“This is Absolutely the Best I’ve Been”- Alistair Overeem Sends a Warning to the Heavyweight Division After UFC Fight Night

UFC Heavyweight Alistair Overeem was victorious in his outing against Augusto Sakai at UFC Fight Night 176: Overeem vs Sakai. “The Demolition Man” brutalized Sakai with hefty ground strikes that ultimately led to the finish for the veteran. He managed to ground the Brazilian frequently and subsequently landed punishing elbows and hammer fists that earned him the win.

Chiefly, Augusto Sakai started off strong and arguably clinched the first two rounds of the contest. However, he was not equipped to deal with Overeem’s outside trip transition that often sent him to the canvas. Additionally, the Dutch Kickboxer has now shown his prowess on the ground in his last two outings with great success.

UFC Fight Night: Alistair Overeem vs Augusto Sakai

The former DREAM, Strike Force, and K-1 Grand Prix champion in Overeem spoke to the media via UFC News following his statement performance. It was clear that his new game plan to start off slower against durable opponents has paid dividends.

“I kinda had a feeling this would take a couple of rounds, it took me five. All respect to the coaches. They’ve guided me perfect, camp was perfect, and that’s why we were able to make successful adjustments during the fight.”

Sakai was on a 6-fight win streak and was tied at the UFC heavyweight streak with four straight wins. Furthermore, he was keen to build himself off Overeem’s name and possibly swipe off his ranking in the process. However, Augusto will have to go back to the drawing board and plan his next move.

“Went for takedown, successful takedowns. We finished him on the ground. I had a feeling I would finish him on the ground cause his background is striking. He’s durable, and I kinda knew that going in, little bit more durable than I thought. Up and comer, hungry, tough, punches hard, a little harder than I thought he would. So we have to drag it out to the later rounds.”

Additionally, “The Demolition Man” has been training with fellow heavyweight Curtis Blaydes at team Elevation. It’s clear that this move has been extremely beneficial to Overeem, who continues to add weapons to his arsenal.

“This is absolutely the best I’ve ever been. I continue to grow with the team, the team is awesome. Improving on all fields, ground, striking, strength and conditioning so very happy with team elevation.”

The MMA community has long been following the storied career of Alistair Overeem. Fight fans lay in wait to witness the trajectory of ostensibly his final run at UFC gold.