Alistair Overeem Questions How Hard Stipe Miocic Is Working
Legendary dutch kick boxer and No. 3-ranked UFC heavyweight Alistair Overeem has undoubtedly made his mark on combat sports. “The Reem” is a former K1 world champion, as well as a former DREAM and Strikeforce heavyweight champion. Despite all of his accomplishments, however, Overeem has yet to get his hands on the UFC heavyweight strap, but he will get the opportunity to do so when he meets reigning champion Stipe Miocic in the main event of September 10’s UFC 203 from Cleveland, Ohio.
Being one of the biggest names in the sport, Overeem was riding quite the hype train when he entered the UFC in 2011, and he quickly made a statement, dismantling former titleholder Brock Lesnar in the first round of their UFC 141 bout. “The Reem”, however, then lost three of next four, and it appeared as if many had written him off, but now at age 36, he may have never looked better. Overeem has won four straight with three coming by way of stoppage including back-to-back finishes over former champions Junior Dos Santos and Andrei Arlovski.
Miocic has also been on a roll, owning three straight stoppage victories with his most recent being a first round starching of former champion Fabricio Werdum last May to secure the belt. In the aftermath of the bout, Miocic was celebrated in his home of Ohio, and Overeem has been questioning whether or not Miocic may be enjoying the attention a bit too much.
Speaking on yesterday’s (August 8, 2016) edition of The MMA Hour, Overeem said that while Miocic has been ‘partying’, he’s been working:
“He’s riding a real high, he’s the hero of Cleveland, he’s celebrating it, he got married and doing the Vegas thing. He’s partying. So I got one message: The wolf that is hungry is going to run a little bit faster than the wolf that is chilling on top of the mountain who has his belly full. And that’s a little bit of what I am seeing here. Yeah, he’s enjoying the life, enjoying the high, but I have been working. After Arlovski I went straight back to the gym and I’m just working, working. I am working for that day, which is coming up on September 10. It gives me confidence and it builds me up. I’’m putting in the extra work and you need to do that as champion and I am doing it.” Overeem said.
Who do you expect to take home heavyweight gold on September 10th live on pay-per-view (PPV)?