Tag: Pride Fighting Championship

Alistair Overeem: Body Transformation Timeline – From Overeem to Ubereem – Infographic

Alistair Overeem Eras Timeline Alistair Overeem NowThe body of Alistair Overeem has been the subject of much discussion and awe. His very fantastic body has…

Alistair Overeem Eras Timeline Alistair Overeem Now

The body of Alistair Overeem has been the subject of much discussion and awe. His very fantastic body has gone through various eras; from Overeem, to Ubereem, to Alistair Overeem now as Vegetareem. We’ve created a timeline of eras outlining the before and after of ‘The Dutch Demolition Man.’

Alistair Overeem – Body Transformation Timeline Infographic

Alistair Overeem before and after Alistair Overeem Now

Alistair Overeem Before and After

Overeem – 2000 – 2007

It all began with a young Overeem competing in PRIDE FC’s 205 lb division. He was a top-ranked fighter and dangerous, trading with fighters such as Chuck Liddell, Vitor Belfort, and Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua. With a skilled guillotine or sharp knees, he was giving top fighters issues.

Overeem 2007

Ubereem – 2010 – 2011

Overeem decided to move up to heavyweight and put on an incredible physique. He bulked up and won titles in K-1 and Dream, powering through the competition with the strength of horse meat coursing through his Dutch veins. He also competed in Strikeforce and earned a victory against the former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar.

Overeem 2010 Ubereem

Econoreem – 2012 – 2021

While competing in the UFC, heightened levels of testosterone and a suspension forced a slight change to his physique. Now, he was less focused on powering through his opponents but instead used his cardio. He competed for the UFC heavyweight title and nearly won it during this time.

overeem 2016

Oldereem – 2021 – 2022

After leaving the UFC, Overeem ventured into kickboxing to defeat his long-time rival Badr Hari. Originally, he earned a unanimous decision victory but was overturned to a No Contest as he tested positive for a banned substance.

Overeem 2022

Alistair Overeem Now: Vegetareem – 2023 – Current Day

Now in retirement, Overeem is showing a much leaner physique. His focus now includes developing new health-related projects. The horse meat is long gone. He has stated that he made this change as part of a broader focus on health and wellness following his retirement from competitive fighting. Overeem mentioned that he no longer has the desire to eat meat and believes that it negatively affects his health.

Alistair Overeem Now
Alistair Overeem Now

Francis Ngannou still hungry for boxing as he eyes Wilder and Usyk clashes: ‘Why not fight everyone?’

Francis Ngannou still hungry for boxing as he eyes Wilder and Usyk clashes: 'Why not fight everyone?'Despite his two-fight losing skid since his professional boxing move, and ahead of his PFL (Professional Fighters League) debut…

Francis Ngannou still hungry for boxing as he eyes Wilder and Usyk clashes: 'Why not fight everyone?'

Despite his two-fight losing skid since his professional boxing move, and ahead of his PFL (Professional Fighters League) debut in two months time, former undisputed UFC heavyweight champion, Francis Ngannou has vowed to compete in his pursuit of a first win in the squared circle — eyeing former titleholder, Deontay Wilder as well as Oleksandr Usyk.

Ngannou, a former undisputed heavyweight champion under the banner of the UFC, is slated to headline a PFL event in October, making his SmartCage debut in a matchup opposite Brazilian heavyweight star, Renan Ferreira in a return to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

16630713221

However, most recently fighting earlier this year, Cameroonian knockout artist, Ngannou dropped a devastating second round knockout loss to former two-time world heavyweight champion, Anthony Joshua in the Middle East.

Late last year to boot, Batie superstar, Ngannou made his professional boxing debut in a matchup against the then-unbeaten WBC heavyweight gold holder, Tyson Fury — dropping the Morecambe native with a stunning knockdown before dropping a controversial split decision loss in the desert.

Francis Ngannou on fighting through grief: ‘This is for my son’

Francis Ngannou welcomes Deontay Wilder, Oleksandr Usyk boxing fights

However, ahead of his clash with Ferreira in October, Ngannou has welcomed the chance to made a third walk to the boxing ring — against everybody from the likes of Wilder to current world champion, Usyk.

