A few years from now, when memories of UFC 146 must be spurred by a quick Wikipedia scan, it will be remembered as a strong event filled with decisive finishes. It may be recalled as the night when Junior dos Santos first solidified himself as MMA's undisputed heavyweight king, or perhaps as the moment the heavyweights seized attention as combat sports' most exciting division.
If we're lucky though, the event will have a very different legacy, and a far more important one. It will be the turning point for drug testing in MMA.
Think about this: as good as the card turned out, how much better might it have been if Alistair Overeem hadn't visited a quack doctor and injected himself with testosterone before being busted by the Nevada state athletic commission? Because of that burning question, for me, it will be remembered for what might have been as much as for what actually transpired.
The overall product was undeniably entertaining, but as many expected, the main event was not particularly competitive. After the fight, Mir admitted he had no interest in participating in striking exchanges with dos Santos but was left with no other option before being knocked out. Because of his style, Overeem would have provided a very different test.
We might never know how a dos Santos vs. Overeem fight would play out. The massive Dutchman is still under suspension, and when his nine-month sidelining runs out in late December, he'll still have to go in front of an NSAC hearing to pacify any of their concerns in hopes of obtaining a new license. By the time he's ready to fight again (likely around March 2013), who knows if dos Santos will still be the champion?
And even if he is, there's no guarantee that Overeem will get an automatic title shot. Even though UFC president Dana White said he would likely keep his place in line as a title challenger, there's a lot of time between now and then, and that means plenty of opportunities for a new contender to rise or UFC brass to simply change their minds.
You know this sport: one injury, one problem and the window to make the big fight is gone forever. That's why we never saw Anderson Silva vs. Georges St-Pierre or Fedor Emelianenko vs. Randy Couture. So regardless of White's comment, we don't know if dos Santos-Overeem will ever happen.
But if there is any silver lining to the Overeem cloud, it's this: after months of insisting the UFC could do little more to complement the existing drug testing done by state commissions, White finally acknowledged the promotion could and would take a more proactive approach, and in fact, emphasized what a crucial step it might be.
Not long afterward, heavyweight Roy Nelson upped the ante, saying he would challenge his next opponent to take part in voluntary random drug testing and would out anyone who declined while placing them under suspicion of using.
"I'll be the guy who says it and then say, "That guy doesn't want to test. I wonder why," he said.
Nelson shouldn't be forced to take that kind of position, but at least he has determined that somebody needs to do something proactive.
The loss of Overeem off the card probably cost the UFC millions. After knocking out Brock Lesnar at last December's UFC 141 -- an event that drew approximately 800,000 pay-per-view buys, tied for the largest number of 2011 -- Overeem was at his peak drawing power.
He certainly would have been paraded in front of the mainstream media as the man who ended Lesnar's MMA career, and given that he was the last Strikeforce heavyweight champion, the UFC also could have promoted the event as a unification bout. It could have been a doozy.
Instead, it all got thrown away due to Overeem's injection.
Perhaps the UFC realized that the cost of implementing some sort of random testing plan, even with fighters around the world, would be less than the money lost when major fights like Overeem-dos Santos are scrapped. Or perhaps they realize there is a credibility problem when main event stars are getting popped for PEDs and drugs.
Either way, if it affects business and it affects the viewer, it's an issue worth addressing, so taking steps to enact true random testing can only be considered a positive. Many will suggest that the UFC policing itself in such a program is not an ideal situation, but they will most likely have to partner with an organization that conducts the testing and can act as its administrator. It may not be the best setup, but it's better than what we have now.
I can't help but feel that Overeem vs. dos Santos would have been a more interesting and more exciting bout than what ended up in its place. That's no knock on Mir, but the style matchup was not to his benefit. But if we had to sacrifice one major fight in order to give the sport the wakeup call it needed when it comes to drug testing, at least it will not have been in vain. Overeem's presence would have made UFC 146 seem even bigger than it was, but his absence might have a greater long-term impact than his presence ever would have.
