Alistair Overeem gunning for Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos after Strikeforce Grand Prix
"My main passion is MMA,"
"I've done more MMA bouts than K-1, but I do like K-1. It did perfect my striking, but I would have to say MMA. I like MMA just a tad more, that's why I did some K-1 fights earlier in my career but then I chose MMA."
You may have noticed that Overeem and Saki also met during the K-1 Grand Prix last year. Unlike so many fighters in MMA today, Overeem doesn't have any reservations about fighting against teammates. The tournament format prevalent in kickboxing helped shape that mentality and has made the prospect of fighting a teammate, like Sergei Kharitonov, nothing more than another paycheck.
"For me it's a pay day," Overeem said. "I mean, you're in the gym fighting each other, hurting each other and then you're in the cage fighting for money. For me, I mean, it's your job, why not? There has to be a big demand for the fight though, I wouldn't go out and challenge any teammate. But if it would be in a tournament style or a championship bout, I see no reason at all to not take the fight."
"Fabricio Werdum is a very good grappler, maybe the best grapper in MMA to date at this time, and he's grown since our last encounter, but so have I. I think I'm better now. I've grown more than he can anticipate. I'm better on the feet, I also think I'm better on the ground, so I'm pretty confident that I'm gonna get him."
Recently Werdum has taken to calling Overeem "son" in interviews, an obvious sign of disrespect or maybe just a little something to get in his opponent's head. Regardless, Overeem isn't listening.
"It's definitely about revenge," Overeem said. "For me, believe me, I'm motivated. But he can say whatever he wants, I know I'm going to be prepared for this fight. I'm very motivated. Keep talking, I ain't listening."
Recently, Junior dos Santos went out of his way to mention the Dutchman, along with Brock Lesnar, as fighters who he thought may be using steroids. Dos Santos questioned how someone like Overeem could have gotten so big, so fast without using some kind of help. Overeem didn't even want to respond to the allegations.
"I have no answer," Overeem said. "Like I said, he can say what he wants. I've fought numerous times in the states. I've always done all the tests, like all the other athletes and I've always come through the test negative."
Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic, though, seems to be another story altogether.
"He declined to fight me on two occasions and then he fought some no name," Overeem explained. "Knocked him out in like 20 seconds. And then he announced to the pubic, live in the venue, 'Yeah I hope to come back again,' and he said something like 'Respect for my opponent, he is the one who wanted to step up. There was nobody else who wanted to fight me.' Well he declined to fight me twice. So that's rubbing me in the face. And then the light began to spark off between us because I was calling him like 'You're lying.' I dislike people who lie.
"Then he talked about me a little bit, I talked about him and then we got the fight. My opinion, I showed the world who was the better one, and for me that was the end of that. One other thing, they offered the rematch after at the Dynamite show. He declined that again and then for me it was enough. I already know he doesn't want to fight me, he knows he's gonna lose. For me, he declares I'm better, so that was fine. Since then he's been going back to the UFC and he performed average. So for me there is nothing to gain by fighting him."
Emelianenko lost. Twice. And the luster of the fight has now diminished for many fans out there, but not for Overeem.
"I think he has accomplished great things in the past," Overeem said. "He is a true legend, he's been undefeated for ten years. I mean nobody can say that. Is he overrated? I mean, Fedor is aging a bit, but I still think he is able to show great fights. I've been trying to fight him myself but that fight has not materialized yet. So maybe in the future, I don't know."
"Cain is a good striker, good wrestling," Overeem said. "He, in my opinion, is not ranked number one. How do I see myself against him? Well it's gonna be a great fight. He is a well rounded fighter. I think I'm better on the feet, on the ground probably equal. It's probably gonna be a matter of time, it's gonna be a matter of time until we see that fight."
"In my opinion, the winner of the Strikeforce GP is, without a doubt, the number one in the world,"
When asked who he wanted to fight the most, with no title on the line, he didn't even hesitate before answering.
"Cain Velasquez," Overeem said. "And why? Because he is the UFC champion, and believe you me when the tournament is over, I'll be coming for him. And after I'm done with him, we're gonna go after dos Santos for his nice comment." (if sb doesn't know, Dos Santos said that Reem (and Brock) have to be using roids, coz they are so big)
"My main passion is MMA,"
"I've done more MMA bouts than K-1, but I do like K-1. It did perfect my striking, but I would have to say MMA. I like MMA just a tad more, that's why I did some K-1 fights earlier in my career but then I chose MMA."