Renan Ferreira walks back controversial comments made to Francis Ngannou

“Absolutely, I would love that fight,” Francis Ngannou told talkSPORT of a matchup with Deontay Wilder. “Pure boxing, don’t be delusional here. That’s where we both stand a chance, but if we go MMA only one man stands a chance. It’s a fight that I want, I always wanted that fight. At some point we had a discussion that didn’t go too far, but we wanted to make this fight happen.”

“And even more boxers — Usyk? Why not,” Francis Ngannou explained. “I have the (Tyson) Fury rematch then Deontay Wilder on the wish list. (Martin Bakole) not really. That is the fight I would choose as the last option because I see him more like a brother. I’d fight anyone else beside him, plus he’s dangerous.”

Francis Ngannou still hungry for boxing as he eyes Wilder and Usyk clashes: ‘Why not fight everyone?’

Francis Ngannou still hungry for boxing as he eyes Wilder and Usyk clashes: 'Why not fight everyone?'Despite his two-fight losing skid since his professional boxing move, and ahead of his PFL (Professional Fighters League) debut…

Francis Ngannou still hungry for boxing as he eyes Wilder and Usyk clashes: 'Why not fight everyone?'

Despite his two-fight losing skid since his professional boxing move, and ahead of his PFL (Professional Fighters League) debut in two months time, former undisputed UFC heavyweight champion, Francis Ngannou has vowed to compete in his pursuit of a first win in the squared circle — eyeing former titleholder, Deontay Wilder as well as Oleksandr Usyk.

Ngannou, a former undisputed heavyweight champion under the banner of the UFC, is slated to headline a PFL event in October, making his SmartCage debut in a matchup opposite Brazilian heavyweight star, Renan Ferreira in a return to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

16630713221

However, most recently fighting earlier this year, Cameroonian knockout artist, Ngannou dropped a devastating second round knockout loss to former two-time world heavyweight champion, Anthony Joshua in the Middle East.

Late last year to boot, Batie superstar, Ngannou made his professional boxing debut in a matchup against the then-unbeaten WBC heavyweight gold holder, Tyson Fury — dropping the Morecambe native with a stunning knockdown before dropping a controversial split decision loss in the desert.

Francis Ngannou on fighting through grief: ‘This is for my son’

Francis Ngannou welcomes Deontay Wilder, Oleksandr Usyk boxing fights

However, ahead of his clash with Ferreira in October, Ngannou has welcomed the chance to made a third walk to the boxing ring — against everybody from the likes of Wilder to current world champion, Usyk.

Renan Ferreira walks back controversial comments made to Francis Ngannou

“Absolutely, I would love that fight,” Francis Ngannou told talkSPORT of a matchup with Deontay Wilder. “Pure boxing, don’t be delusional here. That’s where we both stand a chance, but if we go MMA only one man stands a chance. It’s a fight that I want, I always wanted that fight. At some point we had a discussion that didn’t go too far, but we wanted to make this fight happen.”

“And even more boxers — Usyk? Why not,” Francis Ngannou explained. “I have the (Tyson) Fury rematch then Deontay Wilder on the wish list. (Martin Bakole) not really. That is the fight I would choose as the last option because I see him more like a brother. I’d fight anyone else beside him, plus he’s dangerous.”

On This Day: Mirko Cro Cop Knocks Out Alexander Emelianenko with a Head Kick – August 15, 2004

Mirko Cro Cop Knocks Out Alexander Emelianenko with a Head Kick - August 15, 2004Twenty years ago to the day, Mirko Cro Cop delivered an iconic head kick against the highly skilled Russian-born…

Mirko Cro Cop Knocks Out Alexander Emelianenko with a Head Kick - August 15, 2004

Twenty years ago to the day, Mirko Cro Cop delivered an iconic head kick against the highly skilled Russian-born Alexander Emelianenko. This would lead to a match between the Croatian kickboxer against the PRIDE FC world champion, brother of Alexander, Fedor Emelianenko.