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Junior dos Santos nails Frank Mir with a left at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Junior dos Santos walks to the cage at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Junior dos Santos readies himself at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Junior dos Santos walks into the cage at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Frank Mir prepares for Junior dos Santos at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Junior dos Santos does his pre-fight ritual at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Frank Mir covers up from a Junior dos Santos overhand right at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Junior dos Santos relaxes between rounds at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Junior dos Santos again throws the right at at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Frank Mir tumbles after eating a hard shot from Junior dos Santos at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Frank Mir tries to cover up from punches at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Frank Mir attempts to land a knee at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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A hard punch forces Frank Mir to step back at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Frank Mir tries to hang on after being hurt at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Frank Mir lays on the canvas after his loss to Junior dos Santos at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Junior dos Santos is declared the champion at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Junior dos Santos is animated and excited after his win at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Junior dos Santos poses for the media after his win at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Junior dos Santos and his team pose for pictures after his win at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Antonio Silva readies for Cain Velasquez at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Antonio Silva at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Cain Velasquez works top position at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Cain Velasquez holds Antonio Silva down at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Antonio Silva is covered in his own blood at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Cain Velasquez wears the blood of Antonio Silva at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Cain Velasquez works a front head lock at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Antonio Silva tries to stand, but Cain Velasquez forces him back down at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Referee Josh Rosenthal yells instructions at Antonio Silva at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Cain Velasquez wins by TKO stoppage at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Cain Velasquez is victorious at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Antonio Silva has doctors attend to him at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Antonio Silva walks back to the dressing room at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Roy Nelson follows up on a hurt Dave Herman at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Roy Nelson enters the Octagon at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Dave Herman lands a push kick on Roy Nelson at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Roy Nelson lands a hard overhand right at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Dave Herman collapses after being hit with a hard punch from Roy Nelson at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Roy Nelson is declared the winner at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Shane del Rosario prepares at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Stipe Miocic gets checked by the Nevada State Athletic Commission at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Shane del Rosario lands a body kick on Stipe Miocic at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Shane del Rosario nearly lands a knee at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Stipe Miocic fires a right hand at Shane del Rosario at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Stipe Miocic lands an elbow on Shane del Rosario at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Shane del Rosario with a huge cut on his eyebrow at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Lavar Johnson readies to fight Stefan Struve at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Stefan Struve readies for an armbar at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Lavar Johnson winces as he is armbarred by Stefan Struve at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Lavar Johnson is saved by Yves Lavigne at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Stefan Struve is declared the winner at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Diego Brandao tries to ground and pound Darren Elkins at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Darren Elkins lands on Diego Brando inside at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Darren Elkins continues to work from mount at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Darren Elkins smiles after winning at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Darren Elkins is declared the winner at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Jamie Varner lands a hard right hand on Edson Barboza at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Jamie Varner follows up on a hurt Edson Barboza at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Jamie Varner celebrates after winning at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Edson Barboza protests about the referee stoppage at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Jamie Varner is declared the winner at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Dan Hardy readies for Duane Ludwig at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Dan Hardy waves on UFC announcer Bruce Buffer at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Dan Hardy lands a right elbow on Duane Ludwig at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Dan Hardy lands a left hook on Duane Ludwig at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Dan Hardy follows up on a hurt Duane Ludwig at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Dan Hardy elbows a prostrate Duane Ludwig at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Dan Hardy celebrates his victory at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Dan Hardy kisses the ground after winning at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Dan Hardy is declared the winner at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Duane Ludwig walks to back of the arena at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Jason Miller spits at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Jason 'Mayhem' Miller gets controlled by C.B. Dollaway at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Jason Miller eats an uppercut from C.B. Dollaway at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Jason Miller tries to stand up from a takedown at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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C.B. Dollaway finishes the round on top at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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C.B. Dollaway is declared the winner at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Jason Miller takes a breath after his loss to C.B. Dollaway at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Paul Sass works an oma plata at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Paul Sass celebrates after submitting Jacob Volkmann at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Paul Sass celebrates after submitting Jacob Volkmann at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Glover Teixeira after winning at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Glover Teixeira submits Kyle Kingsbury at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Glover Teixeira elbows Kyle Kingsbury at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Mike Brown readies himself for Daniel Pineda at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Mike Brown works on top against Daniel Pineda at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Mike Brown eats a left hook at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Darren Elkins works from mount at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Daniel Pineda takes Mike Brown's back at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Mike Brown is declared the victor at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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Arianny Celeste carries a round card at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.
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A shot of the crowd at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 26, 2012.