New Headline: Former UFC star reveals shocking revelation: Heavyweights are losing their edge as they struggle to keep up with rising contenders!
Alistair Overeem agrees that the UFC's heavyweight division lacks depth. The state of heavyweight has been criticized for being shallow, with not too many contenders in line to threaten UFC champion Tom Aspinall 's reign. Overeem, a former Strikeforce champion and ex-UFC title challenger, competed in the days where the likes of Stipe Miocic, Francis Ngannou , Daniel Cormier, Fabricio Werdum were active heavyweights.
"There is a decline, unfortunately, even though the top guys will remain the top guys," Overeem told Bloody Elbow . "It's not as colorful as it once used to be. There used to be 15–20 top-name heavyweights, which is now not the case.
They've kind of slowly declined, unfortunately. " A K-1 champion in kickboxing, Overeem says he's not entirely surprised with the current state of heavyweight MMA. "Before, we have also seen a similar style decline in K-1, in kickboxing, and that kind of happened to MMA now, as well," Overeem said.
"Boxing made a revival. Boxing came back. So I think it's what you can describe as the tides of life.
Sometimes it goes up, sometimes it goes down. " With Aspinall currently sidelined due to an eye injury, Alex Pereira has vacated his light heavyweight title, and will move up to face Ciryl Gane for the interim heavyweight title in the UFC Freedom 250 co-headliner June 14 at the White House. This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Alistair Overeem: UFC heavyweight division on the decline