Alistair Overeem is concerned about boxing once more, however he’s not bought on Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing venture being good for the game over time. The previous UFC heavyweight contender says White’s fashion may carry short-term consideration whereas limiting the liberty he values from his years competing throughout MMA, Ok-1 and kickboxing.
Overeem signed with the UFC in October 2011, when Lorenzo Fertitta was nonetheless main the corporate alongside White. He says he dealt extra with Fertitta and by no means shaped a working relationship with White throughout his decade within the promotion.
“Once I signed with them, it was October 2011. So it is a entire completely different period,” Overeem stated, talking with Playbook Boxing YouTube and Betway. “I signed along with his superior, Lorenzo Fertitta. So I didn’t have a relationship with Dana, and nor did we ever construct it.”
Fertitta and his companions bought the UFC to Endeavor in 2016, a deal that left White accountable for day-to-day operations. Overeem remained with the UFC for one more 5 years, however stated the state of affairs didn’t change. “We by no means sat down, we by no means actually spoke about something. So there isn’t a relationship,” he stated.
The Dutch veteran would have most well-liked a direct line to White. “In fact,” he stated when requested if that entry would have helped. Overeem fought his final UFC bout in February 2021, dropping to Alexander Volkov, earlier than returning to kickboxing and defeating Badr Hari in 2022.
Alistair Overeem Questions Dana White’s Lengthy-Time period Affect on Boxing
His view comes from a profession constructed throughout a number of promotions. Overeem turned Strikeforce and DREAM champion earlier than profitable the 2010 Ok-1 World Grand Prix, and he stated with the ability to compete elsewhere helped form his rise.
“My rise got here through the multi-promotions period,” Overeem stated. “You may battle typically, you form of negotiate as you go. For me, that was superb.”
Overeem sees boxing’s mixture of promoters, belts, showmanship and Saudi-backed occasions as a characteristic somewhat than an issue. He believes the UFC’s single-promotion mannequin gave him entry to essential fights however took away a part of the expertise.
“The final 10 years I used to be solely with the UFC and never a lot else was taking place,” Overeem stated. “It was a bit of bit boring, I must say. It was much less colored.”
He pointed to entrances as one instance. Overeem typically experimented with walkout music and props in Japan, together with carrying hammers to the ring, however stated that room disappeared within the UFC. “I used to be at all times enjoying round with my entrance and the music,” he stated. “However then within the UFC we couldn’t do something. It was actually simply stroll to the ring.”
Overeem is now getting ready for a attainable boxing comeback after coaching with Oleksandr Usyk’s crew. Usyk stopped Rico Verhoeven within the eleventh spherical in Could, although Verhoeven had stored the competition shut on the Pyramids of Giza and was forward on one official scorecard when the bout ended with one second left within the spherical.
That have has added one other title to Overeem’s potential boxing choices, alongside Francis Ngannou. However he stays cautious of a Zuffa Boxing growth that mirrors the UFC construction.
“It’s okay he’s within the boxing world, however in the long term, I don’t assume he’s going to be good for boxing,” Overeem stated. “It’s good for the brief run, it’s good for the mid run, long term – no. As a result of it will possibly turn out to be too dominant and then you definitely’re gonna see creativity go down if Zuffa Boxing retains increasing. You’re really seeing that in MMA proper now. The creativity, the occasions, the quantity of fighters that you’re selecting from. The heavyweight division within the UFC is just not very deep, proper? And thru the years it was at all times very deep.”
Overeem believes a dominant promoter may scale back the variability that has drawn him again towards boxing. “I feel it kills creativity,” he stated. “The boxing world, it’s a really thrilling panorama. UFC doesn’t inspire me. Even to look at, it doesn’t inspire me.”
