Alistair Overeem: Zuffa threatened to cut me if I don't fight on Sept. 10 -- and I don't like to be threatened

Uh-oh.

Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Alistair Overeem has a fight lined up for the very near future, but it may not be against Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva like most of us were expecting.

Instead, he may be going to war against the Zuffa regime.

"Demolition Man" today (July 18) told The MMA Hour that Strikeforce officials, now operating as part of Zuffa LLC, recently threatened to cut him from the promotion if he failed to agree to fight at the upcoming Strikeforce event on Sept. 10.

And Overeem doesn't like to be threatened.

"Stikeforce has requested me to accept the fight for Sept. 10, to agree on that, but I have not agreed on it and I also had some emails, some questions asked, is the fight confirmed? No, the fight is not confirmed. I do not confirm it and I will not confirm it ... What's going to happen next, I don't know. I've had some threats of cutting me out of the tournament if I don't participate. I don't know if they're going to do it. Personally, I don't like to be threatened. If people start talking like that then...be my guest, but then I'm really not going to sing to their tune. For them to unilaterally declare, okay, [September 10] is going to be the second round, which I never agreed on, and then threaten me if I don't want it, it...doesn't really show a lot of respect."

Overeem has been on an absolute tear since 2007, winning 10 straight MMA bouts in addition to reaching the pinnacle of K-1. He most recently avenged a loss to Fabricio Werdum in the opening round of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix, winning via uninspiring unanimous decision.

The reigning Strikeforce and DREAM (mixed martial arts) and K-1 World Grand Prix (kickboxing) champion -- the first and only fighter to hold simultaneous world titles in both combat sports, has spent a majority of his career overseas and could be looking for a reason to return to the Japanese fans.

Will Zuffa give him one?

Stay tuned to MMAmania.com to see how this one plays out. In the meantime, whose side are you taking? Is Overeem being unreasonable? Or is Zuffa trying to strong-arm the wrong guy? Any chance someone folds and he does indeed fight on Sept. 10?

Sound off!