UFC standout Overeem denied license by Nevada Athletic Commission
Alistair Overeem’s request for a continuance of his licensing hearing was denied Tuesday by the Nevada Athletic Commission, but the Ultimate Fighting Championship star received a measure of leniency from the panel meeting at the Lou Ruvo Center.
After ruling against attorney David Chesnoff’s request for an additional 45 to 60 days to put together a more complete case on behalf of Overeem, the commission heard from the fighter, his attorney and doctor as to why a surprise out-of-competition drug test conducted March 27 showed a testosterone-to-epitestosterone ratio of 14:1, more than twice the limit of 6:1 allowed by the commission .
The four commissioners present (TJ Day was not) voted unanimously to reject Overeem’s request for a license, but they set the time he must wait to reapply to nine months from the date of the test, instead of the standard 12-month waiting period that could have begun Tuesday.
Overeem is eligible to apply again on Dec. 27.
“It’s rare we ever go less than 12 months for reapplication on a denied license app,” commission chairman Raymond “Skip” Avansino said after the hearing. “But in this case I think it’s a result of no prior experience where he has been found utilizing steroids or any other type of drug, and perhaps there was an incident here where he took a composition injection and wasn’t fully aware.”
Also Tuesday, UFC officials announced that a blockbuster middleweight title rematch between Chael Sonnen and champion Anderson Silva will be moved to UFC 148 in Las Vegas to headline the July 7 card at the MGM Grand.
The rematch between Silva and Sonnen of an epic 2010 bout had been scheduled to headline an event at a Rio de Janeiro soccer stadium on June 23.
A United Nations conference scheduled for the same week caused logistical concerns that forced UFC officials to move the fight.
UFC president Dana White announced the switch during a Tuesday morning news conference in Brazil. UFC 147 still will take place on June 23 in Brazil but at a different venue.
UFC officials already had announced that Overeem would be pulled from a scheduled May 26 title bout against champion Junior dos Santos at the MGM Grand in favor of Las Vegan Frank Mir.
Overeem, who argued an injection from a Texas doctor meant to treat several persistent injuries was to blame for the spike in testosterone levels, was hoping to fight again by the fall.
While that’s not going to happen, each of the four commissioners credited the 31-year-old for being forthright and articulate during the hearing.
The same could not be said of Overeem’s doctor, Hector O. Molina.
The Dallas-area physician stammered and paused his way through questioning from the commission on whether he informed Overeem that testosterone was included in a shot he administered to the fighter in his office and the vial of the mixture he sent home with Overeem.
Molina said he told Overeem over the phone to inject himself just days before the urine test was conducted in Las Vegas.
Overeem brought the vial, which was crudely labeled “Anti-Inflammatory,” with him to the meeting Tuesday.
An Internet search revealed a Dr. Hector Oscar Molina was fined $25,000 and cited by the Texas Board of Medical Examiners for prescribing controlled substances and dangerous drugs over the Internet without establishing a “proper physician-patient relationship.”
A Dr. Hector Oscar Molina also was mentioned in two news reports detailing botched plastic surgery procedures.
Contact reporter Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5509.