Alistairem Overeem Wants Vitali Klitschko
- Thread starter Johnny Truelove
- Start date
Why do MMA fighters always call out boxers?
You never see a boxer calling out an MMA fighter unless they are way, way, way past their prime (Toney, Mercer, etc.).
Vitali wouldn't give Overeem the time of day. His manager wouldn't even return the call. In fact, he would probably delete the voice mail about 5 seconds into it.
You never see a boxer calling out an MMA fighter unless they are way, way, way past their prime (Toney, Mercer, etc.).
Vitali wouldn't give Overeem the time of day. His manager wouldn't even return the call. In fact, he would probably delete the voice mail about 5 seconds into it.
boxing's a part of MMA, most guys are competitors and want to try out their skills against the very best. Plus a big payday doesn't hurt.
Diaz has outboxed everyone he's fought for the past 4 years and is probably the best boxer at 170 lbs in MMA. Reem's the K-1 champ and has outstruck everyone since he got KO'd by Sergei (who has boxed pro a few times lately). They just want to test their skills against the best opponents, they're not trying to degrade them or anything.
Diaz has outboxed everyone he's fought for the past 4 years and is probably the best boxer at 170 lbs in MMA. Reem's the K-1 champ and has outstruck everyone since he got KO'd by Sergei (who has boxed pro a few times lately). They just want to test their skills against the best opponents, they're not trying to degrade them or anything.
It's all about the payday.
It is degrading through and it's pretty insulting. I'm an MMA fan as well but you can't have Overeem who gorilla tackles people and hammer fists people to unconsciousness in the same ring as a prize fighter. It's a joke and no one wants to see it. The minimum payday for a challenger would be as much as he has made in all his fights combined.
Diaz is a slight exception because the guy can more than likely go 10-12 rounds if he wanted to. Plus I agree, he is the best boxer in MMA. Overeem needs to stick to running steroid cycles in Japan.
It is degrading through and it's pretty insulting. I'm an MMA fan as well but you can't have Overeem who gorilla tackles people and hammer fists people to unconsciousness in the same ring as a prize fighter. It's a joke and no one wants to see it. The minimum payday for a challenger would be as much as he has made in all his fights combined.
Diaz is a slight exception because the guy can more than likely go 10-12 rounds if he wanted to. Plus I agree, he is the best boxer in MMA. Overeem needs to stick to running steroid cycles in Japan.
Reem did an interview with MMAFighting.com today and said he won't fight in the HWGP in september because he already agreed verbally to fight in October and won't be ready in time for the Sept. 10th date they announced last week. So I think that's why he's saying this now, he's threatening to go box so that they'll move the date back.
Alistair Overeem Says Zuffa Threatened to Remove Him From Strikeforce GP
Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem has been a fighter under the Zuffa banner for only a few short months now, but already the relationship has become a bit strained.
Overeem told Ariel Helwani on Monday's edition of The MMA Hour that he has not agreed to the proposed Sept. 10 date for the semifinal round of the Strikeforce heavyweight Grand Prix, and his opposition is causing some tension with his new employer.
"That is not going to take place," Overeem told Helwani. "Stikeforce has requested me to accept the fight for Sept. 10, to agree on that, but I have not agreed on it and I also had some emails, some questions asked, is the fight confirmed? No, the fight is not confirmed. I do not confirm it and I will not confirm it."
Originally, Overeem said, he agreed on an October return to the cage to face Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva in the next round of the tournament. He claimed he needed that time to recover from his last fight -- a three-rounder with Fabricio Werdum in the quarterfinals, which he said he went into with a broken toe -- as well as to properly prepare for Silva.
Recently he was informed that Strikeforce was targeting the date in early September, which Overeem deemed "too short notice," and rejected. Then the backlash from his new employers began, he said.
"What's going to happen next, I don't know. I've had some threats of cutting me out of the tournament if I don't participate. I don't know if they're going to do it. Personally, I don't like to be threatened. If people start talking like that then...be my guest, but then I'm really not going to sing to their tune."
Overeem said he's let his management handle all the negotiations and has not spoken directly with anyone at Strikeforce or Zuffa on the subject because he has a "too short temper to deal with people who can be disrespectful."
