ALISTAIR OVEREEM

[UkrainianGuy]

OVEREEM DEMOLISHES ROGERS, CALLS OUT FEDOR



It was short night for the return of Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem as he simply outmatched and punished Brett Rogers for a first round win, and now the only thing on his mind is Fedor Emelianenko.

After spending 2 ½ years away from the promotion, Overeem came back on fire Saturday night, displaying his usual aggression to put Rogers on his heels early. Landing some good leg kicks combined with combinations, Overeem maintained control and even tossed Rogers down to the mat when the opportunity arose.

Once on the ground, Overeem was just too much, passing the guard of Brett Rogers, and dropping bomb after bomb on the Chicago native. As Rogers turned to his side to try and avoid the punishment, Overeem continued to crush him with punches, and referee John McCarthy mercifully stopped the fight.

Spending time in Japan focusing primarily on kickboxing, Overeem promised to come back soon to the Strikeforce cage and solidified his spot as champion on Saturday night.

"It's been a while, but I'm back, and I'm the champion of Strikeforce and I'm here to stay," Overeem said in victory.

It was uttered before the fight and it continued afterwards that the only fight that Overeem wants right now is a match-up against the top heavyweight in the world.

"Fedor Emelianenko," Overeem answered when asked who he wanted to fight next. "His management declined to fight me tonight, respect for Brett because he stood up and wanted to fight me like a man. I think now it's Fedor's time."

Fedor will return to action in just over a month to face Fabricio Werdum in San Jose, and Overeem will continue to call for the fight that seems almost like an inevitable match-up for the Strikeforce heavyweight belt. Now it's just a matter of Strikeforce and M-1 Global coming to terms to make it happen.

That looks to be the biggest challenge of all.

[UkrainianGuy]

FOR ALISTAIR OVEREEM IT'S FEDOR OR BUST!

I want to fight Fedor.

Give me a fight with Fedor.

Fedor, fight me.

There are many variations on the theme, but the refrain is the same... Alistair Overeem wants to fight Fedor Emelianenko.

With the Strikeforce heavyweight champion’s first round demolition of Brett Rogers on Saturday night, it would seem the fight could now happen. Not so fast.

Remember, Fedor has another fight on his hands first. He is scheduled to face Fabricio Werdum in a Strikeforce and M-1 Global co-promotion on June 26 in San Jose, Calif.

If he wins there then let’s talk.

“I know Alistair would love to fight Fedor, and that's a conversation that will happen after June 26,” said Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker on Saturday night. “You can't assume. Fabricio Werdum is an amazing fighter and what if he beats Fedor? So then it shuffles the deck again.”

Most fighters will say that they want to fight whoever the promotion wants or whoever wins the fight. Not so for Overeem. He has a definitive match-up in mind.

"Definitely Fedor. Fedor is a way more exciting fighter. He's always looking for the kill, fighting stand-up or on the ground, like me,” Overeem explained of his desire to fight the No. 1 heavyweight in the world.

“Werdum is more ground. I prefer fighters who go for the kill. It’s more exciting fights instead of fighters who stall. I'm not saying that Fabricio is a stalling fighter, but the Fedor fight is a little more attractive, more aggressive, less stalling."

Let’s face it, Fedor is regarded by most as the top of the heap in the heavyweight division. It is nearly unanimous... save for UFC president Dana White.

So why wouldn’t Overeem have his sites fixed on the top of the mountain?

“Fedor is a legend,” said Overeem, “and if you want to become a legend you have to fight a legend and you have to beat the legend.”

Coker is happy with Overeem’s return because his heavyweight division is now brimming with solid match-ups.

“What I am excited about is now there's some amazing heavyweight match-ups that we're going to be able to put together with Alistair and Andrei (Arlovski) and (Antonio) ‘Giant’ Silva and Fedor in the mix, so the heavyweight division is looking strong."

But to Overeem there is only one name in that mix that he cares about. Say it with me, “Fedor!”

Coker won’t budge... talk of Overeem vs. Fedor will just have to wait until June plays out.

“Alistair has told me many times that he would love to fight Fedor,” said Coker. “He's called Fedor out when he fights in Japan all the time. So he's looking forward to taking that fight, but that's going to be something where we're going to have to sit down after the June 26 fight.

“And like I said, you can't count Fabricio out. The timing could be right for him to move forward. So I think that when you look at that fight it has to be something that M-1 and Strikeforce will sit down after that fight is over."

Most everyone believes Overeem vs. Fedor is the premier match-up in Strikeforce’s heavyweight division.

Overeem lived up to his end of the bargain by crushing Brett Rogers.

Now it’s Fedor’s turn with Werdum, but that’s no given.

It would, however, give Overeem, and everyone else, the match-up that we all want to see.

[Pitbull9]

YO THATS MY BOY, HE FUCKED UP ROGERS NICELY!!!!!!!

[UkrainianGuy]

THE TIMES ARE A-CHANGING: OVEREEM'S EVOLUTION

"The times they are a-changing." – Bob Dylan

Mixed martial arts has been one of the most evolutionary sports since it's inception, and with the times changing so must the fighters. Whether it's changing fight camps, changing trainers, changing weight classes or just changing strategies, evolution is part of fighting.

Alistair Overeem is a fighter who has learned that all too well over the last few years, and the results have been staggering. Since defeating Paul Buentello to win the Strikeforce heavyweight title in 2007, the Dutch hammer hasn't lost a fight, and also managed to become a force on the K-1 kickboxing scene as well.

