UFC veteran Alistair Overeem is slated to fight Badr Hari for the third time this October at GLORY Collision 4.
Early last year, UFC chose to part ways with Alistair Overeem after he lost his final outing under the banner to Alexander Volkov in Feb 2021. As a seasoned professional of the sport, Overeem has competed in the most well-known promotions through the years having started his professional career in 1999.
After a two-decade-long career that saw him fight in PRIDE FC, Strikeforce, DREAM, K-1 Kickboxing, and the UFC, Overeem will finally be making his first showing under GLORY.
For his debut match in the promotion, Alistair Overeem has been matched up against longtime rival Badr Hari for a third fight. While the 42-year-old Dutch was previously scheduled to face the heavyweight champion Rico Verhoeven, ‘The Demolition Man’ was forced to withdraw from the bout due to injury last October. (source: AD.nl)
While most athletes take their chops to MMA after specializing in one area, Overeem maintained a balance between MMA and kickboxing. He made his debut in both sports in the same year and although he spent most of his career in MMA, he also holds a record of 10-4 in kickboxing.
Alistair Overeem-Badr Hari: A History Spanning Decades
Alistair Overeem has been a long-standing fixture in the field of combat sports barring boxing. Making his debut in the UFC in 2011, Overeem secured a win over Brock Lesnar via TKO. He has also stood toe-to-toe with current UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou, Stipe Miocic, Chuck Liddell, Mirko Cro Cop, and many more.
Badr Hari is no exception when compared in terms of longevity. Having fought most of the best heavyweight fighters, Hari has had a career that spanned generations since his professional debut in 2002. Hari has also held titles in K-1 kickboxing and It’s Showtime. He was also twice a runner-up in K-1 Grand Prix tournaments and has challenged the prolific Rico Verhoeven twice for the GLORY heavyweight crown.
Their first encounter came in a K-1 and DREAM crossover event Dynamite!! 2008. Overeem dispatched Hari with a knockout in the first round to upset the oddsmakers. In their second clash in the K-1 World Grand Prix 2009 tournament, Hari was able to avenge his loss by knocking out Overeem in the opening round of the semi-final matchup.
Now, Overeem and Hari will put their record on the line to come out on top of their rivalry with one win over the other at GLORY Collision 4 this October. No exact date or location has been confirmed as of yet.