Overeem not gunning for Emelianenko fight: 'He's more an idol to me'
Alistair Overeem thought he had an opportunity to face Fedor "The Last Emperor" Emelianenko in 2011, but the fight never happened.
When he was asked recently whether he would revisit the matchup, given the revelation that Emelianenko is returning to mixed martial arts, Overeem was unsure.
"Let's see what he's gonna do. He's now a free agent," Overeem said in an interview with GnP1.de. "He might go to the UFC, he might go to Bellator. Right now, I fight in the UFC."
Overeem said it was Emelianenko, and not him, who declined to fight when both mixed martial artists were under contract with Strikeforce.
"I really tried to make that fight happen in 2011, for June, when I fought (Fabricio) Werdum, and even after that fight. And both times he declined," he said.
Along with many other fighters in the mixed martial arts community, the former Strikeforce heavyweight champion holds Emelianenko in high regard.
"I think right now, of course there's gonna be a lot of fighters that wanna fight Fedor, he's fighting anyway. But it's not something that I necessarily look for. He's more an idol to me, than I wanna beat him," he said.
As for the legend himself, it appears he's close to choosing which promotion he will sign with.
"Now this is being negotiated, in particular with the UFC, as well as some other promotions," Emelianenko said during a Q-and-A, translated by Bloody Elbow. "I think it will soon be finally determined."
- With h/t to Bloody Elbow