After defeating Brett Rogers on Saturday night, Overeem talked about the major changes he went through to get to this point, and what he'll continue to do to hit the next step in his career.

"I've changed a lot of things. A lot of personal things also," said Overeem. "I changed trainers. I went up in weight. I changed the way I trained and worked out. I'm basically just thinking about stuff, being creative, being creative with my team, and bringing in some other people just to think about stuff."

Overeem's attitude about everything shifted a few years ago after a series of losses opened up his eyes to what was going wrong, and what had to be done to keep moving forward.

"2006 was a bad year. I had three consecutive losses. You know, when you have three consecutive loses that makes you think," said Overeem. "I am a fighter. That's my nature. I always want to win, so you find different ways to win. What was going wrong? What was going wrong? There was some personal stuff. There was some stuff in training that wasn't right. Basically what I did I just looked at everything in detail."

The team working with Overeem instituted the changes, and over the last few years the former 205-pound fighter who suffered from bad cardio has turned into a beast of a heavyweight who has crushed the competition of late.

"What you see today is a product of the changing. It's still changing everyday, every week, every month," Overeem stated. "We evaluate. We sit down with the team. I have meetings with all of my staff, which is like ten people, and everyone has ideas. And I'm always changing techniques, my situation."

The work has paid off as Overeem is now a Top 10 heavyweight, and with the win over Brett Rogers he's beaten another legit threat in the division. Now it's just a matter of who's next?

[Atlast]

yeh but he got K.O d by BADR HARI in 1 round

[UkrainianGuy]

OVEREEM MAKING STRIKEFORCE
TOP PRIORITY IN 2010

Taking two and a half years away from a promotion while still holding onto a title belt tends to raise a few questions when the fighter finally returns. The questions immediately arise if they plan on being away that long again.

Alistair Overeem successfully defending his belt on Saturday night, defeating Brett Rogers by first round TKO, and while he has never denied a desire to go back to K-1 for more fights this year, he plans on returning to the Strikeforce cage as well.

Nothing is set in stone at this point, but Overeem is confident that things can be worked out to bring him back to the U.S. for another fight in the near future, as he plans on putting Strikeforce first in 2010.

"You definitely won't have to wait that long anymore as I've decided to focus and put America and Strikeforce as a priority," said Overeem. "I'm hoping to fight this year again in Strikeforce, maybe twice. We're just going to have to sit back and see what happens in the Fedor fight and sit down with Scott and make the planning, but my intentions are fighting more."

The heavyweight division in Strikeforce has grown since Overeem left, and beyond the obvious name of Fedor Emelianenko, other fighters have stepped up as well, including Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva who was successful in his fight on the same night.

Overeem plans on examining the division and seeing other fighters, and then he'll understand what threats are out there to his heavyweight title. One thing is for sure though, anybody that plans on facing him better be ready for a war.

"I think I can beat anybody in the shape that I am now. Still I think they're all good fights. I think that people will want to see those fights. I want to see those fights. Basically I'm going to be ready for anybody that the promotion will put in front of me," he said following his dismantling of Rogers.

Of course the giant elephant in the middle of the room when talking about fights with Overeem is his undying desire to face top heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko. The Dutchman admits that it's frustrating to not get that fight, and his only wish is to become the best by beating the best.

"Fedor is a legend and if you want to become a legend you have to fight a legend and you have to beat the legend. So I was hoping that he ask for him to be a legend by his management and want to fight the champ because he'd need to in Strikeforce. He's not the champion in Strikeforce," said Overeem.

"So I was thinking, hoping that he would like to have that fight, but his management declined. And of course it's sort of a disappointment, but may be for the better reason, I don't know. It gave me a good comeback with Brett Rogers and some cage experience that I didn't have for two and a half years. So it may be for the better."

At this point Overeem doesn't care under what terms he has to fight Fedor to get him in the cage, he doesn't even need the belt to be on the line. He just wants see if the "Last Emperor" can hang with the "Demolition Man."

"I would love to fight him. If it's for a title or not, that doesn't matter to me," said Overeem.

The Strikeforce heavyweight champion has stated that he plans on competing in K-1 as well later this year, at least on their New Year's Eve show. As far as his Strikeforce commitments, look for him to keep a watchful eye on the upcoming June 26 fight between Fedor Emelianenko and Fabricio Werdum.

[UkrainianGuy]

[UkrainianGuy]

[UkrainianGuy]

[Unchained]

From Main Card of Pay per view to Prelims on Fox...hope he will be back on main card soon.

[Westersund]

my man and regular reader of MD magazine, Alistair Overeem has KO'd Junior Dos Santos to set him on the course to fight for the heavyweight title..

Junior is one of the hardest fighters to knock out and Overeem completly flat lined him setting him up to fight the winner of Cain vs Werdum most likely..
Overeem has been down many times and i personally have been very down on him but he did not give up and has had the goal of becoming UFC heavyweight champion since entering..congrats Alistair

Too much details dude...

[endeavourzen]

From Main Card of Pay per view to Prelims on Fox...hope he will be back on main card soon.

The fight wasn't on prelims.JDS vs Overeem were the co main event to RDS vs Cerrone. A lot fighters now are quite happy to fight on these fox cards. The exposure the fighters get is surprisingly greater across mainstream tv(fox sports)then if they were to fight on a PPV card where only the true mama enthusiast will pay money to see.

[Pitbull9]

My man won me some money, not only did i bet on him i bet he would KO JDS. OH YEAH!