Credit: Marco De Swart/ANP

Former UFC heavyweight title challenger Alistair Overeem is reportedly set to face former GLORY superstar Rico Verhoeven later this year.

Kickboxing legends Alistair Overeem and Rico Verhoeven were set to face off in GLORY Kickboxing in 2021, before a bout between them fell apart after Overeem suffered an injury. Five years later, talks of a matchup between the Dutch giants seem to be ramping up.

Verhoeven seemed destined for a potential rematch against boxing heavyweight champ Oleksandr Usyk after a closely contested fight earlier this year. After parting ways with GLORY, Verhoeven has attracted the attention of the UFC and several boxing promoters.

As for Overeem, he retired from combat sports after a no-contest against Badr Hari at Glory Collision 4. But Overeem has reignited comeback talks in recent months, especially after Verhoeven turned down an offer to fight in the UFC Octagon.

According to several reports, Overeem and Verhoeven are in ongoing negotiations to square off in a unique trilogy.

Alistair Overeem, Rico Verhoeven in talks for three-fight series

Black Book PR, Overeem’s representation, recently teased a looming fight announcement. Boxing publication Boxing.Media recently reported that Verhoeven and Overeem are in talks to compete in a boxing match at the Johan Cruyff Arena in Amsterdam.

A key part of the report states the two sides are also in talks to fight in Mixed Martial Arts and Kickboxing in separate bouts after their targeted boxing match. As of this writing, Overeem and Verhoeven haven’t announced anything regarding a potential fight.

Overeem and Verhoeven are considered two of the most decorated kickboxers of all-time. Verhoeven holds a 66-10 kickboxing record with 21 knockouts.

Before making the full-time move to Mixed Martial Arts, Overeem made a name for himself in K-1, earning wins over the likes of Tyron Spong and Gokhan Saki. He parted ways with the UFC after a loss to Alexander Volkov in February 2021.

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This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM