Overeem's testosterone level drops below normal at UFC 156

Overeem at the UFC 156 weigh-in: Testosterone level almost half of normal. Photo: Josh Hedges/UFC

The anti-doping test of alistair overeem surprised once again. The Dutchman, who was closely monitored at UFC 156, after being caught with excess testosterone in his system, this time had levels of the hormone well below normal. On Thursday night (28), the Nevada State Athletic Commission, the entity that sanctioned UFC 156, revealed that Overeem had “dangerously low” testosterone levels for a high-performance athlete.

According to executive director Keith Kizer's report, the Dutch fighter showed 179 nanograms per deciliter of blood in his test, a number that represents almost half of what is considered normal.

“A reading below 300 (nanograms) would be considered low, and less than 250 is low enough to open the risk of a variety of health problems. Low testosterone leads to loss of aggression, decreased strength and total slowness”, said an excerpt from the report.

Understand the case:

Overeem was scheduled to face junior gypsy at UFC 146, in May 2012. But the fighter was caught in a surprise doping test, in March last year, with high levels of testosterone in his body. As a result of what happened, Overeem was dismissed for nine months and, in his place, Frank mir was scheduled to fight for the heavyweight belt against Júnior dos Santos.

At the time, Overeem's defense claimed that the high level of testosterone found in the fighter's body was the result of an injection prescribed by his doctor. The defense strategy, however, was not as successful. A Nevada State Athletic Commission, who maintained the punishment for “The Reem”, as he is known, claimed that the athlete is responsible for any and all substances that appear in his body.

Given the continuation of the punishment, Overeem only returned to fight at UFC 156, on February 2nd. During the preparation and on the fight night itself, the heavyweight was closely monitored by the event organizers and members of the Athletic Commission. Inside the octagon, the Dutchman performed in line with the report presented by Kizer. He started the fight well Antonio Pezão, but lost his fighting rhythm in the second half of the duel and ended up being knocked out in the third round.