Alistair Overeem and Steroids: When the MMA Media Goes Too Far

Steroids and PEDs (Performance Enhancing Drugs) are always a hot topic in sports, as if taken by an athlete they can give a completely unfair advantage to the athlete and in the case of combat sports especially, end up injuring their opponent due to using PEDs. I sincerely doubt that there are any fans of MMA or kickboxing who condone the usage of PEDs, regardless of the results. They are banned for numerous reasons, the first being the obvious, giving an unfair advantage, and the second biggest reason is the damage that they do to the fighter taking them. We have all heard of "roid rage" -- or severe mood swings, as well as the wear and tear they have on the heart if taken for too long. Some believe them to be safe is cycled correctly, but studies and experts have always erred on the side of caution when it comes to them.

This has become by far one of the hottest topics leading into this Saturday's Strikeforce: Heavy Artillery event for the sole reason that Dutch kickboxer and grappler Alistair Overeem makes his long-awaited return to an American ring since winning the Strikeforce Heavyweight title in 2007 against Paul Buentello. 

Now, since last we saw Overeem in the United States, it is fair to question the amount of muscle mass he has put on, as there is a clear difference between the Overeem that won the Strikeforce belt against Paul Buentello and the Overeem who went on a tear in K-1 and has looked like a monster in the DREAM ring. Of course, when you take into account that there has been well over two and a half years in between the time when Overeem won the belt in Strikeforce. At the time, Overeem was in the 225 - 230 range and was quite lean for that weight. Since then, Overeem has moved to a lean 255 - 260 and the questions are being asked, rightfully so, if Overeem had any help when it came to his growth. 

We have attacked the topic before with Alistair Overeem's manager, Bas Boon who has always (in his own way) denied the claims and proclaimed them ridiculous. The only somewhat direct, firsthand claims I can find are from Zabit Samedov, who himself tested positive in his last fight in the United States. Of course, it came off like bitter grapes as a fighter who tested positive and then calls out, by name, a fighter who defeated him (Errol Zimmerman) as a steroid abuser from a shaky third-hand account. So it is safe to say that Alistair Overeem and Bas Boon understand that the topic is going to be breached.

Over the past few weeks it has become increasingly clear that the only story most of the credentialed-media cares about going into the main event is implying that Alistair Overeem uses steroids to improve his physique. As Zach Arnold has pointed out, the media has actually gone as far as to with a wink-wink and a nudge-nudge refuse to promote him due to him being tired of the steroid topic. What has happened is that a gang mentality has taken over in regards to Overeem, and there is actually not even a question anymore of if Overeem is taking steroids, it has simply become a fact to many that he is, regardless of him not being tested yet. From what it seems like, the situation is like this; if Overeem tests positive for steroids he is a dirty cheater. If Overeem does not test positive for steroids (or is somehow not tested), he is still a dirty cheater and is simply using more expensive steroids that the tests cannot pick up. The problem here is that part of being a journalist is objective reporting and using facts to back up your arguments.

None of that is happening here, instead this is playing out like a Salem witch hunt where Overeem is faced with a situation where if he floats he is a witch and if he drowns, well, oh well. American justice has evolved since then, and the concept introduced quite a while ago was "innocent until proven guilty," when it feels like most of the media is in the boat of "guilty until proven guilty, and if proven innocent, well, he is still guilty." What this actually is playing off as is prejudice, which in and of itself is scary. No, it has nothing to do with the color of his skin, but instead his nationality and where he has made his money fighting. American fighters have tested positive before and the media touches upon it briefly and moves on. Frank Mir lost some fat and put on over 20lbs of lean muscle after the loss to Lesnar but the media never went as far as to condemn him before his fight. Sean Sherk looked swollen for his size and until he tested positive nobody thought a thing of it. The difference here is they were UFC fighters, fighting in the United States and the conception is that because they get tested every so often, it isn't worth speculating.

Alistair Overeem knew he was fighting in the United States again and was, up until his arrival, excited at the prospect of it, but I'm sure the past few weeks have soured him to it. While I don't consider myself anywhere near as objective as I could be sometimes, I'm willing to give Overeem the benefit of the doubt and unless he tests positive for steroids, I do not believe it should be the biggest issue going into a big fight like this.

SBN coverage of Strikeforce St. Louis: Heavy Artillery