Overeem: ‘Haters’ have accused me of steroid use since I was 17

"People have accused me of using steroids since I was 17. I remember my first fight, my girlfriend was in the audience, and she told me people, jealous guys, were whispering I was taking steroids. That was when I was 17. I was a middleweight back then. All I can say is my side of the story. When I was 20, I was already a natural heavyweight. I weighed 222 pounds. Cutting the weight to light heavyweight worked out in the beginning, but I couldn't do a strength and conditioning program and I was dieting all the time. When I made the decision to move to heavyweight, I went on a food program, [and] strength and conditioning program, and I gradually gained weight. Eleven years ago, I was 222 pounds. Now I'm 265. That's 40 pounds added in 11 years. I firmly believe everyone is entitled to his/her opinion. We have free speech. If people want to talk that way, let them talk that way. I can't control what people say. If they want to insinuate things, that's fine. I'm too occupied with my own career to bother with it."