According to a report by the South China Morning Post, former UFC star and Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem has expressed an interest in joining ONE Championship’s openweight Muay Thai grand prix.
ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityogtong announced the grand prix just days ago, promising some “wacky stuff” due to the disparity in size between fighters. Overeem would no doubt come in at the heavy end of the scale, as the Dutch striker frequently weighed in just under the heavyweight limit throughout his UFC career.
A graphic promoting the tournament and asking fans who they want to see compete includes an image of Overeem, though that does not necessarily mean he has signed on to take part.
Let us know who YOU want to see go head-to-head in the ONE Openweight Muay Thai World Grand Prix! 🤯#ONEChampionship #MartialArts #MuayThai pic.twitter.com/h6nLzbRlei
— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) January 12, 2023
Also a former DREAM and K-1 heavyweight champion, Overeem is best known for his PRIDE, Strikeforce, and UFC runs in MMA. He’s currently competing for GLORY kickboxing, but the allure of a million dollars appears to have brought his attention to ONE.
Per the SCMP report, Overeem reached out to promotion officials recently. ONE’s Sityodtong, meanwhile, previously told the outlet that “the grand prix is only for ONE fighters but we’re always constantly signing athletes, several we haven’t announced.”
“I want to hear from the fans. It will kick off in March. This will be the biggest grand prix in the history of Muay Thai. It’s very fascinating.”
The 42-year old Overeem compiled a 42-19, 1NC record in MMA. He made his return to the ring this past October, defeating Badr Hari via unanimous decision at Glory: Collision 4.
