Alistair Overeem: A True Superstar
In 2010, Alistair Overeem won the K-1 Heavyweight Grand Prix, beating three of the top heavyweights in the world in kickboxing in a single night. It is an impressive achievement because he was also the reigning Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion in mixed martial arts. Overeem has achieved something that no one in history has ever done. He was world champion in both kickboxing and mixed martial arts. It is a truly remarkable accomplishment.
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| K-1 World Champion and Strikeforce World Champion Alistair Overeem |
Without a doubt, UFC World Champions Jose Aldo and Anderson Silva are two of the best pound-for-pound MMA fighters in the world. They have incredibly well-rounded MMA games and they are devastating Muay Thai strikers in the world of MMA. MMA fans might look at Muay Thai fighters like UFC World Champions Jose Aldo and Anderson Silva and assume that they are the best stand up fighters in the world. However, nothing could be further from the truth. If they fought in the kickboxing world, they would be considered average at best. Simply put, neither man has ever come even close to winning a world title in Muay Thai. Of course, they are the best mixed martial artists in the world with excellent Muay Thai as their bread and butter.
As a point of comparison, Aldo’s Muay Thai skills might be the best in the UFC’s featherweight division, but they are nowhere near the level of a legitimate Muay Thai World Champion such as Evolve MMA instructors Namsaknoi Yudthagarngamtorn, Attachai Fairtex or Orono Wor Petchpun for example. It is also highly doubtful that Anderson Silva’s much vaunted stand up skills would be good enough to match the best Muay Thai fighters in the world at his weight, let alone win a world title. Even the world’s quickest footballer couldn’t beat an actual Olympic sprinter in a race. Likewise, the best stand up fighters in MMA are nowhere near as good at striking as a Muay Thai or kickboxing world champion is.
Given all of this perspective, it is easy to say that Alistair Overeem is truly a rare diamond in a field of phenomenal diamonds. While it is too early to call him the best MMA heavyweight fighter on the planet, he is definitely in the top 3.
Evolve Mixed Martial Arts® is Asia's premier brand of MMA academies. With World Champions in Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Mixed Martial Arts, Boxing, and No Gi Grappling, Evolve MMA is the top martial arts training organization in Asia. It ranks among the best martial arts academies in the world.
