Heavy Wait Part 13: Why Alistair Overeem Will Win The Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix

Welcome back fans and friends to the final entries into the “Heavy Wait” series of articles, a “maxi-series” where I take a very in-depth look into the upcoming Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix. A large portion of Heavy Wait focused on what I thought all eight of the tournament’s participants had to do in order to beat all seven of their possible opponents. But who do I honestly think will win it all? That’s exactly what this second-to-last entry in the series will take a look at. So let’s dive right into it as I fully explain why I think that “The Demolition Man”, the man known as “Ubereem”, the one and only K-1 World Grand Prix Champion, DREAM Interim Heavyweight Champion, and Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion, Alistair Overeem, will win the Strikeforce World Heavyweight Grand Prix.

Although only some of you know how I feel on the matter, I’d like to point out that I’ve never believed in the whole “K-1 Striking” thing. For those that don’t know what I’m talking about, the gist of it goes like this: whenever people compare and contrast the striking games of fighters, certain fans will always bring up that an MMA fighter has “K-1 Level” striking. This generally means that they’ve competed and won in K-1, which is considered the highest level of kickboxing and the best kickboxing promotion in the world.

My main problem with that method of thinking is the following: just having competed in K-1 doesn’t make you an excellent striker. Think of it this way: I believe that being successful in K-1 doesn’t make you an amazing striker, instead, being an amazing striker means that you’ll be successful in K-1. That’s my outlook in a nutshell, and I bring this up because many people believe that Alistair Overeem’s “K-1 Level” striking will be too much for many Heavyweight participants to handle.

To which I say: I fully agree that Overeem’s striking will be one of the major reasons why he’ll win it all. Overeem is a K-1 World Grand Prix champion, meaning that he’s such an amazing striker that he’s now unquestionably one of the best kickboxers in the world. And unlike some K-1 kickboxers that try to transition to MMA only to fizzle out, Overeem was first and foremost an MMA fighter that tried K-1, and not vice versa.

Overeem’s striking is downright scary no matter where he competes, and that’s the main reason why I think he’ll win this tournament. He has the ability to one-hit KO practically anybody in this tournament, and if he begins to lose an engagement, his amazing size and musculature means that he can muscle his way out of almost any compromising position. He also has an amazing array of deadly strikes, from knees to the gut to knees to the head, from straight punches and jabs to looping hooks and monstrous uppercuts. I just don’t think any of the other seven Heavyweight Grand Prix participants have such a diverse array of killer strikes and crippling blows.

And if the fight gets to the ground, Overeem’s gigantic frame and years of experience have allowed him to outright dominate and smother opponents almost as large as he is. His Ground and Pound is vicious, and he can power his way out of virtually any disadvantageous ground position. The only real threats to Overeem on the ground are Fedor Emelianenko and Fabricio Werdum, and even then, a smart and calculating Overeem should be able to find a way to combat their high level of ground game prowess.

There’s no stopping Alistair Overeem. There, I’ve said it. It’s what I believe wholeheartedly, and this is coming from a massive Fedor Emelianenko fan. Overeem has all the tools, and he’s been implementing them the right way for so long that he hasn’t lost an MMA bout in over three years. He currently holds three Heavyweight championships, one of which is in an entirely different sport, all of which are a testament to his ability to finally and fully put all the pieces of the puzzle together and realize the potential he’s been chasing since he moved up to Heavyweight full-time. It’s Overeem’s time now, and that fact will be solidified when he wins the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix.

At least, that’s how I see it all going down, fans and friends. What about you? Who do you think will win it all, and why?