Alistair Overeem spoke to Telegraph Sport shortly after it was announced that he has signed with the UFC, and will face Brock Lesnar in Las Vegas on Dec 30. He was offered his first fight in the UFC against the winner of Cain Velasquez (UFC heavyweight champion) v Junior Dos Santos, but turned that down as he wanted to get into action sooner.
GAD: A very exciting announcement that you have signed for the UFC. The world over, MMA fans are excited for this. You must be too?
Alistair Overeem: I am as well. My team is excited, the UFC is excited. It’s a great development. And yeah what can I say? I’m all pumped up.
GAD: It’s come in the week that it’s been announced UFC has signed a 7 year deal with the FOX Network, taking the UFC brand on to mainstream television. It must be fantastic to be involved at a time when the heavyweights are being put on the main frame in the sporting world?
AO: Very exciting time. It couldn’t have been better timing, and for me it’s the logical next step. Not fighting in Strikeforce anymore, Japan was quiet, one of my goals was to become world champion and I already achieved that goal in K1. The UFC has always been regarded as the highest belt out there so for me it’s the next step and yeah it’s just a great time.
GAD: Have there been talks ongoing for a long time behind the scenes?
AO: There have been talks for the last couple of weeks and of course there was a little beef going on. There were all the differences, over when they could start negotiations. I heard the last couple of weeks there were talks. I didn’t really worry about myself but I did worry about my team-mates because of the beef. My future wasn’t really a major concern because I have a good record, and I am a world champion. But the deal came and today’s the big day.
GAD: When you came into the UFC office [in Las Vegas] was the deal already signed?
AO: It was finalised but not yet signed.
GAD: Ok, so you’ve come in today and its been finalised. Did you know before today that Brock Lesnar would be the first opponent?
AO: Ummm… well, yeah we wanted to do it. So that would be the first fight.
GAD: It’s a great fight for you to start in the UFC against Brock Lesnar who has become a great star in the UFC and who has achieved great things already, but he has holes in his game. I’m sure you feel you must be able to exploit them ?
AO: Definitely. I think Brock is an excellent wrestler but I see myself as better rounded, a better striker, but that’s the sport. It can go either way. I’m not sure I would still be standing if Brock hits me clean on the chin.
GAD: But obviously you’re not gonna let him?
AO: That’s the thing with the sport… it can go either way. The thing with Brock is that he’s an unpredictable, strong explosive guy. It’s exciting. I’m really excited about it.
GAD: In some ways, you were the missing piece in the jigsaw puzzle for the UFC in the heavyweight landscape. Now they have the strongest heavyweight group. Could we now end up – finally – with a European heavyweight champion in the UFC ?
AO: That’s quite exciting, right ? And I was even born in England. I have, like, British nationality.
GAD: Where will you go from here? The fight is at the end of the year. Will you go straight into training camp in a couple of weeks?
AO: Well, I’m already keeping my shape up. I’ve got some sparring partners with me. I’m going to head to Tokyo after this to do a television tour, so there’s going to be breaking news there as well. After that I’ll be heading back home and then get into my 100% training schedule.
GAD: Did you always feel this would come about ? Did you think ‘I’m going to end up in up in the UFC’ ?
AO: I did see the UFC as a place that I was going to end up in. But of course you never know. You could injure yourself, you could get hit by a truck. That is one of the things I have seen in my career, in my experience that a lot of things can change in the fight scene. But I did see it coming. I thought I would end up in the UFC eventually….
GAD: Finally, there’s another major heavyweight fight coming up on FOX on November 12 between Cain and Junior. Can you give your analysis on that fight and how you’d pick in that contest?
AO: It’s going to be a very exciting fight. Two fighters who are well-rounded, who have excellent striking. They both come from two excellent camps. It could go either way. It’s hard to say. They’re well rounded, evenly-matched. For me, it’s 50/50. I have no gut feeling on who the winner will be.
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