by King Hazard
Despite a terrible win record in the UFC, a flaky relationship with Dana White, and a high price tag for losing fights, Dutch mixed martial artist Alistair Overeem (37-14-1) still manages to earn a living in the UFC. Although, his name keeps dropping in the UFC heavyweight rankings, Overeem is still a very popular fighter in MMA and draws lots of attention to all his fights.
Fans want to see him either rebound, or simply get knocked out by his next opponent. If people continue to pay for his fights, it’s considered a win-win situation for the UFC, regardless of his performance inside the Octagon. However, the UFC has a thin line when it comes to losing. Usually, they cut fighters immediately after three consecutive loses like Francis Carmont, but Overeem snapped a two-fight losing streak after defeating Frank Mir earlier this year. It was far from an amazing win, but it was enough to keep his name relevant and off the UFC cut list.
His latest defeat to Ben Rothwell set him back again, which means his next fight could really determine his future in the UFC. Overeem feels the pressure on his shoulder, and knows his next fight with Stefan Struve (25-6) isn’t going to be easy.
How Overeem deals with that pressure and how he trains from now on with Greg Jackson is going to be key factors of winning that fight.
Overeem vs. Struve is slated for UFC on FOX 13 on December 13, 2014.
