Is it time for Alistair Overeem to retire?
Alistair Overeem has been a staple in the UFC for the best part of a decade now. For all the glory he has captured as heavyweight champion for organizations like Pride, Strikeforce, and K-1, his biggest regret remains not winning a title in the UFC.
It's just that things didn't line up for Alistair Overeem in the way he would have liked. His first title challenge set against then-champion Junior dos Santos was canceled as Overeem failed a pre-fight drug test.
Alistair Overeem's second title shot also didn't pan out too well for the former Dutch kickboxer. He would find a romping Stipe Miocic in front of him who eventually finished him to retain the title.
Today, Alistair Overeem seems like a veteran gatekeeper who often falls just short when fighting younger elite athletes. Overeem holds a record of 3-3 in his last six fights and the three losses came against legit killers like Francis Ngannou, Jairzinho Rozenstruik, and Curtis Blaydes. They are currently ranked #1, #4, and #2 respectively in the UFC rankings.
Alistair Overeem, on the other hand, looks like a guy who is clinging on to his dreams of becoming a UFC champion which probably won't happen. With all due respect, the guy is slowly but surely creeping his way into the twilight of his professional fighting career.
For Alistair Overeem, it must be disappointing to find himself close but not close enough to the title at this point in his career. While earning another payday and getting a shot at the title(however slim the odds might be) is surely what keeps Alistair moving, he also has to understand that CTE aka "the punch drunk syndrome" is a real phenomenon too.
All three of his aforementioned losses have come via KO with two of those finishes coming in devastating fashion and such a situation has never ended well for ageing fighters; unless your name is Randy Coutoure which is beside the point.
As Alistair Overeem heads into another UFC Fight Night main event against another up and coming contender in Augusto Sakai, the only question on his mind should be - is it worth it anymore?