Overeem was born in Hounslow, London, England, to a Jamaican father and a Dutch mother, whose maternal great-grandmother was an illegitimate child of King William III of the Netherlands.[7][8] When he was six years old, his parents divorced and he moved with his mother and older brother to the Netherlands, where he grew up in the city of Amersfoort.[9] As a child, Overeem started training martial arts with his older brother Valentijn in order to defend himself from bullying. He decided to pursue a competitive sports career by his brother's example, first in judo and later track and field and basketball.[10] At the age of 15, he followed Valentijn into Chris Dolman's Martial Arts gym to become a professional fighter.[10][11] Alistair initially did not like the sport, as he was routinely beaten by more experienced students, but he changed his mind when he met Bas Rutten and Joop Kasteel, after which he fully dedicated himself to training.[10][11]
Mixed martial arts career
Overeem had his first MMA professional fight at 19 years old, defeating Ricardo Fyeet by submission on 24 October 1999 (1999-10-24) at It's Showtime, the first event of the eponymously named promotion.
In February 2006, Overeem fought Russian Top Team favourite Sergei Kharitonov. Overeem won, dislocating Kharitonov's shoulder in the process. With his win over Kharitonov, Overeem secured a spot in the Pride 2006 Openweight Grand Prix at Pride Total Elimination Absolute. He fought Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist Fabrício Werdum, and lost via kimura in the second round.
A month later Overeem returned to Pride for a highly anticipated rematch with Antônio Rogério Nogueira. Overeem entered the fight with a heavily taped neck. After controlling the first round and a half with his striking, Overeem was stumbled from a punch, and Nogueira followed with a flurry of strikes. Worried Overeem would be more severely injured, his corner threw in the towel.
At Pride Final Conflict Absolute, Overeem lost to Ricardo Arona. Overeem was on the receiving end of a leg kick that caused a non-serious injury to his nerves, causing him to lose feeling in his foot and leg. Unable to mount much offence or defend against Arona, Overeem tapped out to avoid further injury.
He then suffered another KO loss to Maurício Rua at Pride 33, but returned in June 2007 with a submission win over Michael Knaap at K-1 Grand Prix in Amsterdam (despite K-1 being a kickboxing promotion, the bout was fought under MMA rules).
On 17 September 2007, at the Hero's 10: Middleweight Tournament Final, Alistair faced Sergei Kharitonov again. Overeem showed solid movement as soon as the first round began, but he suffered a KO loss just before the end of the first round.
His next fight was against Mirko Cro Cop at Dream 6 on 23 September 2008.[13] The bout was stopped about halfway through the first round and declared a no-contest, after Overeem landed multiple knees to the groin of Cro Cop.
Overeem was rumoured to be making his first title defence against Brett Rogers on 6 June at Strikeforce: Lawler vs. Shields. However, a hand injury scuttled plans for the fight.[14] According to Golden Glory manager Bas Boon, Overeem had suffered a hand infection following a nightclub brawl early May 2009. According to Boon, Alistair and his brother Valentijn, both heavyweights had been involved in an altercation that left five security staff needing hospital treatment and nearly cost Alistair his hand.
Alistair defeated Tony Sylvester at Golden Glory's 10-year anniversary celebration with a standing guillotine choke.[15] He used the same choke only eight days later to submit James Thompson at Dream 12.[16]
Overeem was set to face Andrei Arlovski at Dynamite!! 2009, but FEG instead opted to have him face Kazuyuki Fujita to keep with the DREAM vs. Sengoku theme.[17] Overeem quickly overpowered his opponent and recorded a knockout with a knee to the head.
