determine the next challenger.