This is the first negative experience he's had with the new Strikeforce owners, Overeem said, but it's one that seems as though it could derail the relationship early on.
"For them to unilaterally declare, okay, [September 10] is going to be the second round, which I never agreed on, and then threaten me if I don't want it, it...doesn't really show a lot of respect," he said.
Overeem added that he was unsure how seriously to take threats that he could be cut from the tournament, but insisted he wouldn't be pressured into taking a fight before he felt adequately prepared.
"The fights that I've lost -- I'm not the guy going for excuses -- I blame myself. That is where this decision is coming from. I don't want to blame myself. ...What I do now is I [do] my homework, I make sure everything is perfect, and then I fight. With that formula I've had some great results in the last four years, and I'm not prepared to throw that all away because people pressure me."
If he is dropped from the tournament, Overeem said, he still plans to fight in October. He noted that his Strikeforce contract allows him to fight in other promotions, so he's already informed his management to make sure that he has a fight lined up -- either in MMA or even potentially in K-1 -- for October.
"The thing is, there's other promotions. There's other stuff I can do. K-1's going to come back. There's some good reports on that. There's some other promotions in the world that would love to have me fight. So for me, the respect thing is definitely a factor and it's definitely important."
As for reports that he'd be interested in a boxing match with one of the Klitschko brothers, Overeem acknowledged that he might need a few warm-up bouts first -- he currently has zero pro boxing matches to his credit -- but added that his K-1 experiences had only improved his striking skills for MMA, so perhaps some boxing experience would do the same.
"Boxing is a new challenge," he said. "Why not?"
In fact, the only fight he doesn't seem interested in is one on September 10. While some fighters might need to capitulate to promoter demands due to the state of their careers, Overeem said, he isn't one of them. He's still the Strikeforce heavyweight champion, and he isn't going to be rushed.
"I'm a fighter who likes to fight," said Overeem. "I love to be very active. I'm going to fight [in] October regardless. If it's not going to be for Strikeforce, then I'll fight somewhere else."
damn.
Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem has been a fighter under the Zuffa banner for only a few short months now, but already the relationship has become a bit strained.
Overeem told Ariel Helwani on Monday's edition of The MMA Hour that he has not agreed to the proposed Sept. 10 date for the semifinal round of the Strikeforce heavyweight Grand Prix, and his opposition is causing some tension with his new employer.
"That is not going to take place," Overeem told Helwani. "Stikeforce has requested me to accept the fight for Sept. 10, to agree on that, but I have not agreed on it and I also had some emails, some questions asked, is the fight confirmed? No, the fight is not confirmed. I do not confirm it and I will not confirm it."
Originally, Overeem said, he agreed on an October return to the cage to face Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva in the next round of the tournament. He claimed he needed that time to recover from his last fight -- a three-rounder with Fabricio Werdum in the quarterfinals, which he said he went into with a broken toe -- as well as to properly prepare for Silva.
Recently he was informed that Strikeforce was targeting the date in early September, which Overeem deemed "too short notice," and rejected. Then the backlash from his new employers began, he said.
"What's going to happen next, I don't know. I've had some threats of cutting me out of the tournament if I don't participate. I don't know if they're going to do it. Personally, I don't like to be threatened. If people start talking like that then...be my guest, but then I'm really not going to sing to their tune."
Overeem said he's let his management handle all the negotiations and has not spoken directly with anyone at Strikeforce or Zuffa on the subject because he has a "too short temper to deal with people who can be disrespectful."
This is the first negative experience he's had with the new Strikeforce owners, Overeem said, but it's one that seems as though it could derail the relationship early on.
"For them to unilaterally declare, okay, [September 10] is going to be the second round, which I never agreed on, and then threaten me if I don't want it, it...doesn't really show a lot of respect," he said.
Overeem added that he was unsure how seriously to take threats that he could be cut from the tournament, but insisted he wouldn't be pressured into taking a fight before he felt adequately prepared.
"The fights that I've lost -- I'm not the guy going for excuses -- I blame myself. That is where this decision is coming from. I don't want to blame myself. ...What I do now is I [do] my homework, I make sure everything is perfect, and then I fight. With that formula I've had some great results in the last four years, and I'm not prepared to throw that all away because people pressure me."
