"The Reem" has come clean. Well, so to speak.

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Heavyweight Alistair Overeem today (April 23, 2012) has broken his silence over a failed drug test administered by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) back on March 27, one that returned a testosterone-to-epitestosterone (T/E) level of 14:1 and forced his removal from the upcoming UFC 146 pay-per-view (PPV) event on May 26 in Las Vegas.

"Demolition Man" explains why in his official statement:

I absolutely do not believe in, nor do I use performance-enhancing drugs. I am a clean fighter and I will do whatever it takes to prove this to everyone.

Prior to the UFC 146 press conference in March, I aggravated an old rib injury on my left side. My doctor prescribed, and I accepted, an anti-inflammatory medication that was mixed with testosterone. I was completely unaware that testosterone was one of the ingredients in the medication. Although I was unaware, I do realize it is my job to know what I am putting into my body.

I respect the Nevada Commissioners and Executive Director Keith Kizer and what they are doing to keep
the sport of mixed martial arts regulated and safe for athletes. I look forward to working with them in the days and weeks ahead.

The cutoff limit for T/E is 6:1 under the NSAC guidelines, which is two points higher than most stateside athletic commission will allow. The average male is typically 1:1 under normal conditions.

With no clear answer as to whether or not Overeem would be able to obtain his license to fight, the promotion was forced to pull him from the event altogether, then shuffle a handful of existing players already scheduled to compete to help fill in the gaps.

That's good news for Frank Mir, who's been promoted to headliner status opposite UFC Heavyweight Champion Junior dos Santos. Mir's original opponent, Cain Velasquez, has been re-booked to face Antonio Silva.

Overeem is expected to appear in front of the NSAC tomorrow (April 24) in an effort to plead his case and pave the way for future licensing. Be sure to keep it locked in to MMAmania.com for our live blog and real-time updates of "The Reem's" hearing beginning at Noon ET.

Stay tuned.