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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
Fedor Emelianenko and M-1 Global tried to plant seeds for a bout with Alistair Overeem this week. However, in doing so, they called for Overeem to undergo Olympic style drug testing, bringing the steroid issue debate back into conversation.
Overeem has now questioned the timing of Fedor's challenge, saying they've delayed the fight already for a long time; and he doesn't think he has any reason to be singled out for the Olympic style drug tests.
"They already declined to fight me," Overeem said in comments made to MMAJunkie.com. "(They said), 'Maybe Alistair needs extra drug testing; Maybe Alistair needs to fight other opponents first, and [then] maybe, he deserves to fight Fedor.' So these guys, they declined to fight me."
But now that Fedor has lost, and Overeem has already begun preparing for the K-1 tournament beginning this fall, the M-1 is ready to challenge him.
"Now, all of a sudden, they've dropped their terms," Overeem said. "Now, they do want to fight me. It's all tricks, and I don't feel pressured by it at all."
As for M-1 Global's call for Olympic style drug testing, Overeem doesn't understand how they can call for it from him alone.
"M-1 shows in Russia don't do any drug testing on ... any of their fighters," he said. "So why do they want that for me when they're not doing it on their own fighters? I don't understand it at all, and I think it's just another trick of [Fedor's] management."
With that said, Overeem said he'd be willing to undergo that level of testing, provided it was implemented across the board.
"I've [undergone] the athletic-commission drug testing every time I've fought there, and I've always come through the test negative," he said. "I'm the champion now, so I get tested every time I fight. I'm doing my part as an MMA fighter, [like] every MMA fighter, and I'm going to be tested every time because I'm the champion. So the argument of me having to (get) extra tests – why am I any different? Who put me in that position?
"If they're going to implement it for all MMA fighters, then I'll be happy to submit myself. I'm going to do what everybody does because I'm not any different."
As for not wanting to take the Fedor fight, Overeem just points to the criticism that came from his bout with Brett Rogers for the Title in May, where Rogers was coming off a loss.
"When I fight Fedor, I'm sure it's going to be a title fight, and I already fought Brett [Rogers when] he came off a loss. I don't want to keep doing that. Werdum was a legitimate winner from the fight [with Emelianenko]. He's the No. 2 of Strikeforce. So I believe I should fight Werdum. If he's still injured, then I'll fight Fedor because he's still a worthy opponent, and I've challenged him for a year."
So now Strikeforce is left with their top three heavyweights out of action, possibly until the new year. And now they'll need to see what they can do to get Fedor into the cage against someone other than Overeem or Werdum.
Penick's Analysis: M-1's call for added drug testing for Overeem is laughable. Fedor has already fought numerous fighters that have actually failed a steroid test, and he was going to fight Josh Barnett, who had been popped twice previously, before Barnett failed a third time. Now there's speculation that he still wants the Barnett fight, possibly in Japan on New Year's Eve, yet no Olympic style drug testing is being called for with that fight. Overeem has no reason to bend over backward for Fedor and M-1 Global on the testing issue, and while it's an area in this sport that desperately needs to be cleaned up, this isn't a sign of Fedor and M-1 trying to push that agenda in the sport. If it gets implemented all around in every commission, clearly Overeem will go for it, but as of now, he's right and it's another tactic from M-1 Global. And if M-1 got wind of the fact that Overeem was planning on fighting in K-1 before issuing this challenge than it's another dubious move on their part.
RELATED STORY: STRIKEFORCE QUOTABLES: Alistair Overeem refuses Fedor fight in 2010, says co-promoting doesn't allow Strikeforce to make logical fights: [CLICK TO READ FULL ARTICLE]
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Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
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