If he is dropped from the tournament, Overeem said, he still plans to fight in October. He noted that his Strikeforce contract allows him to fight in other promotions, so he's already informed his management to make sure that he has a fight lined up -- either in MMA or even potentially in K-1 -- for October.
"The thing is, there's other promotions. There's other stuff I can do. K-1's going to come back. There's some good reports on that. There's some other promotions in the world that would love to have me fight. So for me, the respect thing is definitely a factor and it's definitely important."
As for reports that he'd be interested in a boxing match with one of the Klitschko brothers, Overeem acknowledged that he might need a few warm-up bouts first -- he currently has zero pro boxing matches to his credit -- but added that his K-1 experiences had only improved his striking skills for MMA, so perhaps some boxing experience would do the same.
"Boxing is a new challenge," he said. "Why not?"
In fact, the only fight he doesn't seem interested in is one on September 10. While some fighters might need to capitulate to promoter demands due to the state of their careers, Overeem said, he isn't one of them. He's still the Strikeforce heavyweight champion, and he isn't going to be rushed.
"I'm a fighter who likes to fight," said Overeem. "I love to be very active. I'm going to fight [in] October regardless. If it's not going to be for Strikeforce, then I'll fight somewhere else."
damn.
Overeem yanked from Strikeforce grand prix, Cormier to fill in against "Bigfoot"
Alistair Overeem (35-11 MMA, 3-0 SF) today informed the world he would not be fighting for Strikeforce on Sept. 10.
Strikeforce today informed Overeem his services will not be needed for the remainder of Strikeforce's heavyweight grand prix.
In a shocking development, MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) has confirmed that Overeem has been pulled from the tournament, and Daniel Cormier (8-0 MMA, 5-0 SF) will take his spot in the semifinals of the promotion's heavyweight grand prix.
The change was first reported by Tatame.com. It's currently unclear if Overeem is still under contract with the promotion or if Strikeforce brass elected to hand their heavyweight champion an outright release.
Overeem today revealed on MMA Fighting's "The MMA Hour" that the promotion requested he return to action against Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva (16-2 MMA, 3-1 SF) on Sept. 10. However, the Dutch striker said he asked for more time and preferred an October booking.
With the company planning for a September event to host the promotion's heavyweight grand prix semifinal bouts, some obvious tension was built. Overeem said the company threatened his release even before today's official announcement.
"What's going to happen next, I don't know," Overeem told MMA Fighting. "I've had some threats of cutting me out of the tournament if I don't participate. I don't know if they're going to do it."
Overeem now has his answer.
Overeem's publicly stated position was that the Sept. 10 date was too soon to return to action and that he needed time to heal some nagging injuries.
However, MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) has learned that Overeem was in the process of working out a new contract with the promotion, which may have contributed to his unwillingness to compete in September. It may also explain his recently expressed desire to challenge champion boxers Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko in a boxing contest – a strategy similar to the one Nick Diaz used to leverage his Strikeforce title into a shot at the UFC's welterweight belt.
As for Silva, who must now face wrestling-standout Cormier instead of striking specialist Overeem, he seemed rather unconcerned at today's development.
"I don't care who they put against me," Silva today told MMAjunkie.com through his manager and interpreter, Alex Davis. "If Overeem doesn't want to fight because his toe is hurt, then get me King Kong. Get Josh Barnett and Sergei Kharitonov both. I'll fight them both at the same time.
"I'm very frustrated and disappointed that someone who is considered one of the best fighters in the world would basically withdraw from the competition and refuse to fight me. Overeem is a great guy, but I don't really like what he's doing right now as a fighter. Either way, I don't pick my opponents. I would have much rather Cain Velasquez stepped in for Overeem because I want to prove I'm the best heavyweight in the world. But I'm not taking Cormier lightly, either. I'll continue to train just as hard as if I was still facing Overeem."
Davis believes Cormier provides a capable fill-in, but he also admits the entire situation is unfortunate.
