Current UFC heavyweight Pat Barry (5-2) is one of many fighters who have transitioned from kickboxing into mixed martial arts. Barry started training when he was 21 and eventually made his K-1 debut in April 2005 at the K-1 World Grand Prix 2005 In Las Vegas tournament.
As a recent guest on MMAWeekly.com Radio Barry wasn’t discussing the values of making a transition from kickboxing to mma, it was just the opposite, he felt that mma actually improved his striking as a kickboxer.
Naturally when you talk about a fighter going from mma to kickboxing, one name springs to mind and that’s Alistair Overeem, who last month captured the pinnacle kickboxing title as part of the K-1 World Grand Prix 2010 tournament in Japan.
“The dude is a monster. That’s what I think,” he said. “Not only is he humongous, (but) he’s extremely experienced. That’s what makes him the most dangerous. Not just the size, but he has so much experience in MMA and in kickboxing, and he’s a Dutch trained kickboxer. I was in Amsterdam for five years. I know what the Dutch train like out there. The dude is a monster. I don’t know how anyone is going to stop him any time soon. He doesn’t seem to get tired. All he needs to do is hit you one time. He’s fast, he’s athletic, and he’s strong as hell. He’s everything you need all in one body.”