Overeem next faced Brett Rogers on 15 May 2010 at Strikeforce: Heavy Artillery to defend his Strikeforce Heavyweight Championship.[18] He won the fight via TKO in the first round. In his post-fight interview, Overeem declared for another time that he wants to fight Fedor Emelianenko, claiming that Fedor's management can no longer ignore his presence.[19] The majority of Alistair Overeem's pre-fight training camp took place at the newly opened Golden Glory Gym in Pattaya, Thailand, where "The Demolition Man" concentrated on the further improvement of his Muay Thai skills.[20]
A rematch with Fabrício Werdum took place on 18 June 2011, at Strikeforce: Dallas as part of an eight-man heavyweight tournament.[23] Overeem defeated Werdum by unanimous decision (30–27, 30–27, and 29–28).[24]
Removal from GP/Strikeforce
On 17 July, it was announced that Overeem was removed from the promotion's 2011 Heavyweight Grand Prix. Overeem went on to state that he felt the September date was too soon for him to return, and that he needed time to rest and heal after his 18 June quarterfinal decision win over Fabrício Werdum. Overeem was swapped out for unbeaten up-and-comer Daniel Cormier.[25] Subsequently, on 29 July, it was announced that Overeem had been released from the Strikeforce organization as Zuffa exercised their right to eliminate the one remaining fight on his contract.[26][27] It was revealed that the reason behind Overeem's release from Strikeforce was not due to his unwillingness to participate in the Grand Prix semi-finals, but due to Golden Glory's policy requiring that the money fighters made through fights be paid through their management first.
This disagreement led not only to Overeem's release but also other Golden Glory stars under a Zuffa contract, including former Strikeforce Women's Bantamweight ChampionMarloes Coenen, Norwegian UFC Heavyweight Jon Olav Einemo, and even brother Valentijn Overeem. Team Golden Glory leader Bas Boon stated he has since changed the policy, and that Alistair Overeem could come to the UFC under an exclusive deal if the right terms are offered, which he later received.[28]
Ultimate Fighting Championship (2011–2021)
After much speculation, on 6 September 2011 it was announced that Overeem had signed a contract with the UFC, and that his first fight would be against former UFC Heavyweight ChampionBrock Lesnar on 30 December 2011 at UFC 141.[29][30]
The lead up to the fight was rife with controversy. In November 2011, both competitors were required by the NSAC to comply with out-of-competition drug testing. Lesnar delivered his sample screen on 21 November, while Overeem delivered his on 23 November. The screen, however, did not meet the standards of the commission. Overeem submitted a second test through his personal physician, which was also deemed unacceptable before flying out of the country. Overeem was ultimately given a conditional license for the fight by the committee during a meeting held on 12 December 2011.[31]
On 30 December 2011, at UFC 141, Overeem made his UFC debut in the main event against Brock Lesnar. Overeem hurt Lesnar multiple times early on with knees to the body, and went on to finish the fight with a kick to the liver and subsequent punches at 2:26 of the first round. The victory earned him a heavyweight title shot against champion Junior dos Santos.
Failed drug test
Overeem was scheduled to fight UFC Heavyweight ChampionJunior dos Santos on 26 May 2012 at UFC 146. However, on 4 April 2012, Overeem was revealed to have failed his pre-fight drug test by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC).[32] Overeem had a 14-to-1 testosterone-to-epitestosterone (T/E) ratio, over the allowed ratio rate of 6-to-1. On Friday 20 April 2012 UFC President Dana White confirmed that Overeem had been removed from his fight with dos Santos and replaced by Frank Mir.[33][34]
One day prior to his meeting with the NSAC, Overeem released a prepared statement to the media in which he claims the positive result of the drug test came as a result of a doctor-prescribed "anti-inflammatory medication that was mixed with testosterone."[35] Overeem's lawyer filed a continuation request for additional time to gather support for his recent claim, which was voted on by the NSAC on 24 April 2012.[36] The request was denied and the NSAC voted unanimously to deny Overeem's application status for a period of nine months, dating back to 27 March, the day of his drug test. He was allowed to reapply after this time period in December 2012.[37]
Return
Overeem returned to face Antônio Silva on 2 February 2013 at UFC 156.[38] Leading up to the fight, Overeem was dismissive of Silva's skills, claiming he was better than his opponent in every aspect of MMA.[39] Despite being a heavy betting favourite and having won rounds one and two, an overconfident Overeem lost to Silva by KO in the third round.[40]
Overeem was expected to face former UFC Heavyweight Champion Junior dos Santos on 25 May 2013 at UFC 160.[41] However, in early March, Overeem pulled out of the bout, citing an injury[42] and was replaced by Mark Hunt.[43]
For his third fight with the promotion, Overeem faced Travis Browne in the co-main event at UFC Fight Night 26 on 17 August 2013.[44] Overeem was dominant early in the fight, attacking Browne with a flurry of knees and punches. Browne recovered and defeated Overeem via TKO with a front kick.
