Overeem’s Royal Lineage Uncovered
Marcelo Alonso Apr 12, 2011
Alistair Overeem (above) recently discovered he shares a
bloodline with King William III. | Taro Irei/Sherdog.com
A champion in Strikeforce, Dream and K-1, Alistair Overeem has grown accustomed to wearing crowns. Now, he can say he has the blood of a king running through his veins.
A recently discovered fact in Overeem’s family tree connects him to King William III, who ruled the Netherlands for nearly half a century (1849-90). That royal connection, along with Overeem’s success in combat sports, led Prince Willem Alexander to invite the world-ranked heavyweight for a visit and dinner at the Dutch Royal House.
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His social outreach aside, Overeem has a clear goal inside MMA -- to become UFC heavyweight champion. Undefeated in his last 10 appearances, the Pride Fighting Championships veteran last fought at K-1 “Dynamite!! Power of Courage 2010” on New Year’s Eve, when he blitzed Todd Duffee in 19 seconds at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.
“With the belt of K-1, Dream and Strikeforce, Overeem continues to build his legacy,” manager Bas Boon wrote in an e-mail. “His main plan for the future is to challenge for the UFC belt.”
Colin Foster contributed to this report.
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