Alistair Overeem facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Alistair Overeem
Overeem in 2010
Born	Alistair Cees Overeem (1980-05-17) 17 May 1980 (age 45) Hounslow, London, England
Other names	The Demolition Man
Nationality	Dutch
Height	6 ft 4 in (193 cm)
Weight	256 lb (116 kg)
Division	Heavyweight (2006, 2007–2022) Light Heavyweight (1999–2007)
Reach	80 in (203 cm)
Style	Kickboxing, Submission wrestling
Stance	Orthodox
Fighting out of	Amsterdam, Netherlands
Team	Hemmers Gym (2021–2022) Elevation Fight Team (2018–2021) Jackson Wink MMA (2014–2018) Blackzilians (2012–2013) Golden Glory (2007–2011)
Teacher(s)	Chris Dolman, Lucien Carbin
Trainer	Nick Hemmers (2021–2022) Eliot Marshall (2018–2021) Greg Jackson (2014–2018) Mike Winkeljohn (2014–2018) Henri Hooft (2012–2013) Cor Hemmers (2007–2011) Martijn de Jong (1999–2011) Lucien Carbin (1999–2007) Chris Dolman (1996–1999)
Rank	Blue belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Joaquim Valente, Gui Valente and Pedro Valente
Years active	1999–2022
Kickboxing record
Total	15
Wins	10
By knockout	7
Losses	4
By knockout	3
No contests	1
Mixed martial arts record
Total	67
Wins	47
By knockout	25
By submission	17
By decision	5
Losses	19
By knockout	15
By submission	1
By decision	3
No contests	1
Other information
Notable relatives	Valentijn (brother)
Medal record Representing  Netherlands Men's Submission Grappling ADCC European Championships Gold 2005 Stockholm -99kg
last updated on: 9 October 2022 (2022-10-09)

Alistair Cees Overeem, born on May 17, 1980, is a famous Dutch former professional fighter. He competed in both MMA and kickboxing. He was a champion in many big fighting organizations. Alistair was the first fighter ever to hold world titles in both MMA and K-1 kickboxing at the same time! He also fought for the top title in the UFC.

Alistair Overeem's Early Life

Alistair Overeem was born in Hounslow, London, England. His father was from Jamaica, and his mother was Dutch. When he was six years old, his parents separated. He then moved with his mother and older brother to the Netherlands. He grew up in the city of Amersfoort.

As a child, Overeem started training in martial arts. He trained with his older brother, Valentijn. This helped him learn to defend himself from bullying. He decided to become a competitive athlete. First, he tried judo, then track and field, and basketball. At 15, he joined his brother at Chris Dolman's Martial Arts gym. He wanted to become a professional fighter.

Alistair didn't like the sport at first. More experienced students often beat him. But he changed his mind after meeting Bas Rutten and Joop Kasteel. After that, he worked very hard on his training.

Alistair Overeem's MMA Career

Overeem had his first professional MMA fight when he was 19. He won by making his opponent give up. This happened on October 24, 1999, at an event called It's Showtime.

Early MMA Fights

Alistair had a great start in MMA. He won 10 out of 13 fights. He fought in different events like Fighting Network Rings and M-1. On July 20, 2002, he joined Pride Fighting Championships. He won his first fight there in just 44 seconds.

Fighting in Pride FC

Overeem won two more fights in Pride. In 2003, he joined the Pride Middleweight Grand Prix. He lost to future UFC champion Chuck Liddell in the quarterfinals. But he quickly bounced back. He defeated Tomohiko Hashimoto in only 36 seconds.

In 2004, Overeem fought Hiromitsu Kanehara. He won in the second round. His next fight was a loss against Antônio Rogério Nogueira.

In 2005, Overeem entered the Pride Middleweight Grand Prix again. He beat Vitor Belfort in the first round. He then won against Igor Vovchanchyn in under two minutes. Overeem lost in the semifinals to Maurício Rua, who became the champion.

In 2006, Overeem fought Sergei Kharitonov. Overeem won, and Kharitonov hurt his shoulder. This win earned Overeem a spot in the Pride 2006 Openweight Grand Prix. He fought Brazilian jiu-jitsu expert Fabrício Werdum. Overeem lost this fight.

