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View Full Version : Exclusive: Alistair Overeem: “This Year is my Time”



Fasada
23-11-2010, 20:34
K-1 kickboxer and Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Alistair Overeem recently spoke with Tapology’s Steven Kelliher about his chances in the K-1 Final 16 Finals on December 11.

On October 2, Overeem took on up-and-coming kickboxing phenom Ben Edwards in the opening round of the 2010 K-1 Final 16 tournament. Edwards was riding a five-fight winning streak and had just set a K-1 record for the fastest tournament win with three knockouts in under three minutes. In the end, Edwards was no match for Overeem, who flattened him with punches and was awarded a TKO victory after three knockdowns in the first round.

“The fight went according to the gameplan,” Overeem said. “We knew he would come out aggressive and I could feel the power in his punches, he’s a strong fighter. I was waiting for the opening to strike and we found it in the first round. If you hit someone flush on the jaw, you know it will hurt. He’s very tough because most of the fighters would go out from the first and second punch but he stood up and kept fighting.”

Overeem has undoubtedly molded himself into one of the top kickboxers in the world over the last three years even though he only has 11 pro fights under his belt. With that said, the superstar has yet to win a major world title in kickboxing and knows he must continue to develop his strengths and work on his weaknesses if he is to succeed in the most competitive tournament in the world.

“I believe you can always learn more, the fight game will never stay the same so you got to improve more and more,” Overeem said. “If you think you are on the top and you wait a couple of years then I know the level of fighting has grown. Look at some of the Pride superstars, at one moment they were on top of their game but new people emerged and now Mirko [Cro Cop] is not even a top 10 fighter. Of course age has something to do with it, but I have at least 4 years of fighting in me. I don’t tell my weaknesses because if I know them I have to keep it for myself and train on them.”

After his quick victory over Edwards in the opening round of the tournament, Overeem was able to sit back and scope out the rest of his competition in the tournament in order to gauge who he feels he will meet en route to the title on December 11.

“It’s safe to say that Semmy Schilt is the favorite to win,” Overeem said. “His drawing power on paper is pretty good, but you never know what a guy like Kyotaro will do and never underestimate Peter Aerts. I was impressed with my friend and teammate Saki. I knew it before hand because he was in shape and it showed in the ring. After myself of course I’m hoping Saki will take it but unfortunately we will end up in the semi finals if we both win our opening fight.”

One of the most prevalent debates on the MMA scene concerns the prospect of teammates fighting teammates for major world titles or title eliminator matches. Most fighters seem to be vehemently against fighting one of their own under any circumstances, but you will rarely see that attitude displayed in the world of professional kickboxing. Overeem gave his take on the debate.

“Yes, I think they should fight each other if there is a championship belt or a major fight,” Overeem said. “I don’t understand their reasoning. I get beat up more in the gym than in a fight. Maybe it’s a Dutch mentality but we beat each other up in training, it’s crazy. We are professionals and there is a lot of money on the line. You share the same dreams and that’s becoming a champion and if you have to fight a friend, so be it.

“Afterward it’s all fun and games. We decided that the trainer will not be in the corner of both fighters. A lot of our teammates also have personal trainers and they can be in the corner. For example, Semmy Schilt trains only once a week at the Golden Glory gym in Breda and has his own trainers.”

When asked how he felt he would fare in the tournament finals, Overeem was blunt. Refusing to give away any shred of a gameplan, he merely stated that “this year is my time to be K-1 champion.”

Finally, Overeem gave a final message to his fans ahead of the most important kickboxing event of his career.

“I’d like to thank all my fans for the support and tell them to watch me conquer one of my dreams, becoming K-1 champion,” Overeem said. “Then I will take a holiday (I think I deserve it) and be back in MMA in the States to defend my title. Follow my online documentary on Alistair Overeem - An Online Documentary (http://www.alistairovereem.com) and witness my journey to become the best fighter in the world.”

Bron: Exclusive: Alistair Overeem: (http://blog.tapology.com/2010/11/exclusive-alistair-overeem-this-year-is-my-time/)

Jeru
24-11-2010, 01:16
Hij maakt zeker een grote kans....

Ivor
24-11-2010, 11:53
Allistair of Schilt zal het wel gaan worden.
Al hoop ik zelf op Saki, maar ik denk dat hij de kilootjes mist om een kans te maken.

Kemal
24-11-2010, 12:16
ik ga ook voor A.O

Baske
24-11-2010, 12:21
Die kanonslagen van A.O. waren geweldig om te zien. Hoewel het voor mij een moeilijke is om te kiezen tussen Schilt of Overeem, ga ik voor de aantrekkelijkere vechter en kies ik Overeem.

steftheboxer
24-11-2010, 12:44
ben toch bang dat het weer schilt wordt....maar hoop zo op AO of anders Saki..

wrestler_nl
24-11-2010, 15:10
ik denk ook dat het Sem Schilt wordt.

Peter0711
24-11-2010, 15:12
Ik denk niet dat Sem dit jaar wint.