Pride FC: Final Conflict 2004

The August 15 event was to be the finals of the Pride 2004 Heavyweight Grand Prix, set to feature the semi-finals and final match of the tournament. Fedor Emelianenko quickly subbed Naoya Ogawa while “Big Nog” Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira fought a full fifteen minutes against Russia’s Sergei Kharitonov. Nogueira and Fedor met in the finals, but the fight was called off as a No Contest due to an accidental cut. Thus, the other matches on the card became the memorable moments from this event.

Mirko Cro Cop Knocks Out Alexander Emelianenko with a Head Kick

Mirko Cro Cop Filipovi? was a standout fighter in K-1 Kickboxing. The Croatian-born fighter was a training partner of the first K-1 Champion Branko Cikati?. Fighting during the golden age of kickboxing, he had wars against some of the best kickboxers in history including Andy Hug, Ernesto Hoost, Peter Aerts, Ray Sefo, Remy Bonjasky, Mike Bernardo and Mark Hunt, and others.

But when Mirko Cro Cop transitioned to MMA and competed in PRIDE FC, then he became a megastar. It was his head kick knockouts from the southpaw that made him transcend and become a household name in Japan and among MMA fans. “Right kick hospital, left leg cemetery.”

Igor Vovchanchyn, Dos Caras Jr., and Heath Herring were knocked out by the heavy kicks of the Croatian fighter. But the unbeaten Alexander Emelianenko at a towering 6’3″ was expected to pose a new challenge. Instead, Mirko knocked him out with a signature head kick just two minutes into their meeting.

Wanderlei Silva Stomps Yuki Kondo

wanderlei yuki kondo

Maybe the most iconic knockout of the career of Wanderlei Silva. A brutal finish from the Vale Tudo fighter. Wanderlei knocks down the Pancrase veteran and then stomps him out on the canvas. An unforgettable image. Yuki Kondo is often dismissed as an easy win but Yuki Kondo was a veteran and this was the first time he’d lost by KO/TKO in his career. I’ve written at length about the BMF career of Yuki Kondo.

On This Day: Wanderlei Silva Delivers One of the Most Brutal Knockouts in History Against Kazushi Sakuraba – Aug. 10, 2003

Wanderlei Silva knocks out Kazushi Sakuraba PRIDE 2003Wanderlei Silvas was in his prime in 2003, and he showed his feared power by brutally knocking out Kazushi…

Wanderlei Silva knocks out Kazushi Sakuraba PRIDE 2003

Wanderlei Silvas was in his prime in 2003, and he showed his feared power by brutally knocking out Kazushi Sakuraba. This was during the Pride Total Elimination 2003, a grand Prix that featured Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson, Alistair Overeem, and Chuck Liddell, among others.

Wanderlei Silva knocks out Kazushi Sakuraba

Brazil’s Wanderlei Silva was becoming one of the biggest stars in MMA at this time, he was about to become the face of PRIDE FC. A former Vale Tudo striker who was putting Chute Boxe on the map. Already having captured the PRIDE FC championship, he had defeated notable fighters previously such as Dan Henderson, Kazushi Sakuraba, and Guy Mezger.

The 2003 PRIDE Grand Prix was a stacked tournament that featured major names such as Wanderlei Silva, Alistair Overeem, Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson, former UFC champion Murilo Bustamante, RINGS legend Kiyoshi Tamura, Olympic Medalist Hidehiko Yoshida, and the UFC entered their biggest name Chuck Liddell into the mix.

Kazushi Sakuraba had made a name for himself in MMA by becoming the Gracie hunter, out-grappling and defeating members of the Gracie family. Sometimes in incredible showcases such as when he faced Royce Gracie for 90 minutes. Later that same night, Sakuraba would compete once against facing the heavy-handed Ukrainian Igor Vovchanchyn.

