Alistair Overeem Plans To Fight Out UFC Contract, Test Free Agency

Towering UFC heavyweight Alistair “The Reem” Overeem is gearing up for a pivotal fight as he’s set to take on former champion Junior “Cigano” Dos Santos in the co-main event of this Saturday’s (December 19, 2015) UFC on FOX 17 from Orlando, Florida.

Overeem currently sits at No. 9 in the division and has won his last two bouts over Stefan Struve and Roy Nelson both in somewhat dominant fashion. Dos Santos is currently the No. 2-ranked heavyweight on the roster, meaning a win for “The Demolition Man” could have serious title implications.

While the fight is important enough to begin with, it may actually be more vital to Overeem than it originally seemed, as it’s actually the last fight on his UFC contract.

According to UFC Tonight’s Ariel Helwani, Overeem plans to fight out his contract and test out the waters of free agency.

This seems to be becoming a more popular move as of late with former lightweight champion Benson Henderson and rising bantamweight star Aljamian Sterling doing the same.

With fighter pay always being a controversial topic in mixed martial arts (MMA), it seems as if more and more fighters are evaluating all of their options in order to make the best decision possible.

While the best competition undoubtedly remains in the UFC, that doesn’t mean that fighters will be paid the highest by the promotion.

With Overeem being such a huge name, it’s likely that he won’t have to look too hard to find an offer or even a few.

Do you see “The Reem” actually leaving the UFC, and if he does, which promotion would be the best fit?