"Rumble" isn't about to pour salt on a very wounded "Reem." Are you surprised?
Alistair Overeem's loss to Ben Rothwell via first round knockout (KO) this past Friday (Sept. 5, 2014) at UFC Fight Night 50 (video), which went down at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Leydard, Connecticut, didn't help the former K-1 champion's quest to claim the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) heavyweight title.
Or his position with the promotion, for that matter.
It also didn't help him gain the upper hand in his current war-of-words with his former Blackzilian teammate, Anthony Johnson. The two have been chirping at one another ever since "The Reem" left the camp last year. And while Overeem had been trying to take the high road, he recently called Johnson a "jealous pussy" for airing their dirty laundry for everyone to see.
Who you calling a "pussy?"
But if you thought Johnson was going to take the time to kick his former training partner when he's down, you're highly mistaken.
Check out what "Rumble" had to say about Overeem's devastating loss on The MMA Hour:
"To me, he looked faster and he looked stronger. He started fast, but I think he always starts that way and then he gets too comfortable. A lot of people are saying he got knocked out. That wasn't a knockout. When you get knocked out, you just drop. He got hit in his temple and it messed him up. So it wasn't like he got knocked out cold. He just got caught, got surprised, and that's what happens all the time in MMA."
After the bout, UFC President Dana White refused to comment on the status of Alistair's career with the promotion. But since failing to live up to expectations, losing three of his last four inside the Octagon, things aren't looking too bright for the heavy-handed bruiser.
As far as Johnson is concerned, Overeem is still one of the best big men in the world and getting rid of him wouldn't be smart business for UFC because at the end of the day, people still want to see him either win or see him get beat up.
And that adds up to big ticket sales.
"He's still one of the top heavyweights in the world, in my opinion. I don't think they are going to get rid of him. He is still going to sell tickets. People either want to see him win or to lose. It's not like when Anderson was fighting or when GSP was fighting and when Chuck was fighting. People wanted to see those guys dominate somebody. With him (Overeem), they want to see him almost get beat up now because of the things he's done or said, or whatever he got caught up with and stuff like that. He just changed people's view of him."
Johnson went on to say that he doesn't have anything against Overeem as a fighter and will support him and wants to see him "whoop some ass" inside the cage. It's Alistair the person that Johnson has a problem with because of instances like this.
Having said that, "Rumble" says he still wouldn't mind fighting his former training partner. But that doesn't mean he expects the bout to be a walk in the park for him, as he says that "The Reem" is still a dangerous fighter with plenty of weapons.
And despite the loss, Johnson says Overeem "changed for the better" thanks to his new camp over at Jackson-Winkeljohn MMA.
As far as Overeem, he wasn't making any excuses following the loss to "Big Ben."
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