Alistair Overeem is one of the UFC’s finest strikers. He’s also about to be one of its most highly-paid fighters, thanks to a big risk he took ahead of his win on UFC on FOX 17.
Overeem reportedly turned down an extension from the UFC before taking on Junior dos Santos, a former heavyweight champion and one of the most feared strikers in UFC history. Overeem had lost three of his first four UFC bouts, so taking a loss to dos Santos wouldn’t have been shocking. That would have left him without a contract, and with the status of a mid-tier heavyweight heading toward the wrong side of 30.
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Instead, Overeem showed new defensive caution, and the same devastating power that made so many fight fans in multiple disciplines fall in love with his fights. He exploded on dos Santos, bloodying his face in multiple spots and finishing him with a perfectly placed hook to the jaw.
Overeem could play a big role in the UFC moving forward. Several stars have experienced major setbacks. Ronda Rousey is the biggest name who fell in 2015, but Jose Aldo’s stock plummeted after losing in 13 seconds to Conor McGregor, and Chris Weidman was obliterated by Luke Rockhold, losing his perfect record and middleweight title. There’s also the case of Jon Jones, who was stripped of his title and suspended in 2015, which allowed Daniel Cormier to win the light heavyweight belt. While Cormier is among the most respected fighters in MMA, his championship won’t be legitimized to many until he proves he can beat Jones.
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With so many fighters dropping, having Overeem and his exciting style on the rise is important to the UFC. By not playing it safe, and betting on himself, he skyrocketed his own stock.
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