"I thought PEDs were legal there" - Former UFC star reacts to Alistair Overeem's failed drug test and subsequent suspension
A former UFC champion reacted to Alistair Overeem getting banned by Glory Kickboxing for a year over a failed drug test.
Overeem is a former UFC fighter, having fought many of the top fighters in his division and dishing out some vicious knockouts during his tenure with the company. However, more recently, Glory Kickboxing banned the fighter for his drug use and Ben Askren reacted to the news with a very sarcastic remark. The former champion did not hold back:
"Wait I thought PEDs were legal there…."
Alistair Overeem has been accused of using Performance Enhancing Drugs (PEDs) throughout his career. He also tested positive for the same shortly before his fight against Junior Dos Santos at UFC 146 back in 2016. The Dutchman's physique has altered quite a lot over the years, from the extremely muscular fighter who fought Badri Hari to the subdued version that fought Alexander Volkov.
In his last fight in the UFC, the Dutchman looked nowhere near his old formidable self. However, ever since leaving the company, he has gained a lot of muscle and size back, which brought in the question of him using PEDs again. A failed test by Glory Kickboxing confirmed these rumors.
Take a look at the tweet:
Glory Kickboxing overturns Alistair Overeem's win against Badr Hari
Glory Kickboxing, a fight organization that has seen the likes of Alex Pereira and Israel Adesanya rise through its ranks, banned the former UFC fighter. Overeem signed with the promotion back in 2021 and he most recently fought Badr Hari in a trilogy match of a rivalry that lasted for 12 years. This third fight was the deciding fight for the pair.
After a wild opening round, 'The Demolition Man' slowly started taking over the fight. He stunned Hari in the second round, then went on to knock him down twice in the third round. The sudden comeback won the favor of the judges who scored the fight with a unanimous decision victory for Alistair Overeem, thus successfully ending a twelve-year-long rivalry.
However, following his failed drug test, Glory Kickboxing overturned the Dutchman's victory over Badr Hari to a no-contest, meaning the rivalry is still undecided. Now 42, Alistair Overeem has a decision to make. He will either wait out his ban and fight again next year or hang up his gloves.