Getty Rico Verhoeven (L) poses with Alistair Overeem during a press presentation.
Former UFC heavyweight Alistair Overeem is ready to make his comeback against longtime rival Badr Hari.
Grizzled UFC veteran Overeem is set to mark his return to action after a nearly two-year long hiatus at Glory Collision 4 on Oct. 8 at Arnhem, Netherlands. He will face Hari for a third kickboxing match in the headlining bout of the night. He dropped two out of his last four bouts under the banner and was unexpectedly released after a loss to Alexander Volkov in his last outing in Feb. 2021.
In an appearance on “The MMA Hour,” Overeem expressed his excitement at competing again after the brief break.
“It’s been in a minute but again, eager to get back in there, shape is tremendous, phenomenal,” Overeem said via Middle Easy. “I’m just hungry to get back in there and yes last fight was a bit ago but you know you’re fighting in the gym, right? You’re sparring in the gym so it’s not like there’s no activity. It’s not like I’m laying on the couch. I always train, I’ve turned everything up not one but five notches for this fight.“
Overeem Will Work Even Harder for a Potential Bout With Rico Verhoeven
Overeem was picked up by Glory after his UFC exit and lined up for a contest with the reigning Glory heavyweight champion Rico Verhoeven at Glory: Collision 3 in Oct. last year. However, Overeem was forced to pull out of the bout due to an injury, delaying his comeback by a year.
A win over Hari will not only put a decisive win to their feud but also likely earn Overeem a shot at the gold in his next bout. While he is training hard for his first fight in eighteen months, ‘The Demolition Man’ hinted at increasing his efforts for a potential contest with Verhoeven.
“And we’re probably going to turn it up two more for the Rico fight. Not looking ahead of things but I do believe I’m going to come out of this victorious with everything I have. And that’s gonna be interesting.”
Overeem Believes He’s in the ‘Best Shape’ of His Life
Overeem was the first fighter to hold world titles in MMA and K-1 kickboxing at the same time. He clashed with Hari for the first time in Dec. 2008 and came out on top with a brutal left hook knockout in the first round. Hari returned the favor in their second encounter and equaled the score by defeating Overeem via TKO (2 knockdowns rule) a year later in Dec. 2009.
The 42-year-old is confident in his preparation and believes he is in the best shape of his life. Given the history he shares with Hari, Overeem admitted that there will be tension going into the outing.
“Listen, I did my homework and I improved and we turned everything up not one but five notches. We’re there for the win. I’m in the best shape of my life,” he said. “I’m 42 years old, but the best shape is now and just excitement, just excitement. Listen, there’ll be some tension. There’ll be some adrenaline boiling right because you know, there’s gonna be some collision, Collision 4 but yeah, I did my homework.”