Strikeforce Debut and Return to Pride

On June 9, 2006, Overeem went to San Jose, California. He won a rematch against Vitor Belfort. A month later, Overeem returned to Pride. He had a big rematch with Antônio Rogério Nogueira. Overeem's corner stopped the fight in the second round to protect him.

At Pride Final Conflict Absolute, Overeem lost to Ricardo Arona. He had an injury to his leg and couldn't fight well. He lost again to Maurício Rua in 2007. But he came back strong in June 2007. He won against Michael Knaap by making him give up. This fight was at a K-1 event, but it was under MMA rules.

On September 17, 2007, Alistair fought Sergei Kharitonov again. Overeem moved well, but he lost by knockout in the first round.

Strikeforce, DREAM, and Dynamite Fights

On November 16, 2007, Overeem became the Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion. He defeated Paul Buentello. In 2008, he won by knockout against Lee Tae-Hyun at DREAM 4. On July 21, 2008, Overeem beat K-1 World Grand Prix Champion Mark Hunt. He made Hunt give up in the first round.

His next fight was against Mirko Cro Cop at Dream 6. The fight was stopped and declared a no-contest. This happened after Overeem accidentally hit Cro Cop in the groin multiple times.

Overeem was supposed to defend his Strikeforce title. But he had to pull out due to a hand injury. He later won against Tony Sylvester and James Thompson by using a special choke hold.

Overeem then faced Kazuyuki Fujita at Dynamite!! 2009. He quickly won by knockout with a knee to the head. On May 15, 2010, Overeem defended his Strikeforce Heavyweight Championship. He defeated Brett Rogers by TKO in the first round. Overeem trained in Thailand to improve his Muay Thai skills.

On December 31, 2010, Overeem fought Todd Duffee. He won by knockout in just 19 seconds. This made him the first DREAM Heavyweight Champion.

Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix

In 2011, Overeem was chosen for the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix. This was a big tournament with eight top fighters. He had a rematch with Fabrício Werdum on June 18, 2011. Overeem won by a unanimous decision.

Leaving Strikeforce

On July 17, Overeem was removed from the Grand Prix. He said he needed more time to rest after his last fight. Later, on July 29, it was announced that Strikeforce had released Overeem. This was due to a disagreement about how fighter payments were handled. Other fighters from his team, Golden Glory, were also released. The team leader later changed the payment policy. This opened the door for Overeem to join the UFC.

Ultimate Fighting Championship (2011–2021)

On September 6, 2011, Overeem signed with the UFC. His first fight was against former UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar. This big fight happened on December 30, 2011, at UFC 141.

Overeem won his UFC debut against Lesnar. He hurt Lesnar with knees to the body. Then he finished the fight with a kick to the liver and punches. This victory earned him a chance to fight for the heavyweight title.

Return to Fighting

Overeem returned to face Antônio Silva on February 2, 2013. Overeem was very confident before the fight. Even though he won the first two rounds, he lost to Silva by knockout in the third round.

Overeem was supposed to fight Junior dos Santos. But he had to pull out due to an injury. He was replaced by Mark Hunt.

For his third UFC fight, Overeem faced Travis Browne. This was on August 17, 2013. Overeem started strong, but Browne recovered. Browne defeated Overeem with a front kick.

Overeem then faced Frank Mir on February 1, 2014. He won by a unanimous decision. After the fight, he challenged Brock Lesnar again.

Overeem had elbow surgery and took time off. He returned on September 5, 2014, against Ben Rothwell. Rothwell defeated Overeem by TKO in the first round.

Overeem faced Stefan Struve on December 13, 2014. He won by knockout in the first round. He then defeated Roy Nelson by unanimous decision on March 14, 2015.

A fight with Junior dos Santos was rescheduled for December 19, 2015. Overeem won by TKO in the second round. In February 2016, Overeem signed a new contract with the UFC.

Overeem faced Andrei Arlovski on May 8, 2016. He won by TKO in the second round. This earned him a "Performance of the Night" bonus.

Overeem fought Stipe Miocic for the UFC Heavyweight Championship. This was on September 10, 2016, at UFC 203. Overeem lost by knockout in the first round. Both fighters received "Fight of the Night" honors.

