On the same day the UFC released former heavyweight champion Junior Dos Santos, the promotion also parted ways with Alistair Overeem.
Overeem released a statement Thursday confirming the news.
“The final run has come to an end, but what a run it has been,” Overeem wrote. “Looking back at my 10 years in the UFC, this has been the experience of a lifetime. Huge thank you to the entire @ufc staff, the fans and all the fighters I came across. Couldn’t have wished for any other better career path. A special thank you to @danawhite and Lorenzo Fertitta for making everything possible. Fighting for all of you has been such an honor.”
The 40-year-old signed with the UFC in 2011 as a Strikeforce, DREAM and K-1 Grand Prix heavyweight champion.
Overeem debuted with a stoppage win over former heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar in his at UFC 141 and went on to also earn victories over former champions Frank Mir, Junior Dos Santos, Andrei Arlovski and Fabricio Werdum during his UFC tenure.
The Dutchman is regarded as one of the sport’s all-time greats never to win a UFC title.
Overeem went 12-8 in the UFC with all eight of his losses being by either knockout or technical knockout, the most recent coming against Alexander Volkov in February.
