Alistair Overeem reacts to ZUFFA's purchase of Strikeforce, says it's a "Good Development"
Posted on March 15, 2011, 12:02 AM by Joey Santosus"I'm a positive guy. I see things through a positive lens. It can be really, really the best thing [that] ever happened to the sport, if it's used positive, and I see that happening. If it's used negative, then it's going to be a downfall. But I don't see that happening. I see this as a good thing, a good development."
"We're going to have to wait and see how it works out. "The fans are going to get to see the fights that are most appealing to them. I think this is what the sport needs to grow... - For more from Alistair Overeem's appearance on "The MMA Hour" with Ariel Helwani, visit MMAFighting.com
While ZUFFA's recent purchase of Strikeforce has yielded mixed emotions from the MMA community, the promotion's Heavyweight Champion, Alistair Overeem, is among those who are optimistic about the future implications of the new ownership. Like many, Overeem expects the deal to produce exciting match-ups for fans, but says his focus remains on Fabricio Werdum, whom he will face in June as part of the ongoing Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix.
Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum is set to take place June 18th from the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. The stacked card will be headlined by the quarterfinal elimination bout between Heavyweight Champ Alistair Overeem and Fabricio Werdum, while the co-main event will feature Josh Barnett and Brett Rogers going head to head in their own quarterfinal match-up.
Photo: Strikeforce
Comments
getting the reem into the ufc is the best thing to happen to this sport in a little while...
agreed . but 1 thing i really wish white would consider ! is i wish he would just freakn make a 4 or 5 fight deal and co promote those 4 or 5 fights ! so we can see overreem take on lesnar etc . it would be great too see !
sounds like the reem is willing and wanting to step with the ufc boys. which is good news, personally i believe this guy is gunna walk through one contender fight and be the ufc HW champ in matter of time, i think dana secretly wants this guy in the ufc too, he'll probably be more vocal on that now that strikeforce is under the zuffa banner. cant wait for the reems strikeforce contract to run out !!!
OVEREEM future UFC HW CHAMPION!
I would love to see him vs Carwin!!!!
why are all the fighters saying stuff like 'now the fans get to see the fights they want to see'
did i miss an interview yesterday where dana changed his mind and said he'll do superfights?
They will eventually do superfights, they just have to find a loophole in the contract with Showtime.
he has already stated on several occasions that he would like to fight in the ufc so cross your fingers and hope it is sooner rather than later
Everyone read its a "GOOD DEVELOPMENT" not a monopoly, Only the best can come from this cuz Dana and Zuffa are keeping SF around Honoring ALL contracts with fighters and Showtime and Scott even kept his job its great that Overeem is looking positive unlike Daley even tho i like Daley he really needs to be nice if he dont wana loss his job....
i no nothing is officicial yet with fighters contracts to go from strikeforce to ufc but OMG could you imagine how many more great fights the reem could get. i would love to see overeem fight lesnar,mir,carwin,nelson,cain and jds hell i would even love to see a stand up war with him n pat barry
The only guys there that I can see giving him any trouble are Cain and maybe Carwin for a bout a minute. I think a fight with Overeem would result in a really short night for the rest of those guys. Lesner might survive a round or two if he got him down immediately but the first good punch that landed would send him through the fence lime the play do spaghetti maker.
lime = like.
i no he could beat 80 percent of them but im just sayiing they would be great fights and imagine all the hype for the event it would be huge
Its gonna be sick to see everyone in one organization. All of the best fighters together able to face each other is definitely what the sport needed. Instead of scattered everywhere. Reem vs. Cain,
Fedor vs. Coutour , Daily vs. Koscheck 2, Gsp vs. Nick Diaz, Big foot vs. Brock and last but not least women in the UFC. They better expand the women roster and not leave them hanging. MMA can finally get the recognition its been waiting for from the world with fights like these.
Yeah, I am wondering what will happen to the women. Dana has said for years that he doesn't want women in the UFC. Maybe SF ends up being the women's league in a few years? I hope not though. If they separate the women and the men into different leagues the women will get ignored but the casual fans.
As far as the super fights go they won't happen right away so no point in dreaming about them yet.
What will happen is when contracts are up in one, two, three more fights if the UFC wants the guy they will be much easier to obtain. . . .
Eventually I see the UFC taking the contracts they want, and then when the showtime contract runs out with Strikeforce they fold it.
For me, the biggest impact of this merge, would be in the HW division. If we are now going to see the migration of guys like AO, Fedor, Big Foot et. al., then that division is going to be one scary, scary, place. When you think of the names, the size, the talent will eventually top the UFC's HW division it is truly impressive. I cannot wait to see how the big SF fighters coming into The UFC.
My guess - I won't be shocked if they run a tournament, of some sort. Take all those guys, throw them into a tourney and may the best man win.
When I think of the epic battles which are now entirely possible, it just makes me smile. I just hope Dana lets all and any bad blood go and begins on a new page with everyone; and that includes Barnett, Daley, Diaz and even M-1 global (if they are still relevant to the new model).
I think Lesner will have been beaten out of the UFC by then.