Reem: Struve fight will be fireworks
Alistair Overeem: “…we’re going to have to be extra sharp, but I’m very motivated to be fighting [Stefan Struve] and I can tell you that it is going to be fireworks.”
Alistair Overeem was only two weeks removed from his last loss when he agreed to fight Stefan Struve on December 13th. Overeem is happy with the quick turn around and is looking for an exciting fight against his fellow Dutchman:
(Fighting again right away) works best because everything is still fresh, so I’m thankful that I’m in there again soon. It was also a weird loss – I got clipped, boom and it’s over. There’s no damage or anything really that goes on, so for me it’s a good chance to redeem myself.
It’s an interesting pairing of two fighters in dire need of making a statement for two very different reasons. While Overeem’s has everything to do with wins and losses, the 26-year-old Struve simply needs to prove he’s capable of stepping back into the cage and competing again.
The Skyscraper hasn’t fought since losing to Mark Hunt in March 2013 after doctors discovered he had a leaking aortic valve and enlarged heart. After a battery of tests and eight months of treatment, Struve was cleared to train and finally scheduled to make his return to action against Matt Mitrione on the main card at UFC 175.
Prior to the contest, however, Struve fainted in the dressing room and the bout was postponed, leading to the matchup between the only two Dutch fighters on the heavyweight roster.
I don’t have any problems fighting a fellow Dutchman at all, Overeem said of the December 13 pairing with Struve. He’s a nice guy, but we’ve never trained together. It’s work. It’s business.
Of course, we’re going to have to be extra sharp, but I’m very motivated to be fighting my fellow Dutchman Stefan Struve and I can tell you that it is going to be fireworks.
