Dana White: Frank Mir will not replace Alistair Overeem against JDS

With a replacement opponent for UFC Heavyweight Champion Junior dos Santos yet to be announced, it now appears the consensus leading candidate, Frank Mir, has been excluded as a possibility.

UFC President Dana White confirmed as much via Twitter, announcing that the UFC 146 co-main event, a number-one contender bout between Frank Mir and Cain Velasquez, will go ahead as planned on May 26th. “Mir vs. Cain will happen,” he tweeted.

Originally set to challenge for the title was former Strikeforce and Dream champ, Alistair Overeem. That match-up, however, came under doubt when news broke earlier this week that the Dutchman had failed a surprise drug-test following a pre-fight press conference held to promote the event.

With the Nevada State Athletic Commission now unlikely to grant Overeem a license to compete, speculation surrounding his replacement has run rampant. Though Mir has topped the list of suggested candidates, other such names as Velasquez, Fabricio Werdum, Mark Hunt, and even Light Heavyweight contender, Dan Henderson, have also been proposed.

Who the promotion will ultimately select to step in remains unclear, however White has assured that dos Santos will, in fact, defend his title in the headlining bout.

UFC 146 goes live May 26th from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. In addition to the aforementioned match-ups, the all Heavyweight card will also feature TUF 10 winner Roy “Big Country” Nelson taking on Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva, Gabriel Gonzaga welcoming promotional newcomer Shane del Rosario, and Mark Hunt squaring off with Stefan Struve.

Further Reading: Dana White: UFC 146 title fight will happen no matter what

Photo: Scott Hirano