Alistair Overeem, one of the most decorated combat sports athletes, made his retirement official, reflecting on the memorable moments and injuries that led to his decision and expressing his excitement for new pursuits in his post-fighting career.
Alistair Overeem, a decorated combat sports athlete, announced his retirement from the sport on The MMA Hour in October. Throughout his career, he captured several heavyweight championships in organizations such as Strikeforce, DREAM, and K-1, and also fought for the UFC title. Overeem looks back on his career with satisfaction, despite the losses he experienced, emphasizing that they spurred him to grow and change his mindset. He expressed contentment with his career, saying “It’s been great. I wouldn’t change a thing. It was six world titles, three different belts.”
Overeem mentioned the Lesnar fight and his runs towards the UFC belt as particularly memorable moments from his career. He also emphasized the physical toll of his 25-year career, noting that his body didn’t want to continue competing any longer. However, he looks forward to new pursuits and has undergone a shocking body transformation by overhauling his diet. He expressed optimism about the future, saying “It was just a realization that I had to go through to advance to the next stage, right?”
Overeem has a variety of new pursuits he’s committed himself to, from engaging in local politics in his native Netherlands to working on initiatives to help others break their phone addictions. He expressed no interest in returning to fighting, saying “I had new goals, so there’s no interest also in [coming back]. I like to train, I stay in shape. I mean, I can still fight. I’d like to teach a little. It’s not going to be my main thing, but I like to kind of pass on knowledge that I have to next generations. But yeah, no interest in fighting.”