"Antonio and I both find it very unfortunate that Overeem declined to take into consideration all the interests involved in his appearance," Davis said. "Strikeforce needed him to fight in September. His fans, and really almost all MMA fans, were looking forward to the conclusion of this amazing grand prix. Antonio was looking forward to fighting an opponent as popular and accomplished as Overeem is. Now, all that is lost.
"Nevertheless, we do appreciate Cormier coming into the tournament, and we look forward to a great fight that fans will want to see."
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW FUCK ZUFFA!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Alistair Overeem (35-11 MMA, 3-0 SF) today informed the world he would not be fighting for Strikeforce on Sept. 10.
Strikeforce today informed Overeem his services will not be needed for the remainder of Strikeforce's heavyweight grand prix.
In a shocking development, MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) has confirmed that Overeem has been pulled from the tournament, and Daniel Cormier (8-0 MMA, 5-0 SF) will take his spot in the semifinals of the promotion's heavyweight grand prix.
The change was first reported by Tatame.com. It's currently unclear if Overeem is still under contract with the promotion or if Strikeforce brass elected to hand their heavyweight champion an outright release.
Overeem today revealed on MMA Fighting's "The MMA Hour" that the promotion requested he return to action against Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva (16-2 MMA, 3-1 SF) on Sept. 10. However, the Dutch striker said he asked for more time and preferred an October booking.
With the company planning for a September event to host the promotion's heavyweight grand prix semifinal bouts, some obvious tension was built. Overeem said the company threatened his release even before today's official announcement.
"What's going to happen next, I don't know," Overeem told MMA Fighting. "I've had some threats of cutting me out of the tournament if I don't participate. I don't know if they're going to do it."
Overeem now has his answer.
Overeem's publicly stated position was that the Sept. 10 date was too soon to return to action and that he needed time to heal some nagging injuries.
However, MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) has learned that Overeem was in the process of working out a new contract with the promotion, which may have contributed to his unwillingness to compete in September. It may also explain his recently expressed desire to challenge champion boxers Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko in a boxing contest – a strategy similar to the one Nick Diaz used to leverage his Strikeforce title into a shot at the UFC's welterweight belt.
As for Silva, who must now face wrestling-standout Cormier instead of striking specialist Overeem, he seemed rather unconcerned at today's development.
"I don't care who they put against me," Silva today told MMAjunkie.com through his manager and interpreter, Alex Davis. "If Overeem doesn't want to fight because his toe is hurt, then get me King Kong. Get Josh Barnett and Sergei Kharitonov both. I'll fight them both at the same time.
"I'm very frustrated and disappointed that someone who is considered one of the best fighters in the world would basically withdraw from the competition and refuse to fight me. Overeem is a great guy, but I don't really like what he's doing right now as a fighter. Either way, I don't pick my opponents. I would have much rather Cain Velasquez stepped in for Overeem because I want to prove I'm the best heavyweight in the world. But I'm not taking Cormier lightly, either. I'll continue to train just as hard as if I was still facing Overeem."
Davis believes Cormier provides a capable fill-in, but he also admits the entire situation is unfortunate.
"Antonio and I both find it very unfortunate that Overeem declined to take into consideration all the interests involved in his appearance," Davis said. "Strikeforce needed him to fight in September. His fans, and really almost all MMA fans, were looking forward to the conclusion of this amazing grand prix. Antonio was looking forward to fighting an opponent as popular and accomplished as Overeem is. Now, all that is lost.
"Nevertheless, we do appreciate Cormier coming into the tournament, and we look forward to a great fight that fans will want to see."
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW FUCK ZUFFA!!!!!!!!!!!!!
cormier vs bigfoot is dumb as fuck.
bigfoot would have ended reem's life though.. so maybe its a good thing, cuz i like the guy.
but just because diaz & alistair say something about trying their hand @ boxing doesnt mean its all of mma doing this shit. lets not get ahead of ourselves & make this out to be something more than it is. plus, b-buzz made some good points about the subject too.
bigfoot would have ended reem's life though.. so maybe its a good thing, cuz i like the guy.
but just because diaz & alistair say something about trying their hand @ boxing doesnt mean its all of mma doing this shit. lets not get ahead of ourselves & make this out to be something more than it is. plus, b-buzz made some good points about the subject too.