Japan’s Sakuraba, a noted chain smoker, had a background as a professional wrestler. MMA wasn’t his true aim, but over time he would become a legend in the sport. Today, he would be about the size of a welterweight but at the time he competed against anyone of any size including heavyweights.

silva vs sakuraba

On this day, August 10, 2003, The Brazilian Wanderlei Silva had already defeated Sakuraba twice before, both by TKO. So the ending of this match was not a huge surprise, but the brutality of it was. A massive right hook, blistering speed, that looked to decapitate the Japanese grappler and snapped his neck to his shoulder. A cold-blooded knockout from Wanderlei Silva.

In the tournament, ‘Rampage’ Jackson defeated Chuck Liddel to reach the finals. From there, Wanderlei Silva delivered a barrage of knees to leave him slumped in the ropes with an iconic knockout.

Pride FC: Total Elimination 2003

Also featured at the August 10, 2003, Pride FC: Total Elimination 2003 event was heavyweight great Fedor Emelianenko knocking out Gary Goodridge. Chuck Liddell knocked out Alistair Overeem, Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira defeated UFC champion Ricco Rodriguez, and Mirko Cro Cop knocked out Igor Vovchanchyn with a head kick.

On This Day: Wanderlei Silva Delivers One of the Most Brutal Knockouts in History Against Kazushi Sakuraba – Aug. 10, 2003

Wanderlei Silva knocks out Kazushi Sakuraba PRIDE 2003Wanderlei Silvas was in his prime in 2003, and he showed his feared power by brutally knocking out Kazushi…

Wanderlei Silva knocks out Kazushi Sakuraba PRIDE 2003

Wanderlei Silvas was in his prime in 2003, and he showed his feared power by brutally knocking out Kazushi Sakuraba. This was during the Pride Total Elimination 2003, a grand Prix that featured Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson, Alistair Overeem, and Chuck Liddell, among others.

Wanderlei Silva knocks out Kazushi Sakuraba

Brazil’s Wanderlei Silva was becoming one of the biggest stars in MMA at this time, he was about to become the face of PRIDE FC. A former Vale Tudo striker who was putting Chute Boxe on the map. Already having captured the PRIDE FC championship, he had defeated notable fighters previously such as Dan Henderson, Kazushi Sakuraba, and Guy Mezger.

The 2003 PRIDE Grand Prix was a stacked tournament that featured major names such as Wanderlei Silva, Alistair Overeem, Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson, former UFC champion Murilo Bustamante, RINGS legend Kiyoshi Tamura, Olympic Medalist Hidehiko Yoshida, and the UFC entered their biggest name Chuck Liddell into the mix.

Kazushi Sakuraba had made a name for himself in MMA by becoming the Gracie hunter, out-grappling and defeating members of the Gracie family. Sometimes in incredible showcases such as when he faced Royce Gracie for 90 minutes. Later that same night, Sakuraba would compete once against facing the heavy-handed Ukrainian Igor Vovchanchyn.

Japan’s Sakuraba, a noted chain smoker, had a background as a professional wrestler. MMA wasn’t his true aim, but over time he would become a legend in the sport. Today, he would be about the size of a welterweight but at the time he competed against anyone of any size including heavyweights.

silva vs sakuraba

On this day, August 10, 2003, The Brazilian Wanderlei Silva had already defeated Sakuraba twice before, both by TKO. So the ending of this match was not a huge surprise, but the brutality of it was. A massive right hook, blistering speed, that looked to decapitate the Japanese grappler and snapped his neck to his shoulder. A cold-blooded knockout from Wanderlei Silva.

In the tournament, ‘Rampage’ Jackson defeated Chuck Liddel to reach the finals. From there, Wanderlei Silva delivered a barrage of knees to leave him slumped in the ropes with an iconic knockout.

Pride FC: Total Elimination 2003

Also featured at the August 10, 2003, Pride FC: Total Elimination 2003 event was heavyweight great Fedor Emelianenko knocking out Gary Goodridge. Chuck Liddell knocked out Alistair Overeem, Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira defeated UFC champion Ricco Rodriguez, and Mirko Cro Cop knocked out Igor Vovchanchyn with a head kick.