Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) heavyweight contender, Alistair Overeem, has touched down in Albuquerque, New Mexico, site of last weekend's (June 7, 2014) UFC Fight Night 42 event (results).
But "The Reem" didn't exactly visit the 505 to take in the fights, as the former K-1 champion is in town to check out the digs at Jackson-Winkeljohn MMA, the camp he could be calling home for the foreseeable future.
And he likes what he sees so far, as he recently told MMA Fighting:
"It's been good. Yesterday I did two workouts. I just finished my second day of workouts. Yeah, still testing the waters, still feeling it out. But it's a very positive gym, positive feel. Yeah, the first impressions are that I like it. Very positive, very positive. I like to think of myself as also strategic and we (Greg Jackson) speak the same language. Again, very positive, the guys in the gym are cool. So far very positive."
Overeem left the Blackzilians' fight camp after training with them for the last two years. Revealing that Jackson-Winkeljohn MMA was on his gym to visit when he first moved to America, Overeem says he never got the chance to do it, as he ultimately decided to call Florida home.
At 34 years of age, Overeem says he has a good five years left in his fighting career and he wants to make the most of it, hence the change. Plus, flying out to Thailand for every camp like he did for his fight against Frank Mir at UFC 169, wasn't exactly convenient for the Dutchman.
"The Reem" will now train alongside Mir as well as the rest of the crew at Jackson's which includes heavy hitters such as UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, Carlos Condit, Andrei Arlovski, Diego Sanchez and Donald Cerrone, just to name a few.
While stories surfaced from current members of the Blackzilians that Overeem wasn't exactly the ideal teammate, Travis Browne -- a man who holds a win over Alistair and currently trains at Jackson's -- says everyone deserves a fresh start and sees no issue in training with his previous foe.
The feeling is mutual, according to "The Reem."
"Hapa," however, did issue a warning to Overeem, saying that he would not be allowed to get away with things at Jackson's that he was accustomed to with his former camp.
By the sound of things, everything is off to a "positive" start.
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