Alistair Overeem targeted for UFC 164, opponent uncertain

[No More Sorrow]

Top-tier heavyweight Alistair Overeem's return to the octagon is targeted for late summer, multiple sources close to the fighter told MMAjunkie.com (UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps*–*MMAjunkie.com).

The former Strikeforce champion has been earmarked to compete at UFC 164, a pay-per-view event that takes place Aug. 31 at Milwaukee's Bradley Center. His opponent has yet to materialize.


Overeem (36-12 MMA, 1-1 UFC), a 32-year-old Dutch striker, recently has encountered setbacks during his push for the UFC heavyweight title. He was scheduled to fight Junior dos Santos at UFC 160 before an injury forced him to withdraw.


At UFC 156 in February, he suffered a knockout loss to Antonio Silva, who is now set to rematch champ Cain Velasquez at UFC 160 on May 25 in Las Vegas. Prior to that, Overeem hadn't lost a fight in six years and 12 bouts.


The defeat followed another hiccup in 2012. Prior to a scheduled title shot at UFC 146 against then-champ dos Santos, he tested positive for elevated testosterone levels and was denied a license to fight, which effectively barred him from competition for nine months.


Overeem signed a lucrative contract with the UFC in September 2011 after he was cut from the now-defunct Strikeforce, where he held the heavyweight title for four years.

Could see them Pairing Daniel Cormier or Roy Nelson up against him, wouldn't mind either fight to be honest.

 

[Embrace Thou Maryse]

Hopefully fourth time around he can go through the fight hiccup free, no positive tests, no getting KO'd in his gimme fight and no injuries.

 

[Big Red Jericho Punk]

Travis Browne has been heavily rumored to be his opponent. I think that'll be a good matchup. I know Browne isn't that big of a name, but he's been knocking guys out minus the unfortunate injury against Bigfoot.

 

[Slim]

Big Country would be a real interesting matchup. But he does need to fight and not have one of those unfortunate losses like against Bigfoot and just finish the fight when he can.

 

[The Cork]

He's worthless at the moment, let him get his monster aura back by trashing a punchbag like Struve or Mir.

 

[No More Sorrow]

Alistair Overeem vs. Travis Browne set for UFC on Fox Sports 1

 

[Dale]

Browne was the guy who just smashed Gonzaga right?

 

[The Cork]

^^ yeah, and got knocked out by Bigfoot before that.

Don't care about Travis Browne at all, but Reem has no heart and could easily be beat here, seems a waste when they could give him to a guy like Cormier who they are trying to build up and get a scalp on his record.

 

[Slim]

It'll work better for Cormier if Reem gets a good looking win rather then coming after after getting Knocked out the way he did by Bigfoot.

 

[Embrace Thou Maryse]

If Reem fucks this up in some way I'm giving up on MMA.

 

[Slim]

Hopefully he wont' get all full of himself again and try to finish the fight as soon as possible.

 

[Deezy]

Give him Frank Murr.

Feed him gatekeepers until he gets his aura back. Loses to any of them release his ass.

 

[Embrace Thou Maryse]

Well hopefully with him training back in Holland again, he just goes back to his old ways. The only gamplan Reem should ever have is first round KO, destroy the opponent. Otherwise he gases badly and a guy that cant even touch him in the first round like BigFoot knocks him out in the third.

 

[Deezy]

Reem has a heavyweight body, but only a middleweight chin. Overeem would've been exposed if he fought Kharitonov or Barnett in the Strikeforce Grand Prix. Beating a sick Aerts in the K1 Grand Prix doesn't mean he is on the level of an Aerts or even a Schemmy Schilt.

 

[Troy]

I still can't believe that he lost that fight to Bigfoot, stupid gameplan to toy with him. Needs to get his UFC career back on track and surely he beats Browne convincingly. If he loses this fight I really don't know where he goes next.