Alistair Overeem has combat sports fans worried after a recent picture surfaced of the former Strikeforce heavyweight champion looking more like a middleweight.
Over his career spanning nearly 25 years, ‘The Reem’ has competed in some of the biggest combat sports promotions around the world. And the one remaining constant is that wherever he goes, he is one of the biggest, strongest, and most feared fighters on the roster. But a recent picture of Overeem standing alongside RIZIN CEO Nobuyuki Sakakibara has fans a little concerned about his health.
SKINNY OVERREEM????? pic.twitter.com/SJRTtPFU7L
— Spinnin Backfist (@SpinninBackfist) June 19, 2023
What is the opposite of “Ubereem”?
— Mathias (@CaptainThew) June 19, 2023
Damn hope my guy Reem is okay… ya never know. Look at Chadwick Boseman. Everyone was cracking jokes, my man had Cancer.
— MMA SLAM PODCAST (@mmaslampod) June 19, 2023
legend. hope he's healthy.
— Tier88 (@Elevate881) June 19, 2023
Wtf is he okay!?
— Godson (@Mansa_Godson) June 19, 2023
Ran out of juice!
— Phe🍒 (@phelilly1) June 19, 2023
Oh nah I hope he’s okay..
— Jesse (@thisboijesse) June 19, 2023
As you can see in the image above, Overeem looks significantly smaller than his typical hulking physique, which fans have marveled at for years. Of course, you can’t mention Overeem’s size without addressing the plethora of banned substances that ‘The Reem’ has ingested or injected into his body over the years.
Alistair Overeem is Currently Serving a Year-Long Suspension for Banned Substance Abuse
Currently, the former K-1 World Grand Prix champion is serving a 12-month-long suspension after testing positive for banned substances following his unanimous decision win over Badr Hari at GLORY: Collision 4 in October. Six weeks removed from the bout, it was revealed that Overeem had tested positive, overturning his win to a no-contest and landing him a one-year suspension that is set to expire this fall.
This is far from the first time that he has suffered a career setback due to PED use. In 2012, Overeem was tipped for a UFC title opportunity against then-champion Junior dos Santo. A month before the fight, ‘The Demolition Man’ was found to have a 14-to-1 testosterone-to-epitestosterone ratio, far beyond the previously allowed 6-to-1 ratio. The UFC had no choice but to pull Overeem from the contest.
Whether or not his past abuse of performance-enhancing drugs is to blame for his recent body transformation, fans are nonetheless concerned about one of the most notable figures in combat sports history.
