Alistair Overeem revealed this week that he has signed a new contract with the UFC, and will be headlining their May 8th show in the Netherlands. On Monday, Overeem appeared on The MMA Hour to discuss his new deal, and his plans for the future. Overeem revealed that he had no plans on leaving the Zuffa-owned UFC.
“I didn’t talk to anybody else,” he said on The MMA Hour. “But I can tell you this, also — the UFC is where the best fighters are at, and I consider myself the best fighter. I belong in the UFC. That’s how simple it is. […] The UFC is the prime fight promotion in the world.”
“The UFC has been very cordial, very gentlemanly towards me, and I’m very happy. I’m very excited, and I feel very appreciated. These were all factors.”
Overeem predicts UFC gold in his future. He says he plans on getting a title shot after his May 8th fight, against a to-be-announced opponent.
“End of 2016, I will be champion,” he said. “That is how I envision it. May 8, whoever they put in front of me, I’m going to finish that person, and then it’s going to be a title shot. I don’t know when that’s going to happen, whether it’s going to be after the summer, could be the end of the year. I don’t know who’s going to have the title, Stipe or Werdum, both who are great fighters. Both are tough as nails. One is a little bit more attack — Stipe — and Werdum is a little bit more tricky.
“I feel like I can take them both on, and take them both out. So whoever is going to be put in front of me now for May, we’re going to go from there and by the end of the year title, either Werdum or Stipe.”
Related: Alistair Overeem Hints At Headlining UFC Fight Night 87