Overeem faced Mark Hunt again on March 4, 2017. He won by knockout in the third round. A third fight with Fabrício Werdum happened on July 8, 2017. Overeem won by a majority decision.

Overeem faced Francis Ngannou on December 2, 2017. He lost by knockout in the first round. He also lost to Curtis Blaydes on June 9, 2018.

Overeem faced Sergei Pavlovich on November 24, 2018. He won by TKO in the first round. He was supposed to fight Alexander Volkov. But Volkov pulled out, and Alexey Oleynik replaced him. Overeem won by technical knockout in the first round.

Overeem was set to fight Walt Harris. But Harris pulled out due to a family emergency. Jairzinho Rozenstruik replaced him. Overeem lost by knockout in the last few seconds of the fifth round.

The fight with Walt Harris was rescheduled for May 16, 2020. Overeem was almost finished early in the first round. But he came back to dominate the fight. He won by TKO in the second round.

Overeem faced Augusto Sakai on September 5, 2020. He won by technical knockout in the fifth round. His last fight in the UFC was against Alexander Volkov on February 6, 2021. He lost by technical knockout in the second round. On March 3, 2021, Overeem was released from his UFC contract.

Alistair Overeem's Kickboxing Career

Overeem had his first professional kickboxing fight at age 17. He won that fight on November 15, 1997. He then beat Paul Hordijk in 1999. After that, he fought in K-1, a famous kickboxing organization. He had two K-1 fights, losing both by knockout. He then focused on MMA for several years.

On December 31, 2008, Overeem faced Badr Hari, a top K-1 fighter. Overeem won by knockout in the first round.

Fighting in K-1

On March 28, 2009, he fought Remy Bonjasky, the K-1 Champion. Overeem did well in the first two rounds. But Bonjasky knocked him down in the third. Bonjasky won by a unanimous decision.

On September 26, Overeem surprised the kickboxing world. He defeated the legendary three-time champion Peter Aerts. He won by unanimous decision. At the K-1 World Grand Prix 2009 Final, Overeem knocked out Ewerton Teixeira. But he lost to Badr Hari in the semifinals.

At the K-1 World Grand Prix 2010, Overeem defeated Dzevad Poturak by knockout. He also beat Ben Edwards by TKO. This qualified him for the 2010 K-1 World Grand Prix.

On December 11, Overeem won the K-1 World Grand Prix 2010 Final. He beat Tyrone Spong in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, he defeated Gokhan Saki. Saki's arm was injured during the fight. In the finals, he fought Peter Aerts again. Overeem was aggressive and finished Aerts in the first round.

Fighting in Glory

In June 2021, news came out that Overeem signed a contract with Glory. He was set to challenge the Glory Heavyweight champion Rico Verhoeven. But he had to pull out due to an injury.

Overeem faced Badr Hari again on October 8, 2022. He won the fight by unanimous decision. However, it was later found that Overeem had tested positive for a banned substance. Because of this, the fight result was changed to a No-Contest.

Alistair Overeem's Fighting Style

Overeem is known as a very skilled heavyweight fighter. He is especially good at striking. He uses a Dutch style of Muay Thai. He is famous for his powerful kicks to the body and legs. His knee strikes from the clinch are also very strong. He used to finish many fights with a left knee to the middle of the body. Later in his career, he often used a left body kick. He is also good at throwing left overhands and hooks.

In grappling, Overeem is known for his guillotine choke. This is a simple move he uses very well because of his strength and height. He was called "the best grappler in Europe" after winning all his fights in a 2005 competition using this move.

Championships and Accomplishments

Alistair Overeem has achieved many great things in his fighting career.

Kickboxing Achievements

• K-1
  • K-1 2009 World Grand Prix (Third place)
  • K-1 2010 World Grand Prix (Champion)

Mixed Martial Arts Achievements

• Ultimate Fighting Championship
  • Heavyweight Title Challenger
  • Performance of the Night (One time) vs. Andrei Arlovski
  • Fight of the Night (One time) vs. Stipe Miocic
  • Tied (Cain Velasquez & Andrei Arlovski) for second most knockdowns landed in UFC Heavyweight division history (10)
• Strikeforce
  • Strikeforce Heavyweight Championship (One time; First; Last; Only)
  • One successful title defence
• PRIDE Fighting Championships
  • 2005 PRIDE Middleweight Grand Prix Semifinalist
• DREAM
  • DREAM Heavyweight Championship (One time; First; Last; Only)
• 2 Hot 2 Handle
  • 2H2H Light heavyweight Championship (One time)
  • 2H2H Light heavyweight Tournament Winner
• World MMA Awards
  • 2010 International Fighter of the Year
  • 2011 International Fighter of the Year
• Sherdog
  • 2010 All-Violence Second Team
  • 2015 All-Violence Third Team
• MMADNA.nl
  • 2018 Dutch Fighter of the Year.

