UFC
UFC 146: Dana White says Frank Mir vs. Cain Velasquez "will happen", JDS left without clear opponent
Apr 7, 2012 - 10:00:21 PM UFC 146: Dana White says Frank Mir vs. Cain Velasquez "will happen", JDS left without clear opponent

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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

We still don't know what Alistair Overeem's ultimate fate will be with the Nevada State Athletic Commission after a positive drug test for an elevated T/E ratio, but if he is taken out of a bout with Junior dos Santos at UFC 146, it won't be Frank Mir stepping into his spot.

UFC President Dana White responded to a fan on Twitter overnight, saying that the set co-main event bout between Mir and former Champ Cain Velasquez will still happen.

If and when Overeem is removed from the title bout, that leaves a lot of questions over who could be put into that slot at UFC 146, as White has also said that dos Santos will indeed defend his title on that card whether it's against Overeem or not.

A vocal minority has been trying to convince the UFC to put in Mark Hunt, who has shockingly won three straight fights in the UFC, but when asked about the #RallyForHunt campaign on Twitter, White said he hadn't heard of it.

Fabricio Werdum, the man dos Santos knocked out in shocking fashion in his 2008 UFC debut, is scheduled to fight a month later at UFC 147 in Brazil, though he'd likely jump at a chance to avenge that loss.

Other heavyweights on the UFC 146 card include Roy Nelson, Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva, Shane del Rosario, Gabriel Gonzaga, and Stefan Struve, though none of those names are in line for a title fight. At this point, if it's not Mir, and it's not a rematch with Velasquez, this is up in the air until the UFC announces a fight.

Penick's Analysis: It was announced on Friday that Fedor Emelianenko's next fight is scheduled for June, so he's not likely an option, and there isn't anyone else outside of Zuffa for them to reasonably bring in. Brock Lesnar retired and returned to the WWE so they won't be pulling him back on short notice. They could potentially take either Daniel Cormier or Josh Barnett from the Heavyweight World Grand Prix finals in Strikeforce, but that would go against the deal they've got in place. If they're not going with Mir and they're not going to go with Cain I honestly don't know what they're going to do here, because I can't realistically see them putting Mark Hunt in a title fight right now.