Alistair Overeem: 'Junior dos Santos is afraid of me because I'm bigger and hit harder than Cain Velasquez'

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Heavyweight contender Alistair Overeem, who recently patched things up with promotion president Dana White, has a sneaking suspicion that reigning division champion Junior dos Santos doesn't want to fight him.

Not that he could anyway.

That's because "The Reem" won't be permitted to return to the Octagon any sooner than the promotion's annual year-end show, based on his recent run-in with the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC).

Still, it hasn't stopped "Demolition Man" from calling out "Cigano" for living in fear of the former Strikeforce 265-pound champion, who tells MMA Fighting he's a bigger threat to the Brazilian than former titleholder Cain Velasquez.

Literally:

"For me, I'm a fighter, I'm here to kick ass, I don't care who I'm fighting. I'm already a three-time world champion, I'll fight anybody, anywhere, so I'm going to leave that to the gentlemen of the UFC to decide. I know [Junior dos Santos] didn't want to fight me in the first place. I know he was happy [about the NSAC decision], I just know that. I hit very hard, I've knocked out a lot of people, I've submitted a lot of people. I am, in any way you look at it, a legitimate threat to his title. I'm gonna get it. He knows that. Cain (Velasquez) is also doing very well right now, but Cain doesn't hit as hard as I do. Cain is smaller than I am and has less experience. I'm the biggest legitimate threat out there, that's why he's afraid."

Hear Overeem talk the talk, after the jump.

For more on Overeem's quest for UFC gold click here.