Alistair Overeem teases return from retirement after 3 years away: ‘There is motivation’

Alistair Overeem is considering a comeback from retirement, more than three years after stepping away from combat sports in 2023. The legendary heavyweight, who held titles in Strikeforce and challenged for UFC gold, initially retired due to a cascade of injuries that made training camps unbearable and left him in chronic pain.

Overeem has spent the intervening years focused on recovery and longevity protocols—ice baths, dry needling, and other rehabilitation work—and says his body has responded well. At 36, he claims to feel better than he did while still competing. "There is motivation," Overeem said during commentary at the Oleksandr Usyk vs. Rico Verhoeven boxing event. "We're just looking at options. Like what can we do, what should we do?"

Overeem's last fight came in 2022, a kickboxing bout against Badr Hari under the GLORY banner that he won by unanimous decision—though the result was later overturned to a no-contest after a positive test for a banned substance. Before that, he suffered a knockout loss to Alexander Volkov in the UFC in 2021, which marked his final MMA appearance.

While Overeem has not specified which sport or opponent he might target, he indicated openness to the right opportunity. When asked about a potential matchup with Rico Verhoeven, Overeem declined, saying Verhoeven's moment in boxing should be his own. He added that while he could beat Verhoeven in MMA without additional camp, a boxing match would require proper preparation. For now, Overeem remains a free agent exploring his options after an extended recovery period.