Submission Grappling Achievements

• ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship
  • 2005 ADCC European Trials -98.9 kg Winner

Special Records

• Only fighter to hold three championship belts at the same time (Strikeforce, K-1 and Dream)
• One of only two fighters to win a world championship in MMA and K-1

Mixed martial arts record

Pay-Per-View Fights

Alistair Overeem was part of some big pay-per-view events. These are fights that many people paid to watch.

Kickboxing record

Kickboxing record

10 Wins (7 (T)KO's, 3 Decisions), 4 Losses (3 (T)KO's, 1 Decision), 1 No contest
Date	Result	Opponent	Event	Location	Method	Round	Time	Record
2022-10-08	NC	Badr Hari	Glory: Collision 4	Arnhem, Netherlands	No contest	3	3:00	10–4–(1)
Originally a decision win for Overeem. Later changed to a No contest due to a rule violation.
2010-12-11	Win	Peter Aerts	K-1 World Grand Prix 2010 Final, Final	Tokyo, Japan	TKO (punches)	1	1:07	10–4
Wins the K-1 2010 World Grand Prix Championship.
2010-12-11	Win	Gökhan Saki	K-1 World Grand Prix 2010 Final, semi-finals	Tokyo, Japan	TKO (arm injury)	1	2:20	9–4
2010-12-11	Win	Tyrone Spong	K-1 World Grand Prix 2010 Final, quarter-finals	Tokyo, Japan	Decision (unanimous)	3	3:00	8–4
2010-10-02	Win	Ben Edwards	K-1 World Grand Prix 2010 in Seoul Final 16	Seoul, South Korea	KO (right hook)	1	2:08	7–4
Qualifies for K-1 2010 World Grand Prix.
2010-04-03	Win	Dževad Poturak	K-1 World Grand Prix 2010 in Yokohama	Yokohama, Japan	KO (right knee)	1	2:40	6–4
2009-12-05	Loss	Badr Hari	K-1 World Grand Prix 2009 Final, semi-finals	Yokohama, Japan	TKO (2 knockdowns rule)	1	2:14	5–4
2009-12-05	Win	Ewerton Teixeira	K-1 World Grand Prix 2009 Final, quarter-finals	Yokohama, Japan	KO (knees)	1	1:06	5–3
2009-09-26	Win	Peter Aerts	K-1 World Grand Prix 2009 Final 16	Seoul, South Korea	Decision (unanimous)	3	3:00	4–3
Qualifies for K-1 2009 World Grand Prix.
2009-03-28	Loss	Remy Bonjasky	K-1 World GP 2009 in Yokohama	Yokohama, Japan	Decision (unanimous)	3	3:00	3–3
2008-12-31	Win	Badr Hari	Dynamite!! 2008	Saitama, Japan	TKO (left hook)	1	2:07	3–2
2007-05-20	Win	Jürgen Dolch	Ultimate Glory 3: Upside Down	Amersfoort, Netherlands	KO (punch)	1	2:02	2–2
2004-05-30	Loss	Glaube Feitosa	Kyokushin vs K-1 2004 All Out Battle	Tokyo, Japan	KO (punch)	1	2:13	1–2
2001-02-04	Loss	Errol Parris	K-1 Holland GP 2001 in Arnhem	Arnhem, Netherlands	TKO (corner stoppage)	3	1:22	1–1
1999-03-14	Win	Paul Hordijk	Thaiboxing Event in Veenendaal	Veenendaal, Netherlands	Decision (unanimous)	3	2:00	1–0
Legend:       Win       Loss       Draw/No contest       Notes

Images for kids

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  Overeem in 2010

See also

In Spanish: Alistair Overeem para niños

• List of male mixed martial artists
• List of male kickboxers