Overeem wants to fight Wlad Klitschko

El Guapo!

Overeem has expressed an interest in branching out into boxing and fighting one of the Klitschko brothers, preferably Wlad.
I think this would be a really interesting fight and I'd be more excited about this fight more than I was about Haye-Klitschko.
He was speaking on The MMA Hour a couple of mins ago and says he'd probably try to have a few warm-up fights first because he's never had a pro boxing fight and needs to warm up for it. He said there's been no definate contact between his management and Klitschko's management yet but its something they're workin on.

Alistair Overeem is always looking for a fight. Whether it's in mixed martial arts, where he is the reigning Strikeforce heavyweight champion, kickboxing, where he won the 2010 K-1 Grand Prix, and now, boxing, perhaps the next focus of his attention. But Overeem isn't just looking for a payday, he's looking to fight the best.

Recently, the Dutch powerhouse told a Polish news site that after the Strikeforce Grand Prix, he hopes to either face the UFC champ or box one of the Klitschko brothers. Older brother Vitali is the current WBC heavyweight champion while Wladimir is WBA, IBF, IBO, WBO and Ring Magazine world champion.

Overeem will appear on Monday's edition of The MMA Hour at 1 pm ET to further discuss his hopes of boxing either of the Klitschkos, but prior to that, he released a statement to MMA Fighting regarding his desires. The full text is after the jump.

Statement from Alistair Overeem:

"I would love to fight one of the Klitschko brothers. I think it will be great to see how one combat sport world champion will do against another world champion. There are many reasons to challenge him: boxing has been the No. 1 combat sport for years and MMA is growing and closing the gap with boxing. I would like to bring both worlds together by being the first MMA and K-1 champion to cross over into boxing.

There are many boxers that have competed in K-1 or MMA but vice versa, it's something that has not been done yet, so why not? I always like to challenge myself. I like to try new things. I know that a lot of people will call me crazy and will think that a boxing champion will have the full advantage. I'm fully aware that I'm the underdog going into the fight, but that was the same thing when I fought K-1 champion Badr Hari. People thought I was foolish to even try to fight such a name as an MMA fighter, but I took the chance and I defeated him. Two years later, I was crowned the K-1 champion.

If you don't try, then you will never know. Nobody has ever seen two combat champions fight in a boxing match so I think that I have the credentials to try. My current contract allows me to fight another sport so now I can do it. The last reason I can think of is that I know that Klitschko doesn't have many challenges in boxing anymore. The heavyweight division isn't very interesting anymore, so maybe I can give some color to the division and make for an exciting fight. If I look at the David Haye vs Wladimir Klitschko fight, I was a little disappointed. Klitschko was much better. No disrespect to Haye, but I truly believe I can make a more exciting fight, win or lose. As a true fan of MMA, I always liked the concept to see different combat sports fighting it out, so I'm going to make a bold statement and challenge Klitschko under his rules and his terms. I'm not in any way trying to disrespect him by challenging him, but he and I know this fight will not go to a decision!

It's up to the fans' response. I only want to fight him if there is support in both boxing and MMA communities. If the fans want it, I'm in!"

http://www.mmafighting.com/2011/07/18/alistair-overeem-wants-to-fight-a-klitschko-if-the-fans-want-i/

cowzerp

He see's a massive pay day more than he's probably earned in his whole career, he'd lose bad anyway, in both boxing or k1 to the brothers, both kickboxed also.

his striking is quite low standard compared to there levels

Logical Fallacy

Ubereem would get jabbed to death.

El Guapo!

Yeah I've no doubt that he'd only really go in with a punchers chance but I think it'd still be a more exciting fight than Haye-Klitschko.

He was asked would he be interested in having a kickboxing match with one of them and he said no he wants to box. And he openly admitted that there'd be a lot of money involved and that's why its so attractive to him. Can't knock him for trying to earn good money.

It was also brought up whether or not the fight would be even sanctioned though seeing as he has no pro fights and Wlad has 59.

weemcd

I think what has brought this on is his current situation with Strikeforce, he was interviewed by Ariel Helwani today where he aired some grievences about the way Strikeforce were conducting their matchmaking. He put it that they wanted the fight for September 10th, while he was provisionaly told it would be October. He has refused to sign to fight bigfoot on that date and there seems to be alot of tension around this. Reem is going to find negotiating with Zuffa a completely different ballgame to the matchmaking & room for extra curricular activities he was granted previously under Strikeforce:

http://www.mmafighting.com/2011/07/18/alistair-overeem-says-zuffa-threatened-to-remove-him-from-strike/

What's going to happen next, I don't know. I've had some threats of cutting me out of the tournament if I don't participate. I don't know if they're going to do it. Personally, I don't like to be threatened. If people start talking like that then...be my guest, but then I'm really not going to sing to their tune."

As for a fight with one of the brothers, what would the sanctioning bodies have to say about this? For a start they have challengers they are obligated to fight, Reem is not a licenced boxer & mma/kickboxing striking aside, he is in completly diffrent territories here than what he is used to. Like Nick Diaz and other fighters who have suggested crossovers to boxing, I think this will be shortlived, those type of novelty fights might be ok for kimbo slice or james toney, but I would have thought there are enough fights in MMA for him to keep interested. The UFC in my still needs that one dominant Heavyweight who can hold the belt with 4,5,6 defences, a figure like that would bring the UFC through that final hurdle in US & Worldwide markets, if the average person on the street could say "XXX is the UFC Heavyweight champion" like people would have instantly recognised Mike Tyson, Ali, Foreman etc. back in the day.

All of the above could probably be summarised as $$$ :rolleyes:

MrStuffins

This would end badly for Mr.Overeem!

MrStuffins

weemcd wrote: »

The UFC in my still needs that one dominant Heavyweight who can hold the belt with 4,5,6 defences, a figure like that would bring the UFC through that final hurdle in US & Worldwide markets, if the average person on the street could say "XXX is the UFC Heavyweight champion" like people would have instantly recognised Mike Tyson, Ali, Foreman etc. back in the day.

Brock would've been the perfect guy for this!

weemcd

MrStuffins wrote: »

Brock would've been the perfect guy for this!

Truth. Closest they had at the time, can you see him getting back to that level?

Some websites reporting Overeem has withdrawn from the SF Tournament.

Mellor

This would be the least exciting boxing match ever.
Just because Overeem is an exciting striker in MMA, doesn't mean there is any carry over to boxing.

Any top heavyweight boxer would just stand and pick him apart.

Jab, jab, jab, cross
repeat x 10
/fight

cowzerp

Mellor wrote: »

This would be the least exciting boxing match ever.
Just because Overeem is an exciting striker in MMA, doesn't mean there is any carry over to boxing.

Any top heavyweight boxer would just stand and pick him apart.

Jab, jab, jab, cross
repeat x 10
/fight

He's big and easy to hit, would be a ko as he's not fast like David Haye, Hayes more like overeem before he got big.