It’s 2017 and we’re still talking about Mark Hunt and Alistair Overeem taking on each other in a matchup that represents a battle of the divisional elite. The Heavyweight division is a weird place folks, especially considering the fact that every time a young gun tries to make a splash in the weight-class, said prospect is pummeled into oblivion by names that were a staple of the division during the days when Pride FC was the world’s top MMA organisation.
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Furthermore, the current HW champion, Stipe Miocic, will be turning 35 this August, which just goes to show how the HW division differs from most lighter-weight-classes in terms of the average age of its competitors.
At UFC 209, we get a rematch 9 years in the making, between two HW legends both of whom excelled not only in the sport of MMA but kickboxing as well. In the blue corner, we have Kiwi legend Mark Hunt who, ever since his UFC 200 decision loss to Brock Lesnar, has been in a highly publicised legal battle with the UFC head-honchos.
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And in the red corner, we have the Anglo-Dutch behemoth Alistair Overeem who is coming off a brutal KO loss in a failed UFC Heavyweight title bid, against the reigning champ Miocic.
In terms of pure combat, Hunt-Overeem is an excellent matchup and if you’re someone who loves watching striking battles, you’re in for an absolute treat.
However, what adds a comical twist to this fight is that after fighting 3 proven steroid cheats in a row, one of the main reasons for Hunt’s lawsuit against the UFC, the company has matched him up with yet another proven drug-test failure in Overeem. Nevertheless, let’s understand the clash of styles in this battle of giants.
Mark Hunt’s boxing vs Alistair Overeem’s Dutch Kick-boxing Jackson-Wink-styled chin conservation striking:
MMA striking has always been subject to criticism from striking purists, professional boxers and coaches in particular. However, the main reason behind the deviation of MMA striking from the traditional principles of the striking arts is due to the inclusion of grappling, the takedown-threat in particular, in MMA competition.
That said, one of the rare MMA fighters to have successfully utilised an old-school boxing stance and traditional mechanics over the course of a long and storied career, is ‘The Super Samoan’ Mark Hunt.
Not only does the Kiwi legend possess one-punch Walk-off-KO power, but he’s also blessed with cat-like reflexes, excellent footwork, great head-movement (in the pocket as well as at long range) and an expert understanding of distance and timing.
On the other hand, we’ve had the privilege of witnessing several different versions of ‘The Reem’ as a fighter, from his days as a lanky Dutch-kickboxing stylist to the horse-meat eating Strikeforce behemoth.
What we have now is a post-drug test failure, post-USADA version of Ubereem ‘Mediumreem’, who fights smartly, conserving his chin by avoiding prolonged exchanges in the pocket.
In spite of being mocked by fellow-Dutch strikers such as legendary coach Henri Hooft, Tyrone Spong and many others, Overeem has stuck to his new style of in-and-out striking, a style that he’s carefully honed during his time at the Jackson-Wink academy in Albuquerque, NM. He carries legit KO power in his punches, kicks, knees as well as elbow strikes, making him one of the most complete strikers in the sport’s history.
Look for Hunt to parry Reem’s kicks, countering him at every opportunity he gets. Kicks drain your cardio more than punches, so watch Hunt, utilise his hands to try and touch his opponent’s battle-worn chin.
Overeem resorts to constant stance-switching and depending on which stance he enters the pocket with, Hunt can counter him with either of his two best strikes- The Left-Hook and The Right-Uppercut/Hook Hybrid.
Reem likes the hop-stepping left-hook, wherein he uses the textbook left hook setup by stepping to his left, but goes one step further and instead of merely pivoting to the right, Reem switches his stance completely by placing his right leg in front of his left.
Reem used this trick to cover that precious extra-space coming in from long range, to land a picture-perfect shifting left-hook on Junior Dos Santos. Regardless of what strike the Dutchman throws, every time he enters striking range, Hunt’s fists will be waiting for him.
Sensei Tiger says: Striking edge goes to Hunt. Basics beat flashiness.
Hunt’s UFC grappling > Hunt’s Pride FC and DREAM grappling:
Neither Hunt nor Reem will ever be Division-1 wrestlers like Cain Velasquez or Brock Lesnar or a BJJ wizard like Fabricio Werdum or Frank Mir. However, the two giants, Overeem in particular, possess decent grappling skills, enough to hold their own defensively against the division’s best grapplers.
Gone are the days when Hunt could be submitted by anyone and everyone since the Kiwi took his grappling-game to the next level after his UFC 119 loss to Sean McCorkle. After tagging Overeem on the feet in their first meeting in DREAM way back in 2008, the fight went to the mat and Reem caught Hunt in an Americana and tapped him out for the win. Nevertheless, the 2017 version of Hunt has excellent submission and takedown-defense- well, at least if you aren’t a juiced-up Brock Lesnar.
