MMA veteran Alistair Overeem. Photo: Jerry Lai – USA TODAY Sports
In his first kickboxing fight for more than a decade, Alistair Overeem pulled off a unanimous decision over rival Badr Hari in their third fight at Glory Collision 4 in Netherlands.
After two competitive rounds, the former UFC heavyweight stepped up, and as the third round progressed, Hari seemed more and more tired. Overeem was able to floor him twice before the end of the round.
After the final bell, 42-year-old Overeem was declared winner by unanimous decision with 29-26, 29-26 and 28-27 on the judges’ scorecards.
Alistair Overeem declared himself the new champion
Following the massive win, Overeem declared himself the new Glory heavyweight champion, which current heavyweight titleholder Rico Verhoeven didn’t seem to like as he entered the ring to confront Overeem.
The 42-year-old veteran is a former Strikeforce heavyweight champion, Dream heavyweight champion, K-1 World Grand Prix champion, and was the first-ever fighter to simultaneously hold world titles in MMA and K-1 kickboxing.