For years, the shadow of PED allegations has followed Alistair Overeem. When recently given a direct chance to step into the light, for some reason, he chose to stay in the gray. This isn’t a new topic for him. From his “Ubereem” physique era to failed tests like the one before UFC 146, the conversation has followed him for years. Speaking to Uncrowned, the Dutch MMA and kickboxing legend first addressed the broader picture.
“Right now, you saw the testing. So, there’s like a testing protocol that cannot, does not allow PEDs. In that sense, again, UFC has done a great job cleaning up the sport,” Overeem said. “In the beginning of UFC and MMA, I should say, there has been times that has been rampant. Yes, absolutely.”
That part wasn’t controversial. In the early 2000s, especially in the PRIDE era, there were far fewer restrictions, and enforcement varied across commissions. But when the conversation shifted to his own actions, his answer stood out.
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“You want to hear my honest opinion? I don’t have any comment about myself,” the MMA veteran confessed. “Let’s just say that, in my career, I have done what all the fighters at the time were doing. OK? It just became very clear that in the time of USADA, then it was like eliminated, which again is UFC going mainstream, taking the necessary steps, adding USADA into the mix, which eliminates PED usage.
“But people do say the guys who want to beat the tests are ahead of the testers, though. You don’t think so?”
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To fully understand what Alistair Overeem is hinting at, you have to look at the TRT era, one of the most controversial stretches in MMA history. For a period in the late 2000s and early 2010s, fighters could legally use Testosterone Replacement Therapy with approval from athletic commissions.
On paper, it was meant for medical needs. In practice, it blurred the line. Veterans like Vitor Belfort and Dan Henderson saw late-career surges, knocking out opponents and extending their runs well into their 40s. Belfort, in particular, went on one of the most explosive streaks of his career during that period.
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By 2014, the backlash had caught up. TRT was banned, and the sport began moving toward stricter anti-doping measures. That transition period sits right in the middle of Alistair Overeem’s career, which is why his comments about “what all the fighters at the time were doing” land with a bit more weight. The problem was apparently so widespread in the sport that even Georges St-Pierre recently came out with a startling revelation on how rampant the issue truly was in MMA.
Georges St-Pierre reveals PED usage among his training partners
Unlike many from that era, GSP is one of the few elite names who never tested positive. Fifteen years at the top, multiple title defenses, and still considered one of the greatest ever. So when he speaks on PEDs, people listen a little differently. And his take? It doesn’t clean things up. It complicates them even more.
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“Look, I never used performance-enhancing drugs, but I have trained many times, with different training partners that are my friends, and [they’ve] openly said it to me when they are on cycles,” the UFC legend said on the Danny Jones podcast. “I can tell you, it makes such a crazy big difference, it’s insane. Some guys that say, ‘Oh, it’s me who threw the punch, it’s not the product.’ Bullsh—. You would maybe not have had the vigilance or the clairvoyance to react if you would not have been on that drug.”
He even broke down what fighters were using: higher testosterone for aggression and recovery, substances to boost stamina, often mixed together. From his perspective, it wasn’t random; it was calculated—a system within the sport. But Georges St-Pierre addressed the present too.
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“100% [they’re still cheating today],” he said bluntly.
Even with USADA and random testing, he believes it’s still possible to get around the system. He explained that while things improved once USADA introduced stricter random testing, the earlier days of the sport were essentially unregulated, where getting caught required carelessness.
Even now, he believes testing isn’t foolproof and can still be manipulated, adding that completely eliminating cheating is extremely difficult as long as financial incentives remain. Overeem’s admission paints a picture of a level playing field in a bygone era, but St-Pierre’s confirmation of rampant use raises a more troubling question: If cheating was that widespread then, and is still possible now, what does that say about the true integrity of the sport’s history?