Alistair Overeem Fighting by End of 2012? Up to the NSAC, Says Lorenzo Fertitta

Alistair Overeem is currently serving a nine-month suspension for his failed drug test and until that suspension from the Nevada State Athletic Commission runs up, the UFC will not book an Overeem fight.

Overeem tweeted on Monday that he would be back by December to take the belt.

"

I'll be fighting again in December and mark my words, I'll be back.. to get the belt, sooner rather later.

— Alistair Overeem (@Alistairovereem) June 18, 2012"

Currently, Overeem is unable to be licensed by the NSAC until December 27th, which means if he wanted to, he could fight on a New Year's Eve card for the UFC.

According to UFC co-owner, Lorenzo Fertitta, the UFC will wait until the NSAC licenses the suspended fighter before getting a fight for the former Strikeforce, K-1 and Dream champion.

"That's speculation," Fertitta texted to ESPN.com. "It's in the NSAC's hands. [The UFC] can't be presumptuous."

Overeem was set to face current UFC heavyweight champion, Junior dos Santos, in May at UFC 146. Due to a failed drug test, Overeem was then pulled from the fight and then suspended for nine months by the NSAC.

Overeem's failed drug test came after an iffy situation that involved a hearing with NSAC prior to his UFC 141 fight with Brock Lesnar.

The failed drug test was due to an elevate testosterone-to-epitestosterone level of 14:1. In a hearing with the NSAC on April 24, Overeem admitted to giving himself injections with a substance that contained testosterone for a rib injury and that the injection was prescribed by Dr. Hector Molina.

The UFC is still unsure whether or not Overeem will immediately fight for the title or take another fight when he returns from suspension at the end of the year.