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Alistair Overeem was cut from the UFC after losing against Alexander Volkov at UFC Vegas 18 back in February 2021. However, it wasn't just the loss that caused Overeem's exit from the organization. Dana White hinted that his age played a factor in the UFC's decision to cut the heavyweight from the roster.
Along with 'The Demolition Man', fellow MMA legend Junior dos Santos was also let go after the Brazilian lost four bouts in a row against Francis Ngannou, Curtis Blaydes, Jairzinho Rozenstruik, and Ciryl Gane.
While speaking to TMZ Sports after releasing the two MMA icons from the UFC, Dana White stated:
"People get cut every week… I think those two [Alistair Overeem and Junior dos Santos] are pretty self-explanatory. It's nothing negative, it's just part of the sport... Age, it gets us all man."
Watch the full TMZ Sports interview with Dana White here:
Dana White made it clear that neither release was for any personal reason, stating that Alistair Overeem "never said no to a fight" while fighting in the organization.
Both Overeem and Junior dos Santos have returned to combat sports since being released by Dana White. 'Cigano' moved to Khabib Nurmagomedov's Eagle FC organization, losing to Yorgan De Castro via TKO due to a shoulder injury on his debut.
Overeem recently reignited an old feud against Badr Hari, beating the kickboxing legend at Glory Collision 4 via unanimous decision in a kickboxing bout. 'The Demolition Man' is yet to return to an MMA organization.
Did Alistair Overeem ever become a UFC champion?
No. Despite Alistair Overeem being a household name in the MMA world, the 42-year-old never won gold while competing under the UFC banner. 'The Demolition Man' attempted to win the UFC heavyweight belt when taking on Stipe Miocic at UFC 203, but failed.
Miocic, after getting knocked down, rallied to finish Overeem in the first round of the heavyweight contest. Miocic is widely regarded as the greatest UFC heavyweight champion of all-time.