Overeem was scheduled to face Frank Mir on 16 November 2013 at UFC 167.[45] However, the pairing was moved to 1 February 2014 at UFC 169.[46] He defeated Mir by unanimous decision and called out Brock Lesnar in his post-fight interview.[47]
Overeem injured his elbow and decided to take the time out to have surgery, expecting to return in September 2014.[48] On 9 July, the UFC announced he would face Ben Rothwell on 5 September 2014 at UFC Fight Night 50.[49] Rothwell defeated Overeem via TKO in the first round.[50]
On 15 February 2016, Overeem announced that he had signed a new contract with the UFC.[55]
Overeem faced Andrei Arlovski on 8 May 2016 at UFC Fight Night 87.[56] He won the fight via TKO early in the second round.[57] Subsequently, he earned his first Performance of the Night bonus.[58]
Overeem faced Stipe Miocic for the UFC Heavyweight Championship on 10 September 2016 at UFC 203.[59] Overeem dropped Miocic with a quick straight left punch before losing the fight via knockout in the first round.[60] Both participants were awarded Fight of the Night honors.[61]
Overeem faced Mark Hunt in a rematch on 4 March 2017 at UFC 209.[62] He won the fight via knockout in the third round.[63]
A third fight with Fabrício Werdum took place on 8 July 2017 at UFC 213.[64] Overeem won the fight by majority decision.[65]
Overeem was expected to face Alexander Volkov on 20 April 2019 at UFC Fight Night 149.[72] Volkov was forced to withdraw from the bout, and was replaced by Alexey Oleynik.[73] After a few back-and-forth exchanges, Overeem won the fight via technical knockout in round one.[74]
Overeem was expected to face Walt Harris on 7 December 2019 at UFC on ESPN 7.[75] However, Harris pulled out on 1 November 2019 due to the ongoing search for his missing step-daughter,[76] and he was replaced by Jairzinho Rozenstruik.[77] He lost the fight via knockout in the last four seconds of the fifth round after being up on all three judges' scorecards (39–37, 39–37, and 40–36).[78]
The bout with Walt Harris was rescheduled to take place on 11 April 2020 at UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs. Harris. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event was eventually postponed.[79] The fight was rescheduled to 16 May 2020 at UFC on ESPN: Overeem vs. Harris.[80] Overeem was dropped and almost finished early in the first round, but went onto dominate the fight with ground and pound, eventually finishing Harris with a head kick and more ground and pound for a second-round TKO win.[81]
On 3 March 2021, it was announced that Overeem had been released from his UFC contract.[86]
Kickboxing career
Overeem had his first professional kickboxing fight at the age of 17, in a K-1 rules fight on 15 November 1997 (1997-11-15), winning the fight. After that he fought against Paul Hordijk, winning by decision on 14 March 1999 (1999-03-14). Overeem then moved on to K-1, having two K-1 fights in six years against Errol Parris and Glaube Feitosa. Overeem was knocked out in both bouts and stayed with MMA from then on. He did not fight in K-1 for four more years.
On 31 December 2008, Overeem faced Badr Hari, one of K-1's top contenders, under K-1 rules at Dynamite!! 2008. He defeated Hari by way of knockout in the first round.
K-1
On 28 March 2009 he faced Remy Bonjasky, the defending K-1 Champion, at the K-1 World GP 2009 in Yokohama. Overeem had success in the first and second rounds, but was knocked down by a right hook from Bonjasky in the third, who secured a unanimous decision win. All three judges scored the bout 30–28 in favour of Bonjasky.
