UFC: Alistair Overeem says ‘I’m pretty again’ after surgery for gruesome lip injury
- ‘I did not feel any pain at all … to me it was a win,’ Overeem says after KO by Jairzinho Rozenstruik
- ‘I already exposed Jairzinho, I showed his weakness. Francis Ngannou is gonna have a very easy fight’
Walking into the Emerald Ballroom at the Lotte Hotel Busan, Alistair Overeem was smiling from ear to ear – no small feat when his lip had been almost ripped off his face a walk and a half ago.
“You can see, I’m almost pretty again. Actually, I am pretty again compared to last week, what was it, 10 days, and I think it’s looking great,” he said at the UFC Fight Night Busan media day.
The 39-year-old heavyweight legend was cruising to a dominant decision victory when, with just seconds to go in the final round, Rozenstruik struck him with a violent blow that gruesomely spliced his upper lip in half at UFC Washington earlier this month.
Referee Dan Miragliotta stepped in at 4:56 in round five – a “b****** stoppage” Overeem called it – despite the Dutchman getting to his feet immediately as Rozenstruik walked off.
“I did not have any pain, at all. I did not feel any pain,” Overeem said of the injury. “To me it was a win, because we beat him every round. The ref should not have jumped in.
“I was not KO’d, I stood back up. It was two seconds left, three seconds left, one second left. I beat him very easy all rounds. OK, I get hit in the last 5 seconds, my lip is damaged. Who cares?”