Alistair Cees Overeem, a Dutch former professional mixed martial artist and kickboxer, has achieved remarkable success in both sports. He is a former Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion, Dream Heavyweight Champion, and notably, a K-1 World Grand Prix Champion. Overeem holds the distinction of being the first fighter to simultaneously hold world titles in MMA and K-1 kickboxing. He also competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he challenged for the Heavyweight Championship title. Overeem's career is marked by numerous accomplishments across multiple combat sports disciplines, establishing him as a prominent figure in the world of martial arts.
May 1980: Birth of Alistair Overeem
Alistair Cees Overeem was born in May 1980.
November 1997: Professional Kickboxing Debut
Alistair Overeem had his first professional kickboxing fight under K-1 rules on November 15, 1997, at the age of 17, and won.
March 1999: Kickboxing Victory Over Paul Hordijk
Alistair Overeem defeated Paul Hordijk by decision in a kickboxing match on March 14, 1999.
October 1999: Overeem's MMA Debut
In October 1999, at 19 years old, Alistair Overeem had his first professional MMA fight, defeating Ricardo Fyeet by submission at It's Showtime.
July 2002: Pride Debut
Alistair Overeem debuted in Pride Fighting Championships in July 2002, defeating Yusuke Imamura by TKO.
2003: Pride Middleweight Grand Prix and Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye
In 2003, Overeem competed in the Pride Middleweight Grand Prix, losing to Chuck Liddell. He then defeated Tomohiko Hashimoto at Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye.
October 2004: Victory over Kanehara and Loss to Nogueira
In October 2004, Overeem defeated Hiromitsu Kanehara by TKO at Pride 28 but subsequently lost to Antônio Rogério Nogueira.
2005: Recognition as Top Grappler
In 2005, Alistair Overeem was recognized as "the best grappler in Europe" after submitting all opponents in the ADCC 2005 tryouts.
2005: Pride Middleweight Grand Prix
Overeem participated in the 2005 Pride Middleweight Grand Prix, defeating Vitor Belfort and Igor Vovchanchyn before losing to Maurício Rua in the semifinals.
February 2006: Victory over Kharitonov and Entry into Openweight Grand Prix
In February 2006, Overeem defeated Sergei Kharitonov, securing a spot in the Pride 2006 Openweight Grand Prix. He lost to Fabrício Werdum in the Grand Prix.
June 2006: Rematch with Belfort
Overeem won a rematch against Vitor Belfort by decision at Strikeforce: Revenge in June 2006.
June 2007: K-1 Victory and Loss to Rua
In June 2007, Overeem lost to Maurício Rua at Pride 33, but returned with a submission win over Michael Knaap at K-1 Grand Prix in Amsterdam.
September 2007: Loss to Kharitonov
Overeem faced Sergei Kharitonov again at Hero's 10 in September 2007 and suffered a KO loss.
November 2007: Strikeforce Heavyweight Championship
Overeem defeated Paul Buentello for the vacant Strikeforce Heavyweight Championship in November 2007.
June 2008: Victory over Lee Tae-Hyun
Overeem won by KO against Lee Tae-Hyun at DREAM 4 in June 2008.
July 2008: Victory over Mark Hunt
Overeem defeated Mark Hunt by submission at Dream 5 in July 2008.
September 2008: No Contest against Cro Cop
Overeem's fight against Mirko Cro Cop at Dream 6 in September 2008 ended in a no-contest due to illegal knees.
December 2008: Victory over Badr Hari at Dynamite!! 2008
In December 2008, Alistair Overeem knocked out Badr Hari in the first round at Dynamite!! 2008.
March 2009: Loss to Remy Bonjasky at K-1 World GP 2009
Despite early success, Alistair Overeem lost to Remy Bonjasky by unanimous decision in March 2009 at the K-1 World GP 2009 in Yokohama after being knocked down in the third round.
May 2009: Nightclub Incident and Injury
Overeem suffered a hand injury in May 2009 after a nightclub brawl, affecting a planned title defense.
2009: Mixed Results at K-1 World Grand Prix 2009
In 2009, Alistair Overeem had a mixed performance at the K-1 World Grand Prix. He secured a win against Peter Aerts but was defeated by Badr Hari in the semifinals.
2009: Victory over Fujita
Overeem defeated Kazuyuki Fujita by knockout at Dynamite!! 2009.
2009: Altercation at Dutch Dance Club
In 2009, Alistair and his brother Valentijn were involved in an altercation at a Dutch dance club, resulting in injuries to several bouncers and Alistair's hand.
