Frank Mir receives TRT exemption for UFC 169 fight with Alistair Overeem

Frank Mir has been granted a therapeutic-use exemption for testosterone-replacement therapy for his fight with Alistair Overeem this Saturday at UFC 169.

The heavyweight fighter today confirmed the news to MMAjunkie. Nick Lembo, a representative of the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board, later confirmed Mir’s statements in an email to MMAjunkie.

Mir will enter the event on a three-fight losing streak, including defeats to former champion Junior dos Santos, Daniel Cormier and Josh Barnett.

The former heavyweight titleholder also received an exemption for his UFC 164 bout with Barnett, which he lost via controversial first-round knockout this past August. That was the second time that Mir has publicly received a TUE for one of his fights. He was also granted one for his UFC 146 championship contest against dos Santos in Las Vegas.

Lembo said that the state of New Jersey has chosen to honor Mir’s previous exemptions from Nevada and Wisconsin.

“Please be advised that we have chosen to honor the TUE’s for TRT for Mr. Mir already granted by the states of Nevada and Wisconsin,” Lembo wrote. “Those records were provided to this agency.”

“Upon application in New Jersey, Mr. Mir was required to be seen by a board certified endocrinologist at a major medical institution for this particular exemption for this particular fight.  The detailed report from the endocrinologist and applicable medical records were reviewed by our lead MMA ringside physician Dr. Sherry Wulkan.”

The matchup with Overeem (36-13 MMA, 1-2 UFC) is significant for Mir (16-8 MMA, 14-8 UFC) and his future, as a loss could mark the end of a UFC tenure that dates back to 2001 and includes more than 20 bouts inside the octagon.

UFC 169 takes place Saturday at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on FOX Sports 1 and UFC Fight Pass.

UFC President Dana White has had a back-and-forth stance on TRT, the latest change coming after the Association of Ringside Physicians began a push to eliminate all therapeutic-use exemptions from the sport.

According to Lembo, the fighter will continue to be monitored up until and after the fight via blood, hair and urine testing.

“[Mir] has been, and will continue to be monitored via blood, hair and urine testing well prior to the event, near the event, pre bout, after the bout, and well after the competition date.”

Other known users of TRT currently on the UFC roster include Vitor Belfort, Chael Sonnen and Dan Henderson. Overeem in 2012 tested positive for elevated testosterone-to-epitestosterone levels and was removed from a title fight with dos Santos and replace by Mir. When Overeem returned for a fight in Las Vegas against Antonio Silva, a third-round loss, he tested with lower than normal T-E levels.

For the latest on UFC 169, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.