(Which one of you sent me the box of horse-flavored chocolates for Valentine’s Day? Delicious!)
Amidst a long and public dispute with Golden Glory that has yet to be resolved, it appears that UFC Heavyweight #1 contender Alistair Overeem has signed with Authentic Sports Management, and will begin training in Florida alongside Anthony Johnson, Rashad Evans, Melvin Guillard, and fellow K1 kickboxer Tyrone Spong, also known as “The Blackzilians,” for his upcoming title fight with Junior Dos Santos.
Though the team has gotten off to a rough start, Alistair believes ASM, and specifically team leader Glenn Robinson, will push his already decorated career to a new level with their top notch team of industry experts. Overeem sent out the following press release earlier today in regards to the managerial change:
With [ASM], I saw right away that Glenn Robinson has a system in place that allows the fighter to focus on training only, which is so important as I prepare for my UFC heavyweight title fight against Junior Dos Santos,” said Overeem. “ASM has a team of experts to help you grow as an athlete, from Glenn working hands-on as management to Jen Wenk handling my PR and Karen Gough running marketing, a full-time nutritionist, a finance and legal department – you name it they have it. After meeting with ASM, I was convinced that they can make me the new UFC world champion.
As you may or may not know, Golden Glory has filed yet another court order to garnish Overeem’s payment for his UFC 141 win over Brock Lesnar. The former DREAM, Strikeforce, and K1 Champion has stated a desire to keep the issue private and between the parties involved, and like a true professional, refuses to name names in terms of who specifically influenced his decision to seek out a new camp. In fact, in a recent interview with MMAWeekly, Overeem stated that instead of letting the past weigh him down, he is rather looking to the future, and explained why he chose to do so with ASM:
Since I signed my UFC contract, I knew I needed to be in the States more and, therefore, I visited several gyms, training camps, managers and other interesting people in the industry. When I came to South Florida, with ASM, I saw right away they are not only a management company, but an organization that makes sure that everything besides fighting is being taken care of.
Best of luck, Alistair. Just make sure you stay away from those cheeseburgers the Blackzilians seem to love so much.
-J. Jones