May 2010: Strikeforce Title Defense
Overeem defended his Strikeforce Heavyweight Championship against Brett Rogers in May 2010.
October 2010: Victories over Dzevad Poturak and Ben Edwards at K-1 World Grand Prix 2010
Alistair Overeem defeated Dzevad Poturak and Ben Edwards in October 2010 at the K-1 World Grand Prix 2010, qualifying him for the finals.
December 2010: Interim DREAM Heavyweight Championship
Overeem defeated Todd Duffee to win the interim DREAM Heavyweight Championship in December 2010.
2010: K-1 World Grand Prix 2010 Championship Win
Alistair Overeem won the K-1 World Grand Prix 2010 Championship in December, defeating Tyrone Spong, Gokhan Saki, and Peter Aerts.
June 2011: Rematch with Werdum
Overeem defeated Fabrício Werdum in a rematch at Strikeforce: Dallas in June 2011.
September 2011: Signing with the UFC
Overeem signed a contract with the UFC in September 2011.
November 2011: Drug Testing Controversy
In November 2011, Overeem faced controversy surrounding pre-fight drug testing.
December 2011: UFC Debut and Victory over Brock Lesnar
In December 2011, Alistair Overeem made his UFC debut against Brock Lesnar at UFC 141. He secured a victory in the first round via TKO after delivering knees to the body, a kick to the liver, and subsequent punches. This win earned him a heavyweight title shot.
December 2011: Conditional License
Overeem was granted a conditional license to fight Lesnar in December 2011 after addressing drug testing concerns.
December 2011: Scheduled Fight with Lesnar
Overeem's first UFC fight was scheduled against Brock Lesnar for December 2011 at UFC 141.
2011: Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix
Overeem was named as a participant in the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix in 2011.
2011: Removal from Grand Prix and Release from Strikeforce
Overeem was removed from the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix and subsequently released from Strikeforce in 2011 due to contractual disagreements.
January 2012: Battery Charge in Las Vegas
In January 2012, Alistair Overeem was charged with misdemeanor battery after shoving a woman at the Wynn Las Vegas.
March 2012: Sentencing for Battery Charge
In March 2012, Alistair Overeem received a suspended jail sentence, community service, and anger management for the battery charge.
April 2012: Failed Drug Test and Removal from Title Fight
In April 2012, Alistair Overeem failed a pre-fight drug test administered by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC), revealing an elevated testosterone-to-epitestosterone ratio. As a result, he was removed from his scheduled title fight against Junior dos Santos at UFC 146 and replaced by Frank Mir.
April 2012: Statement, Denied Request, and Suspension
In April 2012, Alistair Overeem released a statement attributing his failed drug test to doctor-prescribed anti-inflammatory medication mixed with testosterone. His request for additional time to support this claim was denied by the NSAC, leading to a nine-month suspension, retroactive to March 27, 2012. He could reapply in December 2012.
May 2012: Scheduled Title Shot and Subsequent Removal
Alistair Overeem was scheduled to fight Junior dos Santos for the UFC Heavyweight Championship in May 2012 at UFC 146.
December 2012: Eligibility to Reapply
In December 2012, Alistair Overeem became eligible to reapply for his fighting license following a nine-month suspension by the NSAC.
February 2013: Return to UFC and Loss to Antônio Silva
In February 2013, at UFC 156, Alistair Overeem returned from suspension to face Antônio Silva. Despite being favored and winning the first two rounds, he was knocked out in the third round.
May 2013: Withdrawal from Scheduled Bout Due to Injury
In May 2013, Alistair Overeem was scheduled to fight Junior dos Santos at UFC 160, but withdrew due to an injury, with Mark Hunt replacing him.
August 2013: Loss to Travis Browne at UFC Fight Night 26
On August 17, 2013, at UFC Fight Night 26, Alistair Overeem lost to Travis Browne via TKO in the co-main event. Despite an initial strong start, Browne rallied and finished the fight with a front kick.
November 2013: Scheduled Bout with Frank Mir Rescheduled
In November 2013, a fight between Alistair Overeem and Frank Mir, initially planned for UFC 167, was rescheduled to UFC 169 in February 2014.
February 2014: Victory over Frank Mir and Callout of Brock Lesnar
In February 2014, Alistair Overeem defeated Frank Mir via unanimous decision at UFC 169 and called out Brock Lesnar in his post-fight interview.
September 2014: Elbow Injury, Surgery, and Loss to Ben Rothwell
In September 2014, after recovering from elbow surgery, Alistair Overeem faced Ben Rothwell at UFC Fight Night 50 and lost via TKO in the first round.
