UFC
NSAC's Keith Kizer says there's "no way" for Alistair Overeem to apply early for license
Aug 10, 2012 - 8:45:49 PM

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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Alistair Overeem appeared on Thursday's edition of MMA Uncensored on Spike TV, and claimed that he would be meeting with the Nevada State Athletic Commission this month in hopes of being granted a license earlier than his Dec. 27 application date.

"I'm not licensed yet to fight, so of course the UFC cannot promote anything," Overeem admitted during the program (transcribed by BloodyElbow.com). "I gotta get my license first... I'm able to reapply for my license in December a couple days before the fight. But we have a strategy. We're going to go in front of the commission sooner with the argument of good behavior."

"We have been doing random tests on our own. They were all witnessed by an independent doctor. In the hope of getting a license sooner. I think we will get it sooner. Maybe a conditional license that I have to appear and do some random tests. We have a set date this month [to appear before the commission]. Nothing [is] confirmed, we're gonna try and get it. Hopefully we will."

However, despite his hopes, and his claim that he's meeting with the commission, NSAC executive director Keith Kizer told MMATorch on Friday that he doesn't have a date scheduled to meet with the commission. Indeed, when asked if there was a scenario where Overeem would be licensed earlier than Dec. 27 by the commission, Kizer simply responded, "no."

As has been pointed out this past month, the NSAC's bylaws do not have any provisions allowing them to re-hear Overeem's case, and as they've cut his license denial time already, further concessions aren't likely to be handed out. Also, as Kizer stated in a separate interview with MMAFighting.com, it's absolutely not something that he would be in favor of given Overeem's failed test earlier this year and the circumstances surrounding it.

"I see no way to do that. I know of none," he said regarding Overeem getting licensed early. "But even if the commission had some discretion to grant some waiver of time, I personally don't see this as the case. I'd be against that. There is some discretion at the commission level, but I don't think this is the case to use that discretion. This is not just a guy who engaged in cheating, but a guy who ran out the front door when the testing was being done."