Overeem is no slouch on the ground, with 19 of his wins coming by way of submission. His grappling success can be attributed to top-notch athleticism as well as legitimate grappling skills as evidenced by his ADCC Submission wrestling credentials. If this fight goes to the ground, look for Reem to use his long limbs and throw up a variety of submission-attempts at Hunt.
Hunt on the other hand, is most likely to avoid the ground at all costs and try to sprawl and limp-leg his way out of his opponents’ takedown-attempts. Although he’s unlikely to throw a flying triangle or flying scissor heel-hook, look for the Super Samoan use hammer-fists to the side of Reem’s head, in order to get out of uncomfortable grappling exchanges. Who knows we may even get to see the infamous Samoan Atomic Butt-drop-
Sensei Tiger says: Grappling edge goes to Guilloreem Overeem.
Strength, Power and Cardio:
Here’s a strength-training clip from the Reem’s K-1 days-
Hunt is one of the most explosive strikers in MMA history, carrying incredible power late into his fights. In spite of being overweight, his cardio is decent as evidenced by the number of wars he’s been in not only in MMA but also as a pro-kick-boxer.
He’s also incredibly strong, holding his own in a division full of giants despite being hardly 5’10” tall. A glaring hole in the Kiwi’s overall MMA game has been his grappling, and for those of you who aren’t aware engaging a fighter who’s an out-and-out striker like Hunt, in constant grappling-exchanges is a great way of tiring him out.
In stark contrast to Hunt, Overeem is as comfortable on the mat as he is on the feet, however, his cardio in both the striking and grappling aspects is less-than-stellar, to say the least. He’s one of the strongest and most powerful athletes in the division, carrying immense explosiveness in his strikes and the ability to muscle his opposition to the mat using his size and strength.
While both fighters excel in the strength and power aspects, their gas-tank is limited, not that it’d make much of a difference in this fight, what with the matchup being scheduled for 3 rounds and everything. Besides, this one ain’t going the distance folks!
Sensei Tiger says: Strength- Overeem; Power: Hunt; Cardio: Sea-level Cain.
Well-Roundedness and X-Factors:
Both fighters are come from striking backgrounds, having won titles in the sport of kickboxing, however, over the course of their long and storied MMA careers they’ve developed respectable grappling skills as well.
The general consensus among MMA pundits and fans alike is that Reem is one of the most well-rounded fighters and his glass-chin notwithstanding, Ubereem is widely regarded as one of the best HWs of this era. On the contrary, Hunt was considered a one-trick pony in his early career in Pride, DREAM and even his in his Octagon debut against McCorkle.
Nevertheless, that perception has changed during his UFC stint and in 2017 he’s added decent TDD and submission-defense to his resume. Furthermore, in stark contrast to The Reem, Hunt’s chin and ability to endure punishment is legendary.
An important factor that could make a huge difference leading into UFC 209, is Hunt’s recent legal issues with his employers. As we already know, having fought three proven steroid-cheats in a row- Antonio Silva, Frank Mir and Brock Lesnar; Hunt filed a lawsuit seeking compensation for damages against the UFC, Dana White and Brock Lesnar.
In fact, a couple of days back the UFC lawyers filed a motion to dismiss said suit filed by the legendary Kiwi. Although he’s stated in several interviews in the lead-up to 209, that none of these issues distracts him, one can’t help but speculate how much influence the media-circus with the UFC and UFC President Dana White fazes him mentally. Here’s a phone-call interview featuring Hunt and his lawyer addressing the lawsuit-
Sensei Tiger says: Well-Roundedness and X-Factor edge- Overeem.
Pick:
Hunt vs Overeem is a striking purist’s dream matchup. Let’s examine the two most likely scenarios in this HW fight-
#1 Overeem runs out of range (no, seriously!) much like his fight against Roy Nelson and Stipe Miocic, tags Hunt with kicks and then goes off on his bicycle once again. Expect a lot of feints from The Reem and most of all non-committal arm punches at long range. It’s highly unlikely that Reem plants his feet and puts his body-weight behind his punches, however the kicks would be aimed at the stocky Samoan’s arms and torso in an attempt to break him down. Meduimreem will look to outpoint Hunt and take a decision in the 3-round fight.
#2 Hunt touches that chin with his fists. He times Reem when the Dutchman throws either a naked kick or a jab from mid-range, and catches him like his KO win over Frank Mir.
Sensei Tiger says: Hunt gets tagged with punches, kicks, elbows and knees, maybe even gets taken down and controlled on the mat. Overeem wins this fight in style until he does something stupid like trying to trade with Mark at mid-range. Hunt catches him at boxing range and times him with a Straight-Right. Hunto knocks him out and walks away like a boss.
Mark Hunt beats Alistair Overeem via KO.
For Indian Audience: LIVE Telecast - UFC 209, LIVE and Exclusive on Sunday, 5 March 2017, on Sony ESPN at 8.30 am
