A. Overeem believes coaching changes benefit his performance. Photo: Reproduction / Facebook @ufc
Heavy weight (up to 120kg) alistair overeem confessed that his constant change of coaches has a direct influence on his performance within MMA. In a recent interview with the program 'The MMA Hour', the Dutch athlete commented on his strategies for staying active after so many years as a professional fighter.
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“If I had stayed in one or two places, I would probably be retired by now, because as a fighter you can get compromised. It’s not for every fighter, but I was compromised a few times in my career, and for me, it was stop or fight”, said the fighter, who stated that changes are necessary to stay active. “I had to make some changes. At times, I didn't want to change (team), but I had to make these changes if I wanted to continue with my career”, added Alistair.
Team changes, for Overeem, usually happen after suffering a loss, or a streak of losses. The fighter cites as examples his last setback to Curtis blaydes, at UFC 225. On that occasion, the 'Dutch Giant' was knocked out in the third round, ending a streak of two defeats.
“There were two defeats in a row. I was training at 'Jackson's MMA'. The chemistry there was good, but it had come to an end. I still wanted to fight. So would you stay in a place that isn't working for you? Or would you change the environment again to understand what is happening?”, asked the heavyweight.
Currently, alistair overeem trains precisely alongside the fighter against whom he suffered his last setback: the North American Curtis blaydes. The fight between the two, however, does not seem to influence their daily work.
“He’s a great fighter, he’s a great athlete and he’s also a great guy,” Overeem said of Blaydes. "I really like him. I have trained, in my 26 years, with many professionals, many champions, many strong fighters, and Curtis is one of my favorites. No ego at all”, said the Dutchman, who has no problem with having been defeated by Curtis last year. “We don’t discuss our fight. We’ve elevated ourselves to a higher level, and it’s great to be part of the team and help them on their journey to greatness.”
Today, aged 38, alistair overeem He is a living legend of MMA, having even been part of the fighter lineup of the now-defunct Pride. The Dutchman made his UFC debut in 2011. Since then, he has had 15 fights in the organization, recording nine wins and six losses. In total, he has an impressive 61 fights in mixed martial arts, with 43 wins, 17 losses and one unsuccessful fight.
His last fight took place in November last year, when he defeated Russian Sergey Pavlovich at UFC Beijing.
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