What's the story?
MMA and Kickboxing veteran Alistair “The Reem” Overeem is scheduled to face Mark “The Super Samoan” Hunt at UFC 209 in March. However, there have been some doubts about whether the fight will happen or will it be scraped off, due to the ongoing disputes between the Samoan and the UFC. The Dutchman recently responded to all these issues as per Champions.co.
He wrote the the following in his blog:
“ So apparently there have been some questions about my upcoming fight against #MarkHunt at #UFC209. But, I’m here to set the record straight and let you all know that I will be fighting on March 4 in Las Vegas. ; however, I’m a professional -- this is going to be my 87th or 88th fight between MMA and kickboxing -- so I kinda know how to focus and tune out all the distractions. “
In case you didn't know...
“The Super Samoan” has been in dispute with the UFC ever since they refused to give him compensation for his loss against a drug enhanced Brock Lesnar. The heavyweight also recently filed a lawsuit against Lesnar, UFC president Dana White and UFC parent company Zuffa LLC.
Overeem and Hunt have faced each other before in the final round of the Dream 5: Lightweight Grand Prix 2008. Overeem had won the fight due to submission via an ‘Americana’ in under 1 minute.
The heart of the matter
The Dutchman feels that the fight against Hunt at UFC 209 has given him a new purpose. He feels that taking some time off has helped him in finding motivation. The controversy and uncertainty that had surrounded his fight with Hunt prompted him to address these issues.
What next?
In his blog, Overeem revealed that he is currently in Amsterdam. However, he will be heading back to Albuquerque, New Mexico next week to begin his camp with Greg Jackson and Winkeljohn. Hunt too is expected to begin his training camp soon to prepare for the fight.
Sportskeeda's take
We do agree that fighters should be protected against drug enhanced fighters. They should also be given some compensation. We hope that Hunt can sort out all his issues with the UFC, as the entire MMA community would love to watch him and Overeem trading blows with each other.
UFC 209 is gradually shaping up to be an exceptional fight card. Both casual and hardcore fans are eagerly waiting for it.