You may have noticed that Overeem and Saki also met during the K-1 Grand Prix last year. Unlike so many fighters in MMA today, Overeem doesn't have any reservations about fighting against teammates. The tournament format prevalent in kickboxing helped shape that mentality and has made the prospect of fighting a teammate, like Sergei Kharitonov, nothing more than another paycheck.
"For me it's a pay day," Overeem said. "I mean, you're in the gym fighting each other, hurting each other and then you're in the cage fighting for money. For me, I mean, it's your job, why not? There has to be a big demand for the fight though, I wouldn't go out and challenge any teammate. But if it would be in a tournament style or a championship bout, I see no reason at all to not take the fight."
"Fabricio Werdum is a very good grappler, maybe the best grapper in MMA to date at this time, and he's grown since our last encounter, but so have I. I think I'm better now. I've grown more than he can anticipate. I'm better on the feet, I also think I'm better on the ground, so I'm pretty confident that I'm gonna get him."
Recently Werdum has taken to calling Overeem "son" in interviews, an obvious sign of disrespect or maybe just a little something to get in his opponent's head. Regardless, Overeem isn't listening.
"It's definitely about revenge," Overeem said. "For me, believe me, I'm motivated. But he can say whatever he wants, I know I'm going to be prepared for this fight. I'm very motivated. Keep talking, I ain't listening."
Recently, Junior dos Santos went out of his way to mention the Dutchman, along with Brock Lesnar, as fighters who he thought may be using steroids. Dos Santos questioned how someone like Overeem could have gotten so big, so fast without using some kind of help. Overeem didn't even want to respond to the allegations.
"I have no answer," Overeem said. "Like I said, he can say what he wants. I've fought numerous times in the states. I've always done all the tests, like all the other athletes and I've always come through the test negative."
Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic, though, seems to be another story altogether.
"He declined to fight me on two occasions and then he fought some no name," Overeem explained. "Knocked him out in like 20 seconds. And then he announced to the pubic, live in the venue, 'Yeah I hope to come back again,' and he said something like 'Respect for my opponent, he is the one who wanted to step up. There was nobody else who wanted to fight me.' Well he declined to fight me twice. So that's rubbing me in the face. And then the light began to spark off between us because I was calling him like 'You're lying.' I dislike people who lie.
"Then he talked about me a little bit, I talked about him and then we got the fight. My opinion, I showed the world who was the better one, and for me that was the end of that. One other thing, they offered the rematch after at the Dynamite show. He declined that again and then for me it was enough. I already know he doesn't want to fight me, he knows he's gonna lose. For me, he declares I'm better, so that was fine. Since then he's been going back to the UFC and he performed average. So for me there is nothing to gain by fighting him."
Emelianenko lost. Twice. And the luster of the fight has now diminished for many fans out there, but not for Overeem.
"I think he has accomplished great things in the past," Overeem said. "He is a true legend, he's been undefeated for ten years. I mean nobody can say that. Is he overrated? I mean, Fedor is aging a bit, but I still think he is able to show great fights. I've been trying to fight him myself but that fight has not materialized yet. So maybe in the future, I don't know."
"Cain is a good striker, good wrestling," Overeem said. "He, in my opinion, is not ranked number one. How do I see myself against him? Well it's gonna be a great fight. He is a well rounded fighter. I think I'm better on the feet, on the ground probably equal. It's probably gonna be a matter of time, it's gonna be a matter of time until we see that fight."
"In my opinion, the winner of the Strikeforce GP is, without a doubt, the number one in the world,"
When asked who he wanted to fight the most, with no title on the line, he didn't even hesitate before answering.
"Cain Velasquez," Overeem said. "And why? Because he is the UFC champion, and believe you me when the tournament is over, I'll be coming for him. And after I'm done with him, we're gonna go after dos Santos for his nice comment." (if sb doesn't know, Dos Santos said that Reem (and Brock) have to be using roids, coz they are so big)