December 2014: Victory over Stefan Struve
On December 13, 2014, at UFC on Fox 13, Alistair Overeem won against Stefan Struve by KO in the first round.
March 2015: Victory over Roy Nelson
Alistair Overeem defeated Roy Nelson by unanimous decision on March 14, 2015, at UFC 185.
December 2015: Victory over Junior dos Santos
Alistair Overeem secured a TKO victory over Junior dos Santos in the second round at UFC on Fox 17 on December 19, 2015.
February 2016: New Contract with the UFC
Alistair Overeem signed a new contract with the UFC in February 2016.
May 2016: Victory over Andrei Arlovski and Performance of the Night Bonus
On May 8, 2016, at UFC Fight Night 87, Alistair Overeem defeated Andrei Arlovski via TKO in the second round, earning a Performance of the Night bonus.
September 2016: Title Fight Loss to Stipe Miocic and Fight of the Night Honors
Alistair Overeem fought Stipe Miocic for the UFC Heavyweight Championship at UFC 203 on September 10, 2016. Despite initially knocking down Miocic, Overeem lost the fight via knockout in the first round. Both fighters received Fight of the Night honors.
March 2017: Rematch Victory over Mark Hunt
On March 4, 2017, at UFC 209, Alistair Overeem won his rematch against Mark Hunt by knockout in the third round.
July 2017: Victory over Fabrício Werdum
Alistair Overeem won his third fight against Fabrício Werdum by majority decision on July 8, 2017, at UFC 213.
December 2017: Loss to Francis Ngannou
Alistair Overeem lost to Francis Ngannou by knockout in the first round at UFC 218 on December 2, 2017.
June 2018: Loss to Curtis Blaydes
Alistair Overeem lost to Curtis Blaydes via TKO due to elbows in the third round at UFC 225 on June 9, 2018.
November 2018: Victory over Sergei Pavlovich
On November 24, 2018, Alistair Overeem defeated promotional newcomer Sergei Pavlovich by TKO in the first round at UFC Fight Night 141.
April 2019: Victory over Alexey Oleynik
Alistair Overeem defeated Alexey Oleynik via technical knockout in the first round at UFC Fight Night 149 on April 20, 2019, after Volkov withdrew from the bout.
November 2019: Walt Harris Withdrawal and Rozenstruik as Replacement
Walt Harris withdrew from his scheduled fight against Alistair Overeem in November 2019 due to personal reasons, and was replaced by Jairzinho Rozenstruik.
December 2019: Loss to Jairzinho Rozenstruik
Alistair Overeem lost to Jairzinho Rozenstruik by knockout in the final seconds of the fifth round at UFC on ESPN 7 on December 7, 2019, despite being ahead on the judges' scorecards.
April 2020: Rescheduled Bout with Walt Harris Postponed
The rescheduled fight between Alistair Overeem and Walt Harris, initially planned for April 11, 2020, at UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs. Harris, was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
May 2020: Victory over Walt Harris
Alistair Overeem defeated Walt Harris by TKO in the second round at UFC on ESPN: Overeem vs. Harris on May 16, 2020, after recovering from a near-finish in the first round.
September 2020: Victory over Augusto Sakai
Alistair Overeem defeated Augusto Sakai via technical knockout in the fifth round on September 5, 2020, in the main event of UFC Fight Night 176.
February 2021: Loss to Alexander Volkov
Alistair Overeem lost to Alexander Volkov by technical knockout in the second round at UFC Fight Night 184 on February 6, 2021.
March 2021: Release from UFC Contract
Alistair Overeem was released from his UFC contract on March 3, 2021.
June 2021: Signing with Glory Kickboxing
In June 2021, Alistair Overeem signed a multi-fight contract with Glory kickboxing, marking his return to the sport after over a decade.
October 2021: Withdrawal from Glory: Collision 3
Alistair Overeem withdrew from his scheduled fight against Rico Verhoeven at Glory: Collision 3 in October 2021 due to an injury.
July 2022: Wrestling Entertainment Series Cancellation
The Wrestling Entertainment Series event featuring Alistair Overeem against Braun Strowman was canceled in July 2022 after multiple reschedulings.
October 2022: Fight with Badr Hari at Glory: Collision 4
Alistair Overeem initially won against Badr Hari at Glory: Collision 4 in October 2022.
November 2022: Overturned Victory Due to Positive Drug Test
In November 2022, Alistair Overeem's victory against Badr Hari was overturned to a No-Contest due to a positive test for a banned substance.
2023: Participation in Dutch General Election
Alistair Overeem participated in the 2023 Dutch general election as a candidate for the Belang van Nederland party, which did not win a seat.