On 26 September, at the K-1 World Grand Prix 2009 Final 16, having been selected by fan voting after his impressive performances against Remy Bonjasky and Badr Hari, Overeem shocked the kickboxing world by achieving a huge upset. He defeated K-1's longest-serving member, legendary three-time champion Peter Aerts, by unanimous decision.
At the K-1 World Grand Prix 2009 Final, Overeem knocked out the Kyokushin karate champion, Ewerton Teixeira, with a knee strike in the first round, but lost to Badr Hari via TKO in the semifinals.
At the K-1 World Grand Prix 2010 in Yokohama, Overeem defeated Dzevad Poturak via KO (right knee) in round one at 2:40.[87] Overeem defeated Ben Edwards by TKO in the first round on 2 October 2010 at K-1 World Grand Prix 2010 Final 16, which qualified him for the 2010 K-1 World Grand Prix.[88]
On 11 December, at the Ariake Coliseum, Overeem won the K-1 World Grand Prix 2010 Final. In the quarterfinals, he beat Tyrone Spong by unanimous decision (29–27, 29–28, and 29–27). In the semi-finals, he defeated Gokhan Saki by first-round TKO after breaking Saki's right arm with a left middle kick. Saki's arm was already injured as a result of his previous fight with Daniel Ghita. In the finals, he fought Peter Aerts for a second time. Overeem came out aggressively and finished Aerts in the first round.
Glory
Over a decade removed from his previous kickboxing bouts, news surfaced on 8 June 2021, that Overeem had signed a multi-fight contract with Glory.[89]
Overeem faced Badr Hari on 8 October 2022 at Glory: Collision 4.[93] He won the fight via unanimous decision.[94] On 21 November 2022, it was revealed that Overeem had tested positive for a banned substance.[95] After a few months the B- Sample was also tested positive the decision was overturned to a No-Contest due to the use of Performance-enhancing Drugs.
Professional wrestling career
Wrestling Entertainment Series
Overeem was scheduled to headline the first Wrestling Entertainment Series (WES) event in England against WWE wrestler Braun Strowman.[96] After two prior cancellations and being rescheduled to take place on 9 July 2022, Wrestling Entertainment Series canceled its inaugural event.[97]
Overeem is considered one of the most well-rounded heavyweights in the sport,[100] though he is mainly known for his excellence and power in the striking field.[101] A kickboxer of the Dutch school of Muay Thai decorated in K-1 world tournaments,[102] Overeem favours kicks to the body and legs and knee strikes from the clinch,[103] which have been described as "devastating."[101] His most famous finishing technique used to be the left knee to the midsection, which he has utilised to end many fights, but he switched to the left body kick instead late in his career.[103] He is also proficient with left overhands and hooks once his opponents are worn down.[103] On the grappling field, Overeem is universally known for his usage of the guillotine choke,[101][102][103] a simple technique he uses to great effect thanks to his strength and height.[103] Overeem was labeled as "the best grappler in Europe" after submitting all his opponents in the ADCC 2005 tryouts through this move.[104]
Personal life
Overeem's great-great-grandfather was enslaved on the island of Jamaica. He became a free man and bought a large tract of land on which he started a village, which has survived and prospered to this day. His Dutch mother is a descendant of King William III of the Netherlands through one of his many illegitimate children.[105]
In 2009, Alistair and his brother were involved in an altercation at a Dutch dance club. Alistair started arguing with a bouncer when he found himself without coins to pay the toilet woman and was asked to leave by five other security workers. Valentijn intervened in his favor and was hit in the face with a flash light, which incited a brawl. The incident ended with five bouncers having to go urgently to the hospital and Alistair being forced to turn down a title fight due to a hand injury gained in the brawl.[107]
On 1 January 2012, following his match with Brock Lesnar at UFC 141, Overeem shoved a woman in the face, "causing her to stagger back," at the Wynn Las Vegas at about 3 a.m., according to the Las Vegas Police Department. Not arrested but summoned to court, Overeem was charged with misdemeanor battery and faced a maximum of six months in the Clark County Detention Center and a fine up to $1,000.[108] On 28 March 2012, Overeem was given a 90-day county jail sentence that would be suspended depending on the completion of 50 hours of